Be Your Own House Contractor: Save 25% without Lifting a Hammer 5th Edition

“If you are bound and determined to plunge ahead…pick up a copy of this little book before you start.”

“If you are thinking about building a new house, or renovating your current home, first read [this book].”― San Diego Union-Tribune

“If you are bound and determined to plunge ahead…pick up a copy of this little book before you start.”― Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“If you’re intrigued by the idea of being your own contractor for your dream house, here’s where to begin.”― Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

“…Heldmann offers something that you can hold dear for a lifetime: the skinny on homebuilding.” ― Timber Home Building

“Carl Heldmann has written the bible for people who want to act as their own general contractor….Strewn through the book are interesting tidbits a layman probably wouldn’t hear unless he showed up at a job site at break time with a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.” – Los Angeles Times

Simple language with no technical jargon. (The New York Times)

This excellent book offers the average person a way to say 25% of the high cost of a new house. Recommended. (Library Journal)

For those who are considering building a home (or addition) this book is a must! (American Homeowners Foundation)

If you can balance a checkbook, read, and deal with people in a fair manner, you can build your own house or addition. You don’t need any technical knowledge or building skills – in fact, you’ll never pick up a hammer.

With veteran contractor Carl Heldmann as a guide, you’ll learn that you can get exactly the house you want, done the way you want it, for less.

In this completely revised and updated fourth edition of his classic how-to book (more than 185,000 copies in print), Heldmann gives an overview of all the steps of building and includes a glossary of building and business terms and sample contracts. He tells how to:

Select land

Secure financing

Develop house plans

Establish schedules

Identify cost-saving options

Select subcontractors

Negotiate contracts

Buy materials and supplies

Estimate building costs