So You Want to Build a House: How to Be Your Own Contractor [Paperback]

J. Rodney Taylor (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

For a growing number of people, having an affordable custom house means either building it themselves, or managing the process by which others build it. Taylor's book reads like a series of lessons in overseeing the typical home construction project. He explains the initial work with bankers and designers, selecting subcontractors (and possibly a construction manager), dealing with material suppliers, and keeping the peace with building inspectors. The keys to a successful project, Taylor feels, are strong negotiating skills, the ability to manage and communicate clearly, and a confident attitude. For those so equipped, Taylor provides a good, common-sense guide to self-contracting. A lengthy appendix provides nearly 30 useful business forms. Libraries with demand for another book on the owner-contracted home may consider this a worthwhile addition.
- Bill Demo, Tompkins Cortland Community Coll., Dryden,
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Betterway Books (April 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558701850
• ISBN-13: 978-1558701854
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rodney is a native of Pensacola, Florida, and holds a baccalaureate graduate of Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama. He received his doctoral degree in education from Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. He has served as Associate Director of Development for Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, Director of Development for Virginia Intermont College, Bristol, Virginia, Director of Development and Executive Director for the UWF Foundation at the University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida, and as Director of Development for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Pensacola, Florida. He recently retired as president of his own company which provided management consulting services to business and industry and major gifts fund-raising consulting services to social service agencies, churches, educational organizations, science, military, and air and space museums. He has also served as a lobbyist, commercial real estate broker, legislative aide, and a professor.

Rodney started writing forty-four years ago, authoring a scholarly historical article that was published in a leading historical periodical. He subsequently wrote professionally for business magazines, local and regional magazines, and scholarly periodicals. He has written as a sports writer and previously authored So You Want to Build a House: How To Be a Self-Contractor. He enjoyed ten years as a high school football official. He learned to fly and earned his private pilot license, owning his own plane for a number of years. He enjoys Tennessee Titans and Florida State University football as well as spending time with his grandchildren. He currently resides with his wife of more than fifty years in Franklin, Tennessee.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic book, all the Tasks, November 11, 2007

By 

Lindstrom Guy "A Reader" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: So You Want to Build a House: How to Be Your Own Contractor (Paperback)

no matter what you put in the house, this lays out the tasks, and gives you the foundation of your project.