The Washington herald., 1910-01-16
COSTS MORE NOW
TO BUILD HOMES
Capital Has No Homes Sell
ing for $1,000.
BUILDER GIVES THE REASON
High Prices OF Material, New Access
sOries, and Rigid Regulations Set
Value Higher Than Figure Named.
Interesting Talk with a Local Com
tractor Who Knows the Facts.

Washington offers no home in the
sewer and water limits for less than
50. OO0 and one cannot be built for less
money under the prevailing price OF ma
terials and the building regulations Of
the District. house. comfortable, SAM
tary and up TO the standard set by the
building Inspection rules cannot be con-
structed in the city OF Washington for
S2,5OO The cheapest type OF house that
Is built here costs the owner about sS,-
5CO and the cost Is increasing rather than
diminishing"
In these words prominent builder OF
the city answered the question whether
| a good house could be obtained al the
Capital for $3.50 In explaining the re-
mark more In detail the builder offered
some very interesting suggestions relative
TO the cost Of construction and the condi-
lions which prevail locally
Cost Rapidly increases.
The builder said the house that sold
for $500 ten years ago, constructed OF
the same material, on the same plan
and in the same style. and sold on the
same scale OF commissions would cost
now S4,375. This increased cost Is due
chiefly 10 the higher prices which must
now be paid for brick lumber, hin for
roofing. and other things entering into
the ediGce. To erect house which could
be sold for $500. it would be necessary
TO construct il. he said. OF the cheapest
materials obtainable. with not more than
four rooms. without a bath. and the
builder would run the risk of violating the
regulations and having his license re-
V0ked
The houses we build now" continued
the contractor. ARE a different type
from those OF ten years ago. Great
progress has been made IN the art OF
building Take the bathroom. for ex-
ample, Ten years ago we put in the
old zinc-Iined tub with the simplest sort
Of fixtures and at about one-flfth the
cost OF the modern arrangements. Now.
even the cheap houses must be equipped
with the porcelain lined iron tub and
n!ckeled fixtures. faucets, and shoppers,
all OF a costly pattern. The washstand
IS now demanded and the regulations
require that II shall be of the open
plumbing type which adds TO the cost. as
well as the looks and sanitary excel
lence.
Regulations Wei Enough.
7 have no fault 10 find with the regu-
lations, but the man who buys the house
and lives in II has 10 pay a higher price
Tor such luXuries. In the long run the
builder loses nothing and possibly makes
a little more out Of the accessories de-
scribed, because there are more OF them
and the room for a margin OF profit on
the subcontract IS that much greater.
The house OF to-day must have nicer
mantels and many conveniencies within
or the buyers viii not look at them
second time. The colonial porch makes
another draft on the pocketbook OF the
buyer, and the fronts put upon the
homes now being built run into money
rapidly, In fact the type Of house We
are now turning out. IN the limits OF
sewers and water. cost SO much 10 build
that no man can sell them for $3.50,
except at bankruptcy proceedings.
The building regulations in Washing
ton are rigidly enforced and I believe
rightly so, but they do not make FOR
cheapHess Of construction. For example.
it is necessary here 10 place the house
sewer and entire drainage plant deep in
the earth. The pipes go down inside the
walls TO the cellar and are buried in the
earth. I believe a modification Of this
regulation should be brought about along