Now comes the chimney-piece, which is generally priced at the value of 2 yards super, if an ordinary one; the contents can soon be obtained; a plain boxed chimney-piece with 9 in. jambs, 9 in. frieze, and 9 in. shelf supers to 2 yards.

No. 1 black stove is next; price this at 6d. including profit.

No. 1 rim lock japanned; this is worth about 3d. including profit.

The make good floor has been treated in the book.

Next comes 2 sets of 5/8 in. beads about 21 ft. each, and taking out old and fixing new and two extra oils.

The cost of these beads is a little less than 1/2d. per ft. in large quantities, small ones would not be delivered by the moulding merchants; it would be cheaper where there is not sufficient to pay to send a cart for it, to work the moulding in the joiners' shop ; it should be done there for 3/4d. at the outside, including cleaning up and shooting the inner edge, after sawing the bead off the board it is stuck on; to this cost add taking out old parts of bead and fixing new (this latter includes the mitring) and two extra oils; the fixing put at one hour of a carpenter, 9d.; the two oils and brads at 6d., and to these sums add the profit.

We should not price these beyond 2s. 6d.t including profit, at the outside; the fixing can be done in less time than that given if a proper tradesman (a carpenter who knows his trade) is employed. Many small builders fall into the error of employing cheap men ; if they keep account of the work done by such men they will find it is an error. A builder who keeps good hands constantly employed should price the bead at 1/2d. per foot; the 2 oils, etc, at 4d.; the fixing at 6d. The next entry to price is "Take off brass-work, relacquer, and refix it." We give hereunder a net list of the cost of relacquering, from which the items can be priced as they occur in the estimate, adding to each the cost of taking off and refixing and profit on all.

Add to these prices the time to take to the lacquerer, and fetching them.

The next item is, "No. I register stove taken out, and reset with new back."

Taking out the stove and resetting it will take a bricklayer and labourer 3 hours, and a little mortar is required to bed the stove on again. The cost of the back, if an ordinary one, is 1s, 3d. to 1s. 6d., to which add the small cost of taking the old one out of the stove and putting in the new; there is also the risk of damaging the chimney-piece; the shelf being off this, or to come off, there would not be much trouble to unfix and refix the chimney-piece. It is often necessary to do this when the stove goes behind it: -

The next is "1 1/2 in. rubbed Portland shelf." The cost of 1 1/2 in. Portland stone is 8d. per ft. super on the merchant's wharf, to which must be added the cost of fetching (this is of course presuming the builder is not in a sufficiently large way of business to enable him to stock such things), waste and working, i.e., coping to size; the other labours come after, in separate items: -

Ten per cent. will cover the waste of stone for net measured work, where there is a fair quantity; but this is so small that it would require 15 to cover it; the edge that is coped would not require to be squared as it goes in wall.

Next comes "6.3 run of 1 1/2 in. rubbed edge." This may be priced at 1 d. per foot run.

The next item is "No. 2 rounded corners to do."

A price of 3d. each for these will cover profit.

Next we have "No. 1 take out old shelf and fix new."

A mason and labourer could do this in half-an-hour; add profit to this. A mason fixing is paid by most builders 9 3/4 d. per hour, the labourer getting 6 1/2d. in all cases, if a proper mason's labourer, and no other is of much good to a mason, except to fetch and carry. It happens there is other mason's work to do in this house, or time walking to and from the yard would have to be reckoned for. Adding these items together we get a total of 6s. 4 1/2d. for this shelf, which seems on the face of it a very long price, and yet there are the items, and there is even then the cost of making good the plastering and painting to be added.

Next comes the "Number 1 making good plastering after do.," the value of this may be added to the item under this heading for this room.

The "6.5 of 4 oils on stone," price at 1od. per yard super; as the edges are taken in with the faces, divide by 9 to bring into yards super; this shows a little over two-thirds of a yard, say 7d.

The next item is "4 feet run of 3 1/2 by 1 in. deal wrought and beaded hat rail, plugged to wall and 4 oils."

The cost of this per foot run should be: - 3 1/2 ins. of deal at 2d. per foot super; preparing it, i. e. sawing, planing, and beading both edges 1d. per foot; fixing 1d. per foot run : painting, 3/4d. per foot run.

Next comes "No. 4 japanned double hooks and screws."

The cost of these is 1s. 3d. per dozen. This is a very low price, and in quantities, say with screws, 1 1/2d. each, and 2d. for fixing.

Next we have "No. 2 take out broken panels and put new, 3 ft. by 11 in., to square framed door."

The way to put a new panel in, is to take the stile off next it by mortising the wedges out, and then after drawing out the old panel and putting the new one in, to re-wedge the stile on; a carpenter should take about 4 hours, this time would include unhanging and rehanging; 2 ft. 9 in. super of 1/2 in. pine would be required and a little glue.

To this there is the extra two oils to add, say 5d. per yard super including profit; each panel contains about 5 ft. for the two sides, 1/2 in. all round being hidden in plough groove.

The next item is "No. 1 take off old lock and provide and fix new 6 in. rim lock and brass furniture."