Want to save money on your building or remodeling project? How to be Your Own General Contractor will help homeowners save potentially thousands of dollars! This easy-to-follow guide provides the knowledge and ability you must have to become your own general contractor and complete any type of project with confidence. Inside, homeowners will find: bull; Tricks of the trade learned over the years by professional Bob Emmick that will help to avoid costly mistakes and time. bull; A guide through every aspect of your project. bull; Assistance in hiring and dealing with subcontractors, as well as guidance for those who would rather hire a general contractor. Emmick skillfully guides readers through an entire house project, helping the average homeowner to manage his or her own project no matter the size. Homeowners with little or no experience will walk away from How to be Your Own General Contractor with valuable knowledge that will help them now as well as in the future.

Complete with illustrations, checklists, sample contracts, forms, and survey maps, and a must-have homebuilding timetable, this guide gives you everything you need to know to build your dream home.

Save 30% on home construction! Whether you want to take on all the responsibility of contracting your home or simply want to intelligently communicate with your homebuilder, The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home can help you save 30% or more on the cost of home construction by teaching you the ins and outs of managing your construction project. Learn how to get your project off to a solid start. Get financial and legal details in language you can understand. Learn what to consider when selecting a lot and how to deal with suppliers, labor and subcontractors. Gain understanding of building codes and inspections so you can manage with authority, confidence, and efficiency. This extensive guide walks you through each phase of construction including preconstruction, foundations, framing, roofing, plumbing, electrical, masonry, siding, insulation, drywall, trim, painting, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, tile and landscaping. Completely revised and updated, this edition includes a new section on sustainable building as well as the most comprehensive building resources section ever compiled. You'll find schedules, order forms, control logs, contracts and checklists to help keep your project on track.

-- Covers the subject from land issues, through the entire construction process, all the way to plandng the lawn.-- Contains anecdotes, real life examples, diagrams, applicable political comment and special exposition on such subjects as basic electricity, Radon, energy saving, windows and much more.-- Written for the aspiring home owner, but is equally valuable to building professionals and real estate agents.

Keep construction on track with helpful checklists Turn your dream of a custom home into reality! Thinking about building your own home? This easy-to-follow guide shows you how to plan and build a beautiful home on any budget. From acquiring land to finding the best architect to overseeing the construction, you get lots of savvy tips on managing your new investment wisely -- and staying sane during the process! Discover how to: * Find the best homesite * Navigate the plan approval process * Obtain financing * Hire the right contractor * Cut design and construction costs * Avoid common mistakes

The sample forms and contracts highlight the nitty-gritty of each of the 25 things that must be done to build or renovate a house and how long each should take.

Building Your Own Home A Step-by-Step Guide "This is an impressive undertaking. I've seen plenty of books about home construction techniques but this is the first one I've seen that packages construction information with the whole process of acquiring the property." --P. Gilbert Mercurio, Executive Vice President Westchester County Board of Realtors "Written by an expert in both design and construction, the book is highly readable and addresses each aspect of the home building process in terms of cost-effectiveness, quality and aesthetics." --Michel Sargious, PhD, P.Eng. Professor Department of Civil Engineering The University of Calgary Now Building Your Own Home puts complicated material into terms anyone can easily understand. From managing the construction process like a pro to mastering every legal and financial detail, you get step-by-step instruction to guide you through the entire construction process. It explains with 132 clarifying photographs and illustrations how each part of the house is built. You'll learn how to: * find a good lot and select an appropriate design * apply for a building permit, secure the best financing terms as well as the best insurance coverage * handpick top-notch independent contractors--and successfully manage their work * control every stage of construction, from door knobs to deck installation to the plumbing and electrical work Easy-to-read and filled with practical information, Building Your Own Home contains everything you need to build a customized house of your dreams.

While building a home is not a simple task, expert Carl Heldmann shows that it is not as complicated as one might believe. With his sound advice, readers can act as their own house contractor and save a quarter - or more - of the cost of building a home. And without picking up a hammer! Heldmann explains each step of the home building process in non-technical, easily understood language, helping readers avoid the pitfalls that plague general contractors, even experienced ones. Readers will learn how to develop house plans, establish schedules, select good subcontractors, identify cost saving options, negotiate contracts, estimate building costs, purchase materials and supplies, and much more.

Having been in the industry for over 41 years and worked on hundreds of projects ranging from small jobs to building new homes, I've seen my share of the good, the bad, and the ugly. My industry has more than its fair share of horror stories, and I recently read that we're considered just a step up from used car salespeople. Even though the vast majority of general contractors are competent and hardworking people, I've seen too many rip-offs, too much bad workmanship, and too many disappointed homeowners. A lot of them have asked for my advice on how to get the job done, and in addition to being a builder, I consult with people all over the continent (and increasingly from other parts of the world) who want to manage their own projects. Being a general contractor isn't rocket science, but no one has explained the job the way I see it and also provided on-demand consulting services to anyone in the world who wants help. That's why I wrote this book. It will give you all the basics you need to take control of your own project and see it to a successful completion. After reading my book, you may decide that you'd be better off hiring someone, and that's okay. At least you'll be much more knowledgeable than the typical homeowner. I've seen far too many people overpay for their jobs and get less quality than they should.

In order to succeed in a construction business you have to be able to mark up the price of your jobs to cover overhead expenses and make a decent profit. The problem is how much to mark it up. You don't want to lose jobs because you charge too much, and you don't want to work for free because you've charged too little. If you know how much to mark up you can apply it to your job costs and arrive at the right sales price for your work. This book gives you the background and the calculations necessary to easily figure the markup that is right for your business. Includes a CD-ROM with forms and checklists for your use.