How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home (How to Plan, Contract & Build Your Own Home) [Paperback]

Richard M. Scutella (Author), Dave Heberle (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071448853 | ISBN-13: 978-0071448857 | Publication Date: July 21, 2005 | Edition: 4th

The Classic Blueprint for Do-It-Yourself Homebuilders Updated to Reflect the Latest Materials, Techniques, and Options!

Covering everything from hiring the right vendors to choosing fixtures, this information-packed guide is a step-by-step roadmap for building a new home or remodeling an existing one. The heavily-revised Fourth Edition focuses on the latest technologies, materials, money-saving options, and environmentallyfriendly methods, allowing homeowners to save money, get more for their money, maximize their usable space, decrease maintenance costs, and choose from an exciting array of new options.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

• Save and get more from your money
• Pick the perfect site
• Minimize maintenance cost and effort
• Maximize indoor and outdoor space

There are countless reasons why building your own home makes good sense. But for most people, the chance to create the home they've always wanted is #1 on their list. And this all-in-one guide can help you every step of the way toward realizing your vision -- from hiring the right vendors to picking fixtures.

Whether it's basic planning ("What's your move-in date?") or construction methods ("Wood or steel?"), this trusted reference, now fully updated to cover new materials, techniques, energy-saving options, and environmentally friendly technologies and methods, is the most complete source for homebuilders available.

Written by experienced instructors and builders, and used by thousands of savvy buyers of custom and not-yet-built homes, How to Plan, Contract, and Build Your Own Home will help you:

• Select the right site and supervise its preparation
• Make wise decisions on floor plans, types of construction, framing, and foundations
• Plan for home office use, communications upgrades, "smart house" technology, and a home that will serve your needs throughout your life
• Choose the newest and most economical and efficient types of insulation, roofing, plumbing, wiring, and more
• Select amenities such as decks, patios, gazebos, sidewalks, and driveways
• Evaluate doing it yourself vs. subcontracting
• Know when you'll move in with a helpful calendar-style checklist
• Select the right mortgage

About the Author

Richard M. Scutella (Erie, PA) has written several books on new construction, home buying, home maintenance, and safety, including both editions of Homebuyer's Checklist. He has designed and supervised the construction of many new homes, and is a member of the Handyman Club of America and the Quikrete Company's Home Projects Council.

Dave Heberle (Erie, PA) is the author of McGraw-Hill's Construction Safety Manual, and co-author of all three previous editions of How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home. He's written numerous articles on home-building, and is a former realtor who has also designed and built homes. He currently is a consultant on environmental safety and health issues.

Product Details

• Paperback: 752 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 4th edition (July 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071448853
• ISBN-13: 978-0071448857
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #983,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Preparation for your General Contractor, September 7, 2000

By 

Gare (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home (Paperback)

This book is lives up to the first two parts of the title - Plan & Contract. It falls short on the building process but if you know you are going to use a Builder or General Contractor, it is a great source of information.

I haven't got the time to manage the building process but I know I can intelligently talk with my contractor. This book gives the reader a firm footing in dealing with the house design and contractor processes.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Great Advice, March 7, 2004

By 

Randy Given (Manchester, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home (Paperback)

This is an excellent book with a lot of great advice. The part of the title that says "build your own home" is misleading -- it does not mean it shows YOU how to build your home, it means it in the general sense of whether people will buy a pre-owned or build-your-own-home. I was fine with that because that is exactly what I was looking for.

I spend a half hour poring over a wide selection of similar books. This one looked best. I spent another ten minutes on it before selecting it as the best. I was looking for specific tidbits that I know that I would give other home builders. After reading the book, I was even more impressed. There is a tremendous amount of good advice in an easy-to-read format. Highly recommended.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How To Plan, Design & Contract Your Own Home, January 10, 2005

By 

G. Reid (Roseland, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home (Paperback)

This book is very helpful for you to work with and speak the language of your contractor. It is not designed for you to be your own contractor, but to work with one that you select. In Part II "How to Build It", the book shows how a house is put together. If you never lift a hammer throughout the entire construction process, it still pays to know how a house can and should be put together. The difference between mediocre and excellent construction involves a ridiculously small materials cost. Knowing construction methods and materials will also assist you in your dealings with whichever contractor you choose.