How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home

by Scutella, Richard M.; Heberle, Dave

• ISBN13: 9780071346092
• ISBN10: 0071346090
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-08-31
• Publisher: MCG

Summary

Step-by-step blueprint for do-it-yourself home builders. From locating an architect, to hiring workers, to selecting features and fixtures, and more, here's how to build or expand your own home from start to finish--and save! Richard M. Scutella and Dave Heberle's soup-to-nuts guide, How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home, Third Edition, leads you through the perils of homebuilding to make sure you end up with exactly what you want. You get point-by-point tips on choosing a site and style, keeping home traffic patterns sensible, deciding on the right size for rooms, preparing plans, getting permits and more. Unique "quality control" insights into each stage of construction highlight problems to watch out for--foundation, roof, floors, walls, stairs, walkways and driveways, heating and cooling, electrical capacity and wiring, even computer wiring and alarm sensors. From turning the first shovel of earth to the final inspection, this homeowner's construction manual makes sure your dream house will be a dream come true.

Table of Contents

Introduction.

Part 1: What to Build.

Chapter 1: A House Divided.

Chapter 2: House Styles and Types.

Chapter 3: Traffic Zoning and Planning.

Chapter 4: Size Planning.

Chapter 5: Prints and Drawings.

Part 2: How to Build It.

Chapter 6: Footers and Foundations.

Chapter 7: Floor Framing.

Chapter 8: Wall Framing.

Chapter 9: Roof Framing.

Chapter 10: Roof Exterior Finishing.

Chapter 11: Exterior Wall Finishing.

Chapter 12: Stairs.

Chapter 13: Windows.

Chapter 14: Doors.

Chapter 15: Garages.

Chapter 16: Fireplaces.

Chapter 17: Plumbing.

Chapter 18: Electric.

Chapter 19: Lighting.

Chapter 20: Heating and Cooling.

Chapter 21: Insulation.

Chapter 22: Wall Covering and Trim.

Chapter 23: Burgler-Proofing Your Home.

Chapter 24: Bathrooms.

Chapter 25: Kitchens.

Chapter 26: Floor Coverage.

Chapter 27: Home Offices and Work Spaces.

Part 3: Where to Build It.

Chapter 28: City, Suburbia, or Country?

Chapter 29: Selecting a Building Site.

Chapter 30: Orientation, Positioning, and Landscaping.

Chapter 31: Driveways, Sidewalks, and Patios.

Part 4: Who Should Build It?

Chapter 32: Selecting a Contractor.

Chapter 33: Working with Your Contractor.

Part 5: Moving In.

Chapter 34: Setting Up Your Maintenance Program.

Chapter 35: The Final Inspection.

Chapter 36: Moving into Your New Home.

Part 6: Appendices.

Index.