Rating: 
Summary: Professional Contractor's Opinion
Review: Do-It-Yourself Housebuilding is one of the few books in my home library on construction that I would actually own. Like all books, our opinion depends on where we are at (as far as knowledge in the field) for it to be practical, so this might not be for everyone. Personally, If you have a fairly good grasp on remodeling, and want to learn more about new construction from the ground-up, this is an outstanding book. If you are new to construction, I would recomend another more simplistic book like the Home Depot do-it-yourself series. I have read a lot of books on construction, and I own a construction business, and this is the one book I don't want to just take out from the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice book - But I want to build my house from concrete!
Review: Full of excitement I awaited the arrival of the book. It is a nice book, I won't lie. But I want to build my house out of concrete blocks like all the houses that are built in my neighbourhood. There is no mentioning of that in the book. Everything is for a wooden house, wooden walls, wooden ceilings etc... So, for me, it was a dissapointment. One would be led to believe that all houses in the US are built from wood.
Rating: 
Summary: Build It All Yourself
Review: Good book if you want to pick up a hammer and saw and build your own house. Not very helpful if you want to subcontract out the labor. It includes discussions on where to place the lumber to smoothly frame the house, and 50 pages of how to build forms for foundations. Not quite the information that I was seeking. Read about 1/4 of the book and skimmed the rest. I'll use it as a reference during construction, then off to the library it goes.
Rating:
Summary: Just about perfect
Review: I am planning on spending three months this summer building my first house. After reading this book from cover to cover, I found myself with very few questions. This book combined with the code book for your local area and you are ready to plan and build your home. I highly recommend this book for anyone ready to take on the challenge of housebuilding.
Rating:
Summary: Everything in one book
Review: If this book's not complete, the seven hundred pages come pretty close to it. It has chapters on everything, starting with selecting a site and house plan and ending with landscaping. There are plenty of drawings, charts and photographs to illustrate the topics. For example there are almost three pages of drawings of various types of electrical boxes and their installation. The dialog is clear and easy to understand. You can learn why you need to do something, not just how to do it.The chapter about stairs describes rise and run and how to figure out how to build and place stairs. Again there are lots of diagrams showing things like how to measure angles on stringers accurately and how to get the tread level. Each chapter covers various types of building practices and materials and isn't limited to any particular style. For instance the roofing chapter covers asphalt shingles, wood shingles and shakes, concrete and clay tiles, and even what I was interested in - tin. Not only are there pictures of how to do things correctly, but there are occasional shots of owner-builder mistakes. It helps to know what not to do as well as what to do. If it's not covered in this book, there's a bibliography in the back with a section for each chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Everything in one book
Review: If this book's not complete, the seven hundred pages come pretty close to it. It has chapters on everything, starting with selecting a site and house plan and ending with landscaping. There are plenty of drawings, charts and photographs to illustrate the topics. For example there are almost three pages of drawings of various types of electrical boxes and their installation. The dialog is clear and easy to understand. You can learn why you need to do something, not just how to do it. The chapter about stairs describes rise and run and how to figure out how to build and place stairs. Again there are lots of diagrams showing things like how to measure angles on stringers accurately and how to get the tread level. Each chapter covers various types of building practices and materials and isn't limited to any particular style. For instance the roofing chapter covers asphalt shingles, wood shingles and shakes, concrete and clay tiles, and even what I was interested in - tin. Not only are there pictures of how to do things correctly, but there are occasional shots of owner-builder mistakes. It helps to know what not to do as well as what to do. If it's not covered in this book, there's a bibliography in the back with a section for each chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Stop Reading this review and buy this Book NOW
Review: If you are thinking about being involved with building your house, in any way, buy this book NOW! This step-by-step handbook is complete. From choosing a site to understanding the mechanical systems this writing together with the generous number of photos and drawing help you understand every aspect to building your home. Even if you choose to contract out the building of your future domicile, this book helps you understand what will be going on, therefore helping you to avoid various pitfalls, shoddy shortcuts and other issues that can come up during the building process. I enjoyed reading this book - something not said of many do it yourself books - and feel that I easily got my moneys worth, especially when I considered what I learned.
Rating:
Summary: Stop Reading this review and buy this Book NOW
Review: If you are thinking about being involved with building your house, in any way, buy this book NOW! This step-by-step handbook is complete. From choosing a site to understanding the mechanical systems this writing together with the generous number of photos and drawing help you understand every aspect to building your home. Even if you choose to contract out the building of your future domicile, this book helps you understand what will be going on, therefore helping you to avoid various pitfalls, shoddy shortcuts and other issues that can come up during the building process. I enjoyed reading this book - something not said of many do it yourself books - and feel that I easily got my moneys worth, especially when I considered what I learned.
Rating:
Summary: An OUTSTANDING Book
Review: The dedication at the beginning of this book sums it up: "For Dad, This is the answer to your question, if I wanted to be a carpenter, why did I spend four years in college?" This book is superbly written, by an extremely knowlegable man who can explain every aspect of building clearly. True, it is loaded with details, but they are put into a larger and very orderly context. In fact, I LIKE the details, since I don't want any surprises in the building process. It's a refreshing change from the glib overviews presented in so many how-to books. This book is not just for homebuilders; the chapters on plumbing, electrical, etc. far surpass the usual do-it-yourself books on these subjects, and are great for anyone comtemplating home improvements of any kind. It is a GREAT BARGAIN. If you are going to build anything larger than a doghouse, buy it! It's in a class by itself.
Rating:
Summary: An OUTSTANDING Book
Review: The dedication at the beginning of this book sums it up: "For Dad, This is the answer to your question, if I wanted to be a carpenter, why did I spend four years in college?" This book is superbly written, by an extremely knowlegable man who can explain every aspect of building clearly. True, it is loaded with details, but they are put into a larger and very orderly context. In fact, I LIKE the details, since I don't want any surprises in the building process. It's a refreshing change from the glib overviews presented in so many how-to books. This book is not just for homebuilders; the chapters on plumbing, electrical, etc. far surpass the usual do-it-yourself books on these subjects, and are great for anyone comtemplating home improvements of any kind. It is a GREAT BARGAIN. If you are going to build anything larger than a doghouse, buy it! It's in a class by itself.
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