FRONT VIEW OF RESIDENCE OF C. C. GATES, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA George A. Clark, Designer, Pasadena, California

ESTIMATING

PART II

TYPICAL ESTIMATE FOR SUBURBAN DWELLING

The taking-off of quantities and making-up of an actual estimate, is the end toward which our efforts are now directed. This is done, as has been said, in a number of ways, no two persons arriving at the same conclusion or following exactly the same methods. To give the student a practical idea of how estimates are made, we shall now demonstrate the method of procedure in an actual instance. For this purpose, we shall take the case of the wooden colonial residence, the plans and working drawings for which, together with the method of making them, are fully described in "Architectural Drawing", and the details of which are described to a certain extent in "Building Superintendence".

The usual method followed is to take off the quantities in the order in which they occur in the specification or in the operation of building, beginning with "Excavation" and ending with "Painting".

Two methods of procedure are open to the contractor, which he may avail himself of according to his experience or confidence. He may take off simply his own particular branch of the work, relying on each subcontractor to give him a price for the detailed portions of the work; or, if he is a general contractor, he may, with the requisite knowledge of general building operations, take off all the quantities, pricing them according to his knowledge, and may submit his proposition on the basis of his own figures. The latter method requires great experience, and is followed generally only by large contractors, who have in their employ men whose business is mainly to take off quantities and make up estimates.

The following estimate has been carefully made up on the basis of the data given in Part I as to prices of materials and labor. In actual practice, details of more or less importance will vary in dif

ferent localities and among different contractors; but the example

here given illustrates the process fully.

NOTE.-Excavation is priced by the cubic yard; and in this regard, the distance to which the excavated material must be carted will be an important consideration. In the present case, the material is to be carried only a short distance, so that no unusual conditions will have to be considered.

As before mentioned, it is usually advisable to dig a cellar at least a foot larger all around than the sill line, so that plenty of room may be afforded to the mason to plaster the outside of the wall. This should be done without regard to the specifications. As this extra excavation lies entirely outside the line of the house, it may be well to take it off separately, remembering that it will extend down into the trench below the wall, making about 8 feet of height.