The Owner-Builder Book: How You Can Save More Than $100,000 in the Construction of Your Custom Home, 4th Edition [Paperback]

Mark A. Smith (Author), Elaine M. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2007

The best available guide to saving money on a home construction project, The Owner-Builder Book shows you how to contract your new home, remodel, or addition at phenomenal savings. Contains a step-by-step description of the process, including how to find and hire good subcontractors, how to get a construction loan, and how to estimate costs and choose features for your project. Includes 85 planning steps and 100 new construction bargain strategies to save you thousands. Includes contracts, agreements, budget and schedule forms and worksheets. Super-index provides 1,500 search terms for total utility. Winner of the National Association of Home and Workshop Writers Silver Hammer Award for Books.

"...16 easy to read chapters with lots of charts, lists and examples...More practical advice..." Nancy Cook-Senn, The Shawnee News-Star

"...this is the book which will tell you how to design and build your own home just the way you want it. It also tells you how to save thousands of dollars in the process...You can also save up to 50% of the cost of a house by becoming an owner-builder...goes through the stages of how to plan, planning, how to buy, developing a network for purchasing your materials, how to get bids, what to look for in bids on different areas, how to supervise your sub contractors, etc...seems to leave very few, if any, stones unturned." Curtis Rivers, Vero Beach Press Journal

"Assuming you have the same costs that a general contractor will have, you will save the profit (more than 10 percent average) and the overhead (two to three times the profit) paid to a general...The Owner-Builder Book discusses just how this can be done." Ask the Experts, Country's Best Log Homes

"If you don't want to sorry, follow the process outlined by Mark Smith in his book, The Owner-Builder Book." Builders Showcase, Northwest Herald

"...covers every aspect of the building process, including planning, scheduling, working with subcontractors, financing, building permits, etc....has, perhaps for the first time, demystified the home-building process for the layman. Consider this to be a textbook." Prince William Region Home Focus

"...highlights techniques for materials shopping (what he calls "commando shopping") and planning your home room-by-room to maximize savings." Home & Real Estate Weekly, Daily Times-Call

"This new book gives a step-by-step approach to building your own home and saving up to 50 percent on construction costs. Chapters show how to beat contractor pricing tactics, how to deal with paperwork (contracts, permits, and legal and insurance protection), how to manage home building project on a daily basis, and how to avoid common owner-builder mistakes." The Henry Herald

"Great practical little book filled with tips to save money when building a home. If you want to take on the project yourself, it's good to know the tricks of the trade first. You'll learn to manage bureaucratic paperwork, how to get subs on your side, and even become privy to "commando" shopping techniques. The Smiths explain how to benefit from new tax laws and how to prepare yourself to get loan approval." Simple Living Quarterly

"If you ever have thought of building your own home, The Owner-Builder Book is for you because it is a step-by-step guide for the amateur and covers all aspects of building a home." Robb Northrup, Kitchener-Waterloo Record

"When it comes to building your dream home, sweat equity a.k.a. doing it yourself, can help economize. But you don't need to swing a hammer to nail substantial savings. In The Owner-Builder Book Mark Smith leads home-owners through a step-by-step guide of planning, scheduling and financing a custom built house." Michelle Mahfouri, American Press

"The 16-chapter book takes [you] from putting a materials list together and putting out bids to subcontractors to shopping for bargains and close-outs on framing lumber, fixtures, concrete and appliances. It also discusses how to avoid first-time mistakes." Kansas City Star

"...guides you through...building...and saving considerable dollars that will build [your] wealth without the [typical] risk..." Rocky Mountain News

"What are the secrets to...save money on the construction of your home? This book tells all." Kansas City Daily News-Press

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... the Smiths' advice covers everything about building a home ... the book is an awesome resource guide" -- Women's Day Home Remodeling

"Can't afford it? Can't swing a hammer? [Read] this book, start [your dreamhouse] and save a bundle of money, too." -- Pocono Record

"If you've always dreamed of your own custom home, you may want to try The Owner-Builder Book." -- The Orange County Register

"It's incredibly detailed, with valuable lists, charts, ideas and questionnaires, yet is easy reading ... this is must reading." -- The Pocket Change Investor

"Why would anyone want the [contracting] hassle? Money and quality, ...and $100,000 tax free is not bad..." -- Creative Downscaling

From the Publisher

This book will help you through a challenging task, that of acting as contractor on a new home, house addition or remodel. There is a tremendous amount of money to waste when you build, and The Owner-Builder Book will help you to save a substantial amount while building a better house.

We have provided many other resources to help you build at OwnerBuilderBook.com, including a free Download Gallery of software templates for construction budgeting and scheduling, along with numerous helpful forms and contracts.

At OwnerBuilderBook.com we have posted more than 60 pages of reader comments such as these:

"My friend had your book checked out of the library so much that the librarian bought her her own copy."
Dale B. Tucson, AZ

"I enjoyed your last edition very much. I was very glad to find this new edition at the bookstore. Because I remodel houses, I watch for all the books on this subject. I've probably read them all. There are so few books out there that you can use. The majority of the construction books are just written to sell.. Yours is written to inform.. Some of the books I just get maybe a paragraph out of that's new. Yours I can use."
Cliff S. York, SC

"We are working on a huge apartment project, and this is coming in really handy. The book gave us the inspiration to get started in the first place."
Edmund & Emily M. Coppers Cove, TX

"This book fell into my hands last year. It was like an answer to prayer. I just devoured the book immediately. I have 20-30 sticky tabs sticking out of it all over."
Dorethy H. Topeka, KS

"The book has been helpful in pointing us in the right direction, and giving us the right questions to ask. We wouldn't have been in as good shape if we hadn't read it."
Kurt A. Hayden, ID

"Excellent book. A lot of useful information a lot of people don't have. Very informative. As a contractor. I sat down with the book. At first I was wanting to toss it out the window. Either this guy is clueless, or he's been there before. I finally realized that the realities of running your own project are right on target. You can run your own project and become your own construction manager. Often the client doesn't have a clue and they are running fifteen subs and don't want to cut loose control and it turns into a nightmare. They are never there, but they hold the power of the purse. When the subs know that you're not cutting the check, they don't paying attention to you . It was very informative and very on target. And this is the wave of where construction will go. A great book to pass on to clients. I've got a client now where they can't get a hold of a contractor. They've done a lot of footwork, but don't have enough information to take the reins and do it. It's very hard to get contractors right now and this is a great resource for people who could do this on their own. This will give them enough to know what they are getting into at the very least. It gets crazy with people who don't know what they are doing. A contractor's perspective. We hear how to sell. And we find contractors that just slam dunk people, and we are trying to build a reputation for doing what's fair. I've laid my books open to people. Everyone talks about leveling the playing field, but that's difficult when there's no one to reinforce the certification of contractors. We find scabs out here who undercut the price but don't carry the insurance, the workmens comp., and they're not above board. We often have to go out and clean up a bad mess. If people really want to level the playing field they have to reinforce the certification of contractors. In stead, let's give everyone the information to be a true owner-builder. We're trying to run a square game. We try to make enough profits to stay in business for another day. We get slammed with high liability insurance, workers comp., and all the overhead. I'm all for people being fully informed. If someone had this information and had their project as well planned as it should be, it would be a joy to work for them. There would be very few problems. That does everybody a service."
Larry T. Santa Rosa, CA

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Product Details

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: Consensus Group; 4th edition (January 15, 2007); 4 edition (March 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932272046
• ISBN-13: 978-1932272048
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Home Design > Design & Construction

More About the Author

You may email Mark A. Smith at [e-mail]

Amazon.com: Where are you from? How--if at all--has your sense of place colored your writing?

M.S.: I was born in New Jersey, and lived in a wonderful old Colonial home with my 11 brothers and sisters. Later I went to Utah and met many large families with beautiful homes. People are more resourceful in Utah than anywhere else I've lived, and I consider it the owner-builder capital of the world. We live in a very nice subdivision in Provo, Utah and there is a street near us with 12 houses on it. Nine of those were owner-built.

Amazon.com: When and why did you begin writing? When did you first consider yourself a writer?

M.S.: I wrote my first book in college, and never had the chance to get back to it during a busy life trying to succeed as a manager and consultant. I rediscovered my love for writing as a consultant when I developed marketing plans for clients. It was a lot of fun to make the plans interesting and to see a buzz develop among managers when the plans were delivered to their desks. It is very valuable to interview lots of knowledgeable people when you research and take their often pithy words and ideas and weave them into a"good read." The Owner-Builder Book has valuable content, in fact, because it is based on 200 interviews Elaine and I did before writing.

Amazon.com: Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way? What books have most influenced your life?

M.S.: I love self-help books, and have read several hundred of them. Three or four of them have changed my life. I think a good book of this type should give you lots of clear steps to follow and a good reason to follow them. In other words, the book should motivate, even inspire, you.

Amazon.com: What are you working on?

M.S.: After conducting several workshops for owner-builders, we began to understand their needs and how they learn. We are always dismayed when someone looks into owner-building and is intimidated before they start. We have tried to create support materials that overcome this problem and take the fear out of owner-building. We have many downloadable audios, videos, free software, special reports, and construction bargain strategies at OwnerBuilderBook.com. We also offer the leading current books on owner-building at the site. I personally like iPod-type audios as a way to learn and get motivated, but most people like videos. So we have developed videos to make it easier for people.

Amazon.com: What do you see as the major issues in your book category?

M.S.: The thing that bothers me about most of the books I found on owner-building is the propaganda in them that leads people back into the hands of general contractors. It is easy to scare people off. Our purpose is to motivate and give them the tools to do the job. And I think people need to know that they don't need to knock themselves out doing all the actual work on their project to save money. Our book demonstrates that most of the serious savings are in the contracting end. Elaine and I want people to have a great experience building and then the same satisfaction that we do in a great house that you planned well.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 103 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One major problem...., May 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Owner-Builder Book : How You Can Save More than $100,000 in the Construction of Your Custom Home, Second Edition (Paperback)

The main part of this book contains some useful information and some helpful hints for owner-builders. However, beware a major problem that nearly destroyed the reading experience for me. The writing goes until page 272. But the book contains 314 pages. So what do pages 272-314 contain? Look at the cover of the book, where it says "Valuable Coupons Inside! $100 Value". Most of the 42 pages contain full-page ads for the author's seminars, audiotapes, workshops and special reports. To see this for yourself, go to the "Look Inside" feature (click on book picture) and look at the last page of the table of contents. I found these ads irritating, because although this is supposedly a reference book in and of itself, it asks you to shell out $6.00-$99.00 each item for more information. Excuse me, but shouldn't information like "Staying on Schedule" be included in the "Owner-Builder" book? The author offers the explanation that he couldn't "fit" all of this info into the book. He sure didn't have a problem tacking on 42 extra pages of shameless bids for more money. Get a book that doesn't reach into your wallet, like the excellent "Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home".

72 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you have the time, you will save money, June 11, 2006

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Owner-Builder Book: How You Can Save More than $100,000 in the Construction of Your Custom Home, Third Edition (Paperback)

If you have the time to be your own general contractor, you will save money on your house construction, according to author Smith. This is true; I know two people at least, maybe more, who built their own house in a pricey market and got better results for a lot less. But...they had the time to be a full-time or nearly full-time general contractor.

A general contractor is a business person; a manager. If you can manage projects or people, you can do this. The book has charts, tables and suggestions on how to handle subcontractors. The myths that you cannot buy good lumber or components dashed here. And I can attest that contractor-grade furnishings in houses are often garbage, so much so you have to refit a new house to remove the trash they installed for you. You can avoid this waste by building your own, with your own specifications for windows, doors, brass door fittings, toilets, cabinets.

Don't be fooled; this is a job; you save money because you are doing the job of a professional. But that professional may have gotten into the business at his daddy's knee and really you may have the same skills, just untried. So do read the book first and see if you can manage all the jobs listed.

I liked the tables and checklists best in here. I like guides so I dont forget things. How to handle the subs, including sending knotty, subpar warped lumber back to the lumber yard and how to specify in your sub contract (strike the line that says you pay a restocking fee before you sign with the lumber yard) is worth the entire book price.

If you want some facts; it costs about $50 a square foot to build a house around our area and the builder sells it for about $100 to $140. Think about that.

98 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SUBSTANCE, December 10, 2001

By 

Ken Lowrance (Silver City, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Owner-Builder Book : How You Can Save More than $100,000 in the Construction of Your Custom Home, Second Edition (Paperback)

Our home in New Mexico will be the first and last we build. I reviewed several books at the library before purchasing one as a guide to this project. The "Owner-Builder Book" and the accompanying CD I received after purchasing the book solidified our approach to organizing to build. Its step by step approach, the ideas presented by the author and the side bars from other owner-builders caused us to re-evaluate many of our preconceived concepts on how to build a home. Three items of significant importance were driven home when we followed the approach:
1)Its easy to design a home! However, to then build it for a reasonable price is a real challenge. The ideas for a cost down approach in the book are invaluable in focusing the owner-builder with a budget and big ideas. Of particular interest was the admonition to get multiple bids! We have found price differences of over 100% from the same bill of material. We would never have realized the importance of multiple bids without using "Owner-Builder" as a guide.
2) Our research and experience since purchasing the book last March are right on with the observations of the Smiths. General contractors spend little time at any individual project. The quality of work is up to the lead worker. The quality we have found is variable depending on which house we visited.
3) You cannot do too much planning and we needed a guide for the planning process. We plan to build next March and taking a year to plan the task is not too much time. We will easily spend more than 1000 hours before the first shovel hits the site. We will know what is in the home from top to bottom. The book drove this point home and its organizational steps were invaluable.