May, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



XXI 



It can not be said too emphatically that 

 when there is considerable variation in a list 

 of bids careful examination of other conditions 

 is necessary if high-class work is desired. A 

 group of figures close together in a list often 

 shows the proper price for the work, notice- 

 ably low or high ones being "wild" for some 

 reason. This is not always true, because one 

 good man may figure low because work is 

 scarce, or another good man's bid may be 

 high because he is overloaded and doesn't care 

 to win. It is also obvious that the cheap man 

 will be a low bidder and that the careless or 

 ignorant man may be low or high or anywhere. 

 Safety to the owner lies in the assumption that 

 in a close group of figures by selected bidders 

 lies the proper price, and there should be good 

 reasons for the acceptance of any bid notably 

 lower. 



There is naturally at all times an attrac- 

 tion toward a low estimate upon a job. Archi- 

 tects are not free from it. They may set 

 about preparing plans not to exceed a sum 

 named by the owner. In their desire for a 

 fine result they are likely to exceed the limit 

 set. Then comes their temptation by a low 

 bid. The owner may have a definite scheme 

 for his house which overruns his limit of price 

 — and there is his temptation by a low esti- 

 mate. A list of bids varying quite evenly be- 

 tween wide limits (say twenty-five per cent, 

 apart) is likely to mean that builders doing 

 varying grades of work are bidding. Some- 

 times a cheap contractor is included in a list 

 of bidders so that he may be used if the job 

 runs too high among the men preferred for 

 the work. This or any use of a poor builder 

 is dangerous ; poor work of any kind is ex- 

 pensive — as it is in all matters. If it is nec- 

 essary to reduce a price cut down the require- 

 ments and let what is done be well done. Ex- 

 treme fineness of finish, expensive materials, 

 and elaboration of detail may all be reduced, 

 thereby lessening the expense without recourse 

 to the low-grade builder, whose poor quality 

 would extend through every detail of the 

 work, from rough construction to finish. A 

 poor job is a continual source of expense. 

 Many a man has spent the difference between 

 a low accepted bid and a reasonable one dur- 

 ing his first five years' occupancy of his house; 

 and in the end still has had a cheaply built 

 house. 



Another source of annoyance to which an 

 owner often feels himself subjected is the 

 slowness of the contractor. Toward the com- 

 pletion of the work, when perhaps the owner 

 is impatient to occupy his premises, this is 

 especially noticeable. Good work takes time. 

 Many houses are rushed more than they 

 should be. At the same time laxity in this re- 

 gard is a common fault among builders — 

 chiefly because they do not tabulate their ex- 

 periences in this line and carelessly agree to 

 time limits which careful thought or com- 

 parison would show to be too close. At the 

 same time it should be remembered that so 

 many sub-contractors are involved, and such 

 variety of material, coming sometimes from 

 distant places, is used that it is not surprising 

 if estimates upon time of completion go astray. 

 Sometimes the owner seeks to counteract this 

 by inserting a "forfeit and bonus" clause in 

 his contract — by which the builder loses a 

 stated amount for each day the job is incom- 

 plete after a certain date. This clause is prac- 

 tically valueless concerning house work. An 

 owner may take advantage of a very trifling 

 or self-originated, unfinished detail to collect 

 a forfeit or avoid a bonus. Where neither 

 party means to use any unfair advantage yet 

 disagreements will arise. A trifle of hard- 

 ware, a shelf, or the improper working of 

 some fixture may cause this. These little 

 things are likely to occur upon any job not 

 fully adjusted to use. It has been shown to 



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