Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-07
PERMIT RECORD
IN LOS ANGELES
BEATS new YORK
FIGURES ARE BASED ON Gov
EMINENT REPORTS
LARGE NUMBER OF HOMES
HELPS SWELL TOTAL
Angel City Stands High in List as
Builder of First Class Rein
forced Concrete and Steel
Structures

There were issued more building
permits in Los Angeles last year than
in New York city. This astonishing
statement is borne out by the report
ilnon building operations in the United
states lust compiled by the geological
survey. In the twelve months OF l9Oo
were issued in Los Angeles 1871 per
mits. as against 6103 in New YORK city
in the corresponding period.
The great number of bungalows anu
houses costing $4,000 and less IS the
direct cause of the remarkable fecotu
made by Los Angeles in exceeding IN
number OF permits the metropolis Oh
America. While the larger part OF the
building activity was confined to nome
building Los Angeles stood high in the
lists as a builder of class reinforced
concrete and steel structures.
The panic which overlook the en-
tire country in the fall OF l9Oi crlppleu
building operations throughout the
following year. Los Angeles did not
escape the blow, but figures show that
the CITY continued in the march OF
progress and some of the largest per-
mits in it's history were issued IN 1soe'
Building Operations in 1908
The total cost of the buildings erect
ed in the principal cities of the United
states in 1905 was $546, 467, 800, accord
ing to Jefferson Middleton OF the
limited states geological survey, who
has collected statistics on this subject
in connection with his Investigations
of the working industries. In 1871
the cost of buildings in these same cit
les reached a total of $500, las $50. The
decrease in cost in 1908 therefore
amounts to $79,6S1, 500, or 1913 per cent.
OF the permits issued or buildings
erected 1854 per cent were for build
ings of fire-resisting materials, and
e1,S6 per cent for wooden buildings,
corresponding closely to the percent
ages in 1901 The average cost of
brick or fire-resisting buildings in 1908
was $90S9 and Of wooden buildings
$2101
Chicago reported the largest number
of brick buildings--S20S, with an aver
age value of $6S1S; Philadelphia the
next largest number-67i8, with an av-
erage value of $330S. Brooklyn report
ed the third largest number of brick
buildings and New York the seventh,
though in cost of buildings of this class
it is first. New York reported 1884
brick buildings costing $103,064, 4S6, or
nearly twice as much as Chicago's
S20S.
Average Cost of Structures
1'he average cost of resisting
buildings in New York was s54705. No
Wooe en- buildings were erected in the
borou gh of Manhattan, those reported
for New York being in the Bronx. The
largest number of permits for wooden
buildings was issued in Seattle-7777,
the average cost of the buildings being
about $1,000.
The next largest number of wooden
buildings was reported by Los Angeles
--4679, costing on an average 1888.
The greatest cost for wooden buildings
was reported by San Francisco, the
average cost being $3641. Chicago,
which reported the largest number of
brick buildings, was eighth in number
Of wooden buildings Except for Read
ing, where none were erected, Phila-
delphia reported the smallest number
of wooden buinldings-l5, with an av-
erage cost of $14S2.
The following table shows the num-
Der OF permits issued and the cost of
buildings erected in each of the cities
in 1908: