Rating: 
Summary: An excelent step by step guide to understanding general cont
Review: A very good guide to help you understand the process of building a home and saving money. It also covers areas on calculating building cost, understanding the steps to completing your new home from buying a lot, to moving into it. Lots of info to help you avoid making mistakes on your first home.
Rating: 
Summary: Very General Overview
Review: As an architect, structural engineer, and know a custom home builder, I have been around construction for several decades. The first thing everyone must realize is that you can't replace years of experience with 130 pages of text. That said, I believe this book does a fairly good job at presenting a good overview of the construction process and acting as a cheerleader. The author gives good, albeit quick and seemingly obvious, advice on dealing with banks and subcontractors. I liked that he gave a general (although somewhat optimistic) timeline and lots of examples of legal documents. However, if you are looking for design advice or actual construction techniques, look elsewhere! The bottom line is that it is probably worth your time to give this book a try, if for no other reason than it's a quick read and relatively inexpensive. If you have the slightest doubt of your ability to translate the beautiful picture in your minds eye to reality, please seek the help of an expert. Design professionals are cheap, and there are far too many functionally obsolete and horrific looking edifices on this planet already!
Rating:
Summary: Very General Overview
Review: As an architect, structural engineer, and know a custom home builder, I have been around construction for several decades. The first thing everyone must realize is that you can't replace years of experience with 130 pages of text. That said, I believe this book does a fairly good job at presenting a good overview of the construction process and acting as a cheerleader. The author gives good, albeit quick and seemingly obvious, advice on dealing with banks and subcontractors. I liked that he gave a general (although somewhat optimistic) timeline and lots of examples of legal documents. However, if you are looking for design advice or actual construction techniques, look elsewhere! The bottom line is that it is probably worth your time to give this book a try, if for no other reason than it's a quick read and relatively inexpensive. If you have the slightest doubt of your ability to translate the beautiful picture in your minds eye to reality, please seek the help of an expert. Design professionals are cheap, and there are far too many functionally obsolete and horrific looking edifices on this planet already!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent step by step guide
Review: Carl Heldmann breaks down build process into simple steps. His emphasis is that if you hire reputable subs for each job, being your own GC is simple - and he gives plenty of insight as to finding good subs. Mr. Heldmann recommends against doing any of the labor yourself (unless you are an expert in the trade) since he places a high value on your time, which many owner-builders tend to undervalue.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent step by step guide
Review: Carl Heldmann breaks down build process into simple steps. His emphasis is that if you hire reputable subs for each job, being your own GC is simple - and he gives plenty of insight as to finding good subs. Mr. Heldmann recommends against doing any of the labor yourself (unless you are an expert in the trade) since he places a high value on your time, which many owner-builders tend to undervalue.
Rating:
Summary: Very helpful information in building my house
Review: I am very glad i read the other reviews of Mr. Heldmann's book besides that of the "reader from Hartford". It is obvious that the "reader" didn't read the whole book, as that which he (or she) claims to be lacking is in fact covered totally in chapter 8, "building the house". I was very discouraged from "building my own house" before reading "Be Your Own House Contractor", because other books made the process seem overwhelming. We broke ground last month and are well underway thanks to this fantastic, encouraging, non intimidating book.
Rating:
Summary: Very helpful information in building my house
Review: I am very glad i read the other reviews of Mr. Heldmann's book besides that of the "reader from Hartford". It is obvious that the "reader" didn't read the whole book, as that which he (or she) claims to be lacking is in fact covered totally in chapter 8, "building the house". I was very discouraged from "building my own house" before reading "Be Your Own House Contractor", because other books made the process seem overwhelming. We broke ground last month and are well underway thanks to this fantastic, encouraging, non intimidating book.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring reading with no information, WASTE OF TIME
Review: I read the book since I am building a house soon. The book gave very little useful information. I have been doing my homework on building a home and consider myself above average home building knowledge, but nothing I have learned came from this book. I took the book on vacation this summer to read at the beach and I finished it in a day. If you have some type of home building knowledge, you do not need this book. I can NOT think of ANYTHING positive to say. I wish I had another book to read at the beach. WASTE OF TIME.
Rating:
Summary: How To Save 25% Without Lifting a Hammer
Review: In 1990 I had my ten acres paid for, and was ready to being building my retirement home. A friend gave me Carl Heldmann's book, Be Your Own House Contractor. I had a set of plans made from my sketching, and got three bids for building. The cheapest was $97,500.00. I decided to try my own general contracting, with little to no experience in construction. With the help of some friends whom I bounced ideas off of, I started out with a spread sheet of sub-contracters, getting three bids from each in their order of appearance. In six months, we finished our home, and without cutting any real expenses, built our home for $67,500. All due to the teachings and following of Carl Heldmann's book. Even if you do decide to use general contractor, this book is still invaluable in the detail and advise given. I have since given this book to three friends who have built homes, and all three were very impressed with the subject matter. A MUST read, in my opinion, for anyone who is going to undertake building or having a new home built. I know of no where else one get such a step by step explanation covering the do's and don't of every phase of the process.
Rating:
Summary: How To Save 25% Without Lifting a Hammer
Review: In 1990 I had my ten acres paid for, and was ready to being building my retirement home. A friend gave me Carl Heldmann's book, Be Your Own House Contractor. I had a set of plans made from my sketching, and got three bids for building. The cheapest was $97,500.00. I decided to try my own general contracting, with little to no experience in construction. With the help of some friends whom I bounced ideas off of, I started out with a spread sheet of sub-contracters, getting three bids from each in their order of appearance. In six months, we finished our home, and without cutting any real expenses, built our home for $67,500. All due to the teachings and following of Carl Heldmann's book. Even if you do decide to use general contractor, this book is still invaluable in the detail and advise given. I have since given this book to three friends who have built homes, and all three were very impressed with the subject matter. A MUST read, in my opinion, for anyone who is going to undertake building or having a new home built. I know of no where else one get such a step by step explanation covering the do's and don't of every phase of the process.
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