How to Plan, Subcontract and Build Your Dream House: Save Up to $50,000 or More as Your Own General Contractor: Amazon.ca: Warren V. Jaeger: Books

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Book Description

If You're Thinking About Building A Home, whether you want to be your own General Contractor, and SAVE up to 50,000 Dollars or more, or you want to hire a builder, there are many things that you absolutely must know to avoid costly errors and mistakes. "HOW TO PLAN, SUBCONTRACT AND BUILD YOUR DREAM HOUSE" has been written by Warren V. Jaeger, a Master Designer-Builder, with more than 45 years experience. Thirty four chapters, more than 130,000 words, and dozens of diagrams take you step by step through the entire building process with practical advice and real life examples. Learn what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and how to get it done!

But, before you even think about construction, PART ONE guides you through: lot evaluation, drainage, sloping sites, public water and sewer connections, well drilling, septic systems, zoning, wet lands, flood plains, deeds and restrictions, easements, foundation designs and many vital considerations and decisions you must make long before you hire a builder or start to build. Part two covers: how to get plans, when plans are worthless, types of builders, how to choose the building process. Part three covers: the detailed process of construction, mortgages, financial discipline, hiring subcontractors, scheduling and supervision.

There are great chapters on Radon, Principles of Electricity, Energy Saving Windows, and much much more. You will save many times the cost of this book alone by following Proper Insulation Techniques and Construction Methods revealed by the author.

WARREN V. JAEGER explains the 69 essential rules of construction learned through his many years of practical experience. They cost him money to learn, and they will save you money if you follow them. Because the scope and detail of this book is so comprehensive we are including the complete Table of Contents so you can appreciate all the thing that are covered which you need to know to succeed.

You wouldn't remove an appendix, or represent yourself in court, without the necessary knowledge. Don't undertake an expensive building project without getting the information you must have to succeed.

From the Publisher

This book has been sold by mail order to people all over the world such as Australia, Canada, Turkey, Germany, Puerto Rico and every state of the United States.

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Very handy book but not complete, Dec 15 2000

By

"msecoda" (northampton, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Plan, Subcontract and Build Your Dream House: Save Up to $50,000 or More as Your Own General Contractor (Paperback)

I found this book very helpful. The author tells goes into extreme details for his home preferances. Since he does not like basements he does not go into great detail about pouring foundations for full basements. There are a couple of things like that. All in all I think he does an excellent job at stearing you around the big bumps. Luckily my concrete guy is my cousin so we had no problem at all. This book will however give you a ton of great ideas, and help you to plan everything well but if you know squat about the building process I would but more technical books in addition to this one. I worked for a general contractor through college so I am pretty handy. My advise is if you are planning on building your own home, congratulations and good luck. Most people that I have talked to say that it is too stressful, and they'll never do it again. If you are like me you will welcome the challenge. It is one of the most rewarding things you can do. I worked my full time job and did this and it not only gave me more energy than I have had in a while but it helped me get in shape from sitting behind this desk full time. You can always blow off the gym but you have to go to the site everyday.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Voice of experience--good advice, July 5 2002

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misterbeets "misterbeets" (Safe Harbor, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Plan, Subcontract and Build Your Dream House: Save Up to $50,000 or More as Your Own General Contractor (Paperback)

The best part of this book is its easygoing style. Written seemingly entirely from memory, you'll understand and remember every word. The author skips the commonly available info and writes about the crucial nuts-and-bolts problems of building a house: what do you do if you've drilled a hundred foot well and come up dry? (Keep drilling.) His advice on some details, vapor barriers for example, is OK but you'll want to check the latest thinking on the topic too. Some harmless misinformation is passed along, like that Palladio, eponym for those short-tall-short windows, "invented" them. (He may have invented residential architecture, but those windows date to antiquity. In his day they were known as serliana, after the architect Sebastian Serliano.) The scientific explanations fall a bit short, and the chapter where he disparages Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's engineering does not show him in a good light. However he does caution you that drywallers, more than any other trade, will try to rip you off with a high materials estimate. Stuff like that you can't get anywhere else.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great first source, Jan 11 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Plan, Subcontract and Build Your Dream House: Save Up to $50,000 or More as Your Own General Contractor (Paperback)

If you want to have a house built, this is a great book to start with. The author is a general contractor who has seen it all and wants to educate readers about the building process. His intention is to prevent others from the pitfalls and scams of building, and simultaneously he explains the science behind plumbing, electricity, sewarage, insulation etc. He also discusses the attitudes and scams of subcontractors and local bureaucrats. This is not a how-to book; the purpose is to educate you enough so that you know what questions to ask as your house goes up.

He begins with purchasing the land and ends with the final detailing of the house. He includes interesting anecdotes to make his points. I was impressed his ability to go from the abstract to simple things usually overlooked. Although I was lost in the section on laying the foundation, the book was written simply, and is easy to follow.

My only criticisms are limited. There are occasional typing errors (I'm an English teacher) and a need for a few more illustrations. The author can also be opininated about his person tastes in decor and such, but I found that to be humorous and endearing. Finally, I don't think the book is titled incorrectly. Yes, you should read it if you want to be your own gerneral contractor. But I think this book is more about the risk involved in doing that. After 20 pages, I was convinced I would definately want a general contractor.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Had a lot of useful tips, but lacked a few key areas
I would actually give it 4 1/2 stars if I was able. The book had many useful tips concerning windows, framing and insulating to produce an energy efficient house. Read more

Published on Dec 4 2001 by Richard Sherwood

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful hints without editing!
Mr. Jaegers' book is chock full of handy hints for the homebuilder, but it's difficult to believe that no one at Trojan Homes Publishing Co. can spell! Read more

Published on Mar 28 2001 by Tracey Porter