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Estimating Home Building Costs Review

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(More customer reviews)No, I have not read the book. Having said that, please note that the other reviews are for the earlier edition, not the 2010 edition. The negative review should be altered by this new edition.

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Accurate estimates are the foundation of a successful construction business. Leave an item out of your original estimate and it can take the profit out of your entire job. This practical guide to estimating home construction costs has been updated with digital Excel estimating forms and worksheets that ensure accurate and complete estimates for your residential projects. Load the enclosed CD-ROM into your computer and create your own estimate as you follow along with the step-by-step techniques in this book. Clear, simple instructions show how to estimate labor and material costs for each stage of construction, from site clearing to figuring your markup and profit. Every chapter includes a sample cost estimate worksheet that lists all the materials to be estimated. You will never miss an item again. On the CD all these worksheets are provided as Excel spreadsheets. The final chapter shows you how to figure your markup and profit to arrive at a sales price You will earn simple and effective ways to estimate site clearing and excavation. footing and foundation material and labor: concrete, masonry, basements and waterproofing; floor systems material and labor: sill plates, girders, ledgers, joists, hangers, headers, bridging, and subfloors; Stairways: including how to calculate rise and run, tread depth, and stringer length; walls and ceilings: studs, headers, sheathing, bracing, and joists; rafter and roof framing: including calculating rafter length, ridges, rafter supports, trusses, roof sheathing; roofing materials: underlayment, flashing, ventilation, shingles, and subcontractor costs; Interior finishes and trim: drywall, painting, molding, floor coverings, kitchens and bathrooms; exterior and interior trim and finish materials: windows, doors, siding, brick materials, and labor; concrete for floors, walkways and patios; Overhead and profit, including setting your sales price.Once you find how easy the automated Excel worksheets make estimating, you ll want to use them for every estimate. Just enter your project information on the worksheets and Excel will automatically total each material and labor cost from each stage of construction to a final cost estimate worksheet. Specialized worksheets guide you through calculations for common rafter lengths, headers, and estimating areas of walls and ceilings. There are also time-saving factor tables for roof pitch, jack and hip rafter lengths, brick courses, concrete volume, mortar, and much more.--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Practical Electrical Wiring: Residential, Farm, Commercial and Industrial: Based on the 2008 National Electrical Code (Practical Electrical Wiring: Residential, Farm, Commercial & Industr) Review

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(More customer reviews)We bought this hoping to get ideas for wiring our new house. With only this book we were able to wire our entire new house - from setting the power at the street - to wiring our well . Not only were we able to wire our entire house - it passed inspection on the first try with no corrections . A very valuable book for home owners and builders.

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Critical revisions in technical topics driven by emerging technology and code changes comprise this truly comprehensive reference that gives an insider's look at how the electrical trade works. The guidelines provide an essential context for understanding the major industry segments-residential, farm, commercial, and industrial-and the techniques help solve all wiring problems. A wealth of tips and handy tricks offered in a professional, down-to-earth style make this a favorite on-the-job resource. Professional practitioners, students and apprentices, and those seeking more information to wire at home will find everything they need to know about the wiring trade in a single, compact volume.

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How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home Review

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(More customer reviews)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.

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Step-by-step blueprint for do-it-yourself home builders. From locating an architect, to hiring workers, to selecting features and fixtures, and more, here's how to build or expand your own home from start to finish--and save! Richard M. Scutella and Dave Heberle's soup-to-nuts guide, How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home, Third Edition, leads you through the perils of homebuilding to make sure you end up with exactly what you want. You get point-by-point tips on choosing a site and style, keeping home traffic patterns sensible, deciding on the right size for rooms, preparing plans, getting permits and more. Unique "quality control" insights into each stage of construction highlight problems to watch out for--foundation, roof, floors, walls, stairs, walkways and driveways, heating and cooling, electrical capacity and wiring, even computer wiring and alarm sensors. From turning the first shovel of earth to the final inspection, this homeowner's construction manual makes sure your dream house will be a dream come true.

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Comparative Value House Buying Review

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(More customer reviews)Illustrated with full color photography throughout, Comparative Value House Buying is a no-nonsense guide filled with indispensable information for anyone contemplating the purchase or building of a home. Chapters cover the necessary concerns to check before buying a lot; the different things one should look for when inspecting a home down to the composition of the door hinges; and warnings against common mistakes or oversights that can lead to first-time home buyers getting overcharged or worse. "Take note of the front steps. Are they level? Is there any evidence that they are pulling away from the main building? Are there any cracks where they join the walls that are wider at the top or bottom? This is a strong indicator that settling problems may exist." Highly recommended not only to home buyers, but also to home sellers interested in pinpointing what most needs improvement in order to help move the property.

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Comparative Value House Buying was written to provide the average person buying or building a house the tools necessary to evaluate the differences between similar houses in similar settings. Over 200 questions, with 134 full color pictures, will give the reader the ability to determine the comparative value that is not revealed in the average real estate "comp." The reader will learn to focus on the differences which are right before their eyes. i.e. doors, hinges, plumbing fixtures, hardware. etc. The reader will, in ten minutes or less, be able to determine if the words "quality" and "luxury" really describe the property or are simply words in a sales pitch.

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Greening Your Home: Sustainable Options for Every System In Your House Review

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(More customer reviews)This book provides good information on choices available to those of us wanting to be less of a negative impact to our environment, starting with lifestyle changes as well as what we can do when furnishing, renovating, or building homes. The author recognizes that choices are important because everyone has different constraints and preferences, and what matters more is that individuals can make choices they can commit to.
The book is divided into three parts. Part One discusses building material substitutes that are environmentally friendlier than those they can replace. Part Two goes over technologies and devices that help enhance energy efficiency and improve water usage. Part Three suggests lifestyle changes that one can make to help eliminate waste, and government-sponsored programs that provide monetary assistance or incentives to individuals investing in energy-saving technologies or practices.
Each chapter explains how or why a material, device, or practice is superior to another in terms of environmental friendliness. In many -- but not all -- cases, relative cost comparisons are provided, and the discussion includes other potential tradeoffs so that readers are made aware of pluses and minuses. Almost all but two chapters end with a Resources Section that directs readers to other online information sources.
For me, a key take-away from this book is: Many of the choices that we make to contribute positively to the health of our environment not only make us healthier as well, but could also benefit us in other ways. For example, using energy-saving appliances can lead to net savings in time and money, as owners of front-loaded washing machines will tell you. So despite having minor shortcomings (some of which I've mentioned above), the book is, in my opinion, very well worth reading.

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Choose Green Systems That Conserve Resources While Matching Your Budget and Lifestyle

A vital conservation and money-saving tool, Greening Your Home provides helpful information that will help you select sustainable green options that match your specific needs for every system in your house. This "one-stop" guide provides the latest information on systems and materials that conserve resources for a cleaner, more energy-efficient home.
From the lively writing, with illustrations and examples, you will learn how to incorporate sustainability into your house in beautiful, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible ways. Both inspirational and practical, Greening Your Home features:
A wealth of green building and remodeling options for homeowners
Photographs and information on green products and systems and their advantages

Your Complete Guide to a Green, Energy-Efficient Home
Material Options: • Structural Insulated Panels • Low-VOC Paints • Replacement Windows • Green Certified Doors • Glass Block • Fly Ash Concrete • Bamboo and Cork Flooring • Plastic Plumbing Pipe • Red Cedar Siding • Recycled InsulationRecent Technology: • Power Consumption Monitors • Timers and Motion Sensors • Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures • On-demand Water Heaters • Radiant In-floor Heating • Heat and Energy Recovery Ventilators • Whole-house Fans • Spray Foam Insulation • Induction Cooktops • Horizontal Axis Washers/DryersGreen Practices: • Reducing Your Carbon Footprint • Green Power • Saving Money Twice • Community-Supported Agriculture • Growing Your Own Food • Composting Biodegradables • Using Graywater • Making Your Own Cleaning Products • Reusing Containers • Xeriscaping

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Architectural Working Drawings: Residential and Commercial Buildings Review

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(More customer reviews)My sixteen year old daughter is seriously interested in becoming an architect and this book is a great resource for her. William Spence has provided an excellent text for people to learn about architectural drawing in all its beginning aspects.
The 24 chapters and 19 appendices fall into three broad sections. The first 9 chapters teach the student about the tools and materials used by architects to make their drawings, technical sketching, various drafting techniques, the basics of computer graphics workstations (this material is dated, but still good as an introduction), using the computer for architectural design and drafting (again, dated material but the process is still sound), architectural drafting standards, reproduction of drawings, the preliminary design process, and contract documents.
The second section encompasses chapter 11-24 and teach the student about drawing foundations & footings, floor - wall & roof construction (separate chapters for light construction and commercial buildings), the title sheet and site plan, floor plans, foundation plans, architectural sections, architectural details, elevations, roof plans & framing plans, schedules, electrical plans, heating & air-conditioning systems, plumbing plans, and pictorial drawing.
The third section are the 19 appendices that provide abbreviations, selected metric conversion factors, and many different kinds of symbols used in drawings as well as ratings, load information, and various tables as well as a glossary.
The chapters present the material effectively and helpfully. They teach the student knew terms, sometimes provide a glossary, the questions act as a chapter review, and the laboratory projects present the student with drawing challenges that help build skills and confidence necessary to move to the next chapter.
I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, and yet the material here makes me want to learn to draw this stuff. So, it must be motivating!

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Extensively illustrated, it presents a detailed examination of typical construction methods and the preparation of architectural working drawings for residential and commercial buildings. Covers drafting materials, tools, techniques, electrical plumbing and plans, heating/air conditioning systems and technical sketching. Contains an in-depth discussion of computer graphics hardware and software as well as basic operating procedures for computer design. Chapters include technical vocabulary, study questions and laboratory problems.

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

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(More customer reviews)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".

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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

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How to Design and Build Your Own House Review

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(More customer reviews)Anybody can sit down and draw a rough floor plan. But this book tells you to think in terms of how you use space rather than rooms. That simple piece of advice makes you think differently about what you want in a house and what you need. If you are thinking of building, GET THIS BOOK. Even if you're going to a contractor or architect, get the book and sit down with your whole family to make plans. You'll find out about personal privacy issues, how your rooms and spaces should flow, how to make your house more efficient not from an energy standpoint, but from a "how I use my house" point of view.

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This book guides you systematically through the whole process of designing and building your own house. It offers practical assistance from the moment you begin thinking about the kind of house you want. It helps you focus your ideas and translate them into working plans. It shows you how to estimate costs. Then, step by step, it shows you how to construct the house -- explaining and illustrating every step systematically so that you can proceed confidently from beginning to end.Here are complete, clear instructions on everything you need to know, including:-- How to decide what you want the house to be like -- inside and outside, and in relation to the environment and neighborhood-- How to translate your ideas and decisions into working drawings-- How to deal with all the components of a house: structural (roof, floor, walls, columns, foundations), mechanical (plumbing and heating), electrical, interior and exterior finishing materials-- How to establish the exact dimensions of everything, how to decide and specify where components go (from windows, heating ducts, and electrical outlets to toilets and showers)-- How to choose and specify those parts of the house (windows, doors, furnace, hardware) that can be purchased prefabricated and ready to install-- How to estimate costs of everything specified-- How to incorporate the latest energy-conserving materials and equipment-- Step-by-step directions on how to build the house section by section, from excavation and foundations to floors, walls, and roof; fireplaces, chimneys, and stairs; plumbing, heating, and electricity; wood shingles, gutters, and waterproofing; how to lay brick and principles of brick construction...everything!Practical information is provided on purchasing materials and tools. And, throughout the book (exactly where needed) are pertinent instructions on basic techniques such as how to mix and work concrete, build forms, lay block, toe-in a nail, install a lockset, cut gypsum board and tile. Tables are included for calculating heat loss, loads, distances between structural elements, and so on. And the 748 line drawings illustrate every aspect of design and construction.With its clarity and authority -- and its extraordinary wealth of specific, detailed instruction -- this is the single most comprehensive and useful book ever published on how to design and build your own house.

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The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, all of the reviews that currently appear on this site are for the PREVIOUS edition. I just purchased this 4TH edition WHICH WAS JUST RELEASED LAST MONTH - January 2010. This is an excellent book giving excellent insight to contracting your custom built home.

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This new edition of The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Homegives aspiring homeowners exactly the information they need to manage their own construction project. Full-color illustrations andphotographs with revamped forms and checklists present the material much like a project manual used by professional contractors.

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Plumbing: Tips, Data, and Rules of Thumb Review

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(More customer reviews)The author, whom has written a number of other titles on this same subject, has a wealth of knowledge about all facets of Plumbing. What is also notable as well as commendable is when reading his books, you get the feeling that he really likes this field. If Plumbing is your business, then it would be to your advantage to have this as well as some of Woodson's other titles in your collection. This book doesn't pretend to be any more than a vast, comprehensive reference tool--and in my opinion, succeeds. This is the book that you have in your truck if you are a plumber or on the shelf beside your desk if you are a designer. My only criticism (a minor one) is the lack of explanation of pumps and their sizing. Some charts and diagrams are offered but no explanation is given as a follow through. Overall though, I recommend the text as great reference resource every plumber should have.

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The single most complete source of information available to plumbers
Here's an on-the-job field handbook you'll want to store in your truck, office, toolbox.--anyplace close at hand when you need a plumbing solution FAST! Plumbing: Tips, Data, and Rules of Thumb serves up the vast skill and expertise of R. Dodge Woodson, a master plumber with more than 20 years experience in the field. Writing with the clarity, completeness, and confidence of a hands-on expert, Mr. Woodson provides an invaluable one-stop resource for everyone involved in the plumbing trade. He tackles just about every plumbing topic imaginable, from clogged drains to electric motors. You get useful data on current code considerations, money-saving remodeling pointers, and troubleshooting techniques. Whether you need to tone up your estimating skills, could use a hand with sizing plumbing systems, or need some special insights into private well and septic systems -- you'll find it all in this guide. Hundreds of graphics and tables help provide quick, easy answers to just about any on-the-job plumbing problem you'll ever come across.

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The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling, 3rd Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)June 2000
I have been using Mr. Wing's book for about 9 months for remodeling my house. It is an absolutely indispensable source of information about remodeling or rebuilding. You will easily get your money back from the saved time that this book will provide. It also will provide you with guidelines to check against what the contractor(s) you hire tell you they are going to do. Unfortunately, many contractors are not worth spit and many are dishonest. This book will help you to avoid them.
It is not a perfect book. The section on plumbing, while quite good, is minimal for the remodeler. E.g., Do-It-Yourselfers need more information on how to replace 50 year old(i.e., Cast Iron or Concrete) DWV plumbing and the MAJOR pitfalls of Galvanized piping and items like Drum Traps. It also does not have explanations or formulas for calculating flow rates and pressure for water supply lines. It should. One cannot install an irrigation system or even the house water supply without knowing that info in advance.
The electrical section is missing the worksheets for calculating the house loads, proper techniques for rewiring an old house, i.e., where should all those runs go and how to properly install the wire so that nobody can 'accidentally' pull them loose, and could use more diagrams of wiring techinques for lights and switches. The short section on circuit theory is a joke, I think. Mr. Wing must have felt obligated to put Ohms law in the book. If you don't understand circuit theory and the basics of electrical wiring, do NOT use this book to do your wiring - hire a contractor or go to school for a year or two and learn about them.
Mr. Wing tends toward 'hiring a contractor' to get those jobs done. As an engineer, I appreciate the wisdom of the advice, but that does not help the person that is going to do it but has never done it before. In short, you are going to need other references that provide more detail. In other words, the title of the "Only" Guide... is false. It should be the "Best" or "Greatest".
The book is really more of a reference guide and not a "how to" book. It may be all the experienced do-it-yourselfer ever needs, but not the novice. I'm a novice at many of the remodeling tasks but have many years of training and education as an engineer, so this book really helps me a lot. I'm pretty sure that anyone in the remodeling business would find this book to be complete, even though their professional opinions might differ from Mr. Wing's advice in certain sections.
I have to agree that the span tables are overkill for just about anyone because LOCAL codes overrule any data that is in the 50 pages! of Span tables and Truss information. Mr. Wing must have had a good source for Span information.
I should also mention that this book sat on my shelf for many months, unused, while I gathered basic information on remodeling. Once that info was absorbed and I needed more, I opened the book. It has not been closed since then - I can't close it because it has too many notes in it.
It is a great book. Not the "only" book you'll need, but if you don't get it you are going to kick yourself later.

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This enlarged, updated, and expanded third edition of the classic reference on home systems and materials includes the latest code information, new full-color drawings, and a completely new section on making your home green. The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling is an established standard reference for DIY homeowners, as well as builders, contractors, and architects. The 1,600 full-color drawings provide a clear look at every aspect of home construction and systems, enabling the reader to visualize exactly how to tackle any building project or problem. All the information is presented in straightforward language anyone can understand.

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