218 Charges of Landscape-Gardeners and Garden Architects. 



plaintiff's work is 930/., and another surveyor says he makes the value 935/. 

 Now, what are the judge and jury, who know no more about a building ac- 

 count than a boy of seven years old, to do in such a case ? They are surprised 

 and astonished that respectable men can be so very wide in their values ; and 

 what is the result ? Why, they take the several amounts as given in evidence, 

 add them together, and divide the amount by the number of witnesses. Ac- 

 cordingly, the result in the above case would be, that a verdict would be given 

 for 1,257/. 



" Now, let architects and surveyors reflect upon this disgraceful mode of 

 giving evidence (and they know too well that what I have stated is pretty 

 near the truth), and ask themselves whether it is not time that something 

 should be done to redeem the character of their profession ? 



" Again, do we not find it frequently the case, that gentlemen have such an 

 antipathy to the name of a surveyor, that, if a builder were to mention to his 

 employer that he was about to engage a surveyor to measure the works 

 executed, he would immediately give offence ; consequently, the builder is 

 obliged to introduce the surveyor into the building by stealth. Nor can any 

 one be surprised at it, when they witness the extortionate charges made by 

 some surveyors, whom I shall here style custom surveyors. This is the man- 

 ner in which they proceed : — Two surveyors meet to make out an account of 

 certain works done. We will suppose the account that they have to settle is 

 a plumber's bill. The first article is 18s. per cvvt. of milled lead: the 

 plumber's surveyor requires 25s. per cwt. ; the survej'or for the opposite party 

 remonstrates, and points out to him that the prime cost was 15s.; the other 

 replies that 25s. is the customary price, and that he cannot take less. To 

 convince his opponent, he opens an old measuring-book, and shows that 25s. 

 have been charged in an account that he settled on behalf of Mrs. Getall, 

 with Mr. Easy, the surveyor, some years before; and he again repeats, that it 

 is the custom to charge 25s., and that he cannot deviate from it. In the same 

 way, he charges Is. per foot for pipe that only costs 4d. ; and Is. per lb. for 

 solder that only costs bd. ; and so he goes on, in the same ratio, with all other 

 articles in the bill. After charging so extortionately for the time and materials 

 for making a joint to a pipe, he has the conscience to ask, in addition, 2s. 6d. 

 for that joint, though he cannot tell why he does so, except that it is the 

 custom, &c. The consequence of all this is, that the surveyor for the oppo- 

 site party, if he has any conscience, cannot settle the account, and it is referred 

 to the lawyers; it is then carried into a court of justice, where it is decided in 

 a similar manner to that which I have before described. 



"As a remedy, 1 would recommend every person intending to build, to have 

 the work done by contract. I would contract even for a dog-kennel. 



" Another great error in valuing builders' work is, that the surveyors too 

 frequently charge but one price, whether the work be done well or ill, and that 

 they pay no regard to the prime cost, or to the mode of payment. The latter 

 ought to be taken into serious consideration ; for, if the work be paid for as 

 it proceeds, it will enable the builder to purchase his materials with cash, and 

 thus generally 10 per cent cheaper in the market than if he had to obtain 

 them on credit. On the other hand, if the work be not paid for till some time 

 after it is finished, a considerable increase ought to be allowed, for the dis- 

 advantages of being obliged to purchase on credit, and for the use of the ready 

 money necessarily laid out in workmen's wages. Something, also, should be 

 allowed for risk, as builders are liable to have bad debts as well as other 

 tradesmen." (Arch. Mag., vol. i. p. 15.) 



The great object which we have in view in preparing this article is, if pos- 

 sible, to prevent disputes between landscape-gardeners and their employers. 

 For this purpose we have stated the various modes in which charges are made; 

 and, in conclusion, we think that, in general, a fixed charge per day, and a 

 previous agreement for the amount to be paid for the plans, estimates, reports, 

 &c, in every particular case, are likely to be the most satisfactory to both 

 parties. 



