Evening star., 1914-10-10
FEES OF ARCHITECTS
ARE NOT TOO GREAT
Cost Of Preparing Plans Consumes
Most of Commission,
Says Writer.

In view of the many published state
ments about the large fee received by
Guy Lowell. the architect of the new
courthouse for New York. it is inter-
esting to observe the element of un-
certainty which attaches to the profit
to be derived from an undertaking of
this magnitude, says the Philadelphia
Ledger.
The cost to an architect in preparing
his drawings and specifications and
seeing that they are properly carried
out. in offices run on the best business
basis, is at least one-half of his COM
mission. This, however, applies only
to the general class of buildings and
not to residential or public and monu-
mental work. The cost is then as high
as 15 per cent of the architects COM
mission.
Cost Government So Per Cent.
The United States government pre-
pared a statement which was submit
ted to Congress (Senate document No.
S16, Sixty-second Congress, second
SESSION.. which gave the average cost
of preparing drawings and specifica-
tions alone, exclusive of superintend-
ence or any other field expenses. for
the years 1905 to 1911, inclusive, to be
So per cent. This was for preparing
the drawings for the building erected
done by the supervising architect of
the Treasury. a man known for his
great executive ability, and, therefore,
done with the greatest economy pos
Sible.
Reports have been submitted to the
state architect of New York showing
that the cost to the state for preparing
the plans and specifications made in the
Nffr
cent The cost to the New York Central
railroad for preparing the plans for
its new station has exceeded 6 per
cent Therefore. an architect who is
able TO prepare the plans for a ten
million dollar building at cost to him
of less than per cent of the total
cost of the building must run his Of
nee in the most economic manner pos
slbie and take his chance that the work
may cost him more than his entire fee
Work Is Costly.
1t seems to be the general impression
In many uninformed places that an ar
chitect makes a few sketches taking
Few days of his time and for this work
receives an enormous fee. The fact
OF the matter is that to prepare and
carry out the work of a ten-million-
dollar courthouse will require the
services OF from twenty to thirty high
H.
Der OF engineers and specialists on
structural work, heating and yentila-
ton. sanitation. mechanical eouip-
ment, etc, working for period of at
least hve years; will require a large
offfce at a high rental, and with the
most economic administration his work
will cost about s450,OO0 This will
leave about s150,000 profit, or about
$4,000 a year.
Invests Own Money.
What business man is there who is
willing to head a en-million-dollar
corporation with a salary of $40 00o .
year? What corporation is there of
this size that pays it's counsel less than
TINS amount? Such men, however. re-
cefve these salaries without investing
any of their own money to obtain II
Inc architect must invest about $3.50
VoO in actual cash paid out to receive
his profit Of $150.00O
All OF the above has nothing to do
with the professional training and skin
OF the architect. and for which he re-
ceyes MS compensation. He must.
therefore, not only invest his own
money and run a large business office
with a chance of running it at a loss.
put ne must give his skill in desisnine
ms knowledge of engineering and con-
stfuctfon and his training in sculn-
ture ana mural decoration in order that
he may obtain his fee