Pros:
Easy read! I went through the entire bookstore in my hometown, this was one of the few books that really explained mostly everything necessary to build a house. I'm 55. In my 20's I worked on houses doing light to heavy duty home repairs, but I never took a course or school training and I wish I had. This book does a good job for covering all of the basics you'd probably learn with formal training, without the professor-talk. Let's say you couldn't read, but you can count money and read blueprints like some of my friends in the past have done. If you studied the pictures and memorized them, I'm willing to bet, there's a good chance you could build a solid, modern home, just from the pictures alone. Over he years I would buy one of these 500-1000 page tomes' and might end up reading about 30-40 pages while it eventually would fall apart in the floorboard of an extended cab pick-up after
several years
of I'm going to read that thing one day. The difference between this book and the book written by educators is that this one is easy to read. It's like this guy is standing right next to you saying, you do this this way and you do that that way while showing step by step how all of the small details fit into the big picture.
Cons:
Very few of these construction guides tell the name and descriptions of the tools of the trade manual or otherwise power tools. We could use some pictures of all of the tools necessary to build a house and at least a brief explanation of how to use them in a production environment, @ the jobsite!

This is a good book. It is for DIY homeowners who decided to build their own houses and do some house renovations. It refreshes knowledge about house building and renovation. A new house construction involves more things than people expect. DIY home building project can definitely be very rewarding, both in terms of saving money and the sense of accomplishment. But choosing the wrong project, however, will waste all your time and effort, not to mention you'll end up paying more to have the work redone correctly. So before you pick up a drill, ask yourself which projects you can do yourself and which are best suited for the pros. To build a new house requires knowledge beyond this book.

Love this book!!. Everything inside this book is laid out clearly. The pictures are very helpful when you want to really grasp the technique being explained... i would recommend this book if you are looking to build your own house .

Picked up this for my nephew. He has been talking about being an owner-builder for years. It gave him the confidence to finally break ground. Highly recommend.

Everything inside this book is laid out clearly. The pictures are very helpful.

As a Mechanical Engineer, I would like to extend my knowledge in home wood construction. Totally worth the money for a general reference.

Ordered this for my dad. He wanted to understand the framing basics before hiring a crew. They loved the diagrams and pictures. Highly recommend.

We risked our savings on this first-time rodeo because builders were too expensive. I didn't trust anyone in the industry after hearing so many horror stories. It acts as a cheat sheet to keep the framers and plumbers honest. It allowed me to give my family the home they actually wanted.

Gifted this for my friend. He wanted to understand the framing basics before hiring a crew. He uses it constantly as a reference. Highly recommend.

Very clear and understandable details.

Grabbed this for my friend. He has been talking about being an owner-builder for years. It gave him the confidence to finally break ground. Highly recommend.

Purchased this for my son. He wanted to understand the framing basics before hiring a crew. They loved the diagrams and pictures. Highly recommend.

Not a guide, it is an overview of the building methods. But a great one.

I decided to take on a massive remodel of our downstairs living area. The sheer number of decisions (permits, framing, electrical) was paralyzing. It gave me the confidence to fire our GC and take over. We passed our final inspection last week!

Find an owner-builder… the guy that takes pride in his work and builds it like his own.

We acquired a teardown property in our dream neighborhood. Our first builder took our deposit and disappeared. Reminded me to put outlets in closets and avoid useless bathtubs. Best bang for your buck if you're taking on a massive project.

Saved around $196,000 doing a lot of the work myself on a new build. It takes all the guesswork out of the building sequence. Best bang for your buck if you're taking on a massive project.

Ordered this for my buddy. He wanted to understand the framing basics before hiring a crew. It gave him the confidence to finally break ground. Highly recommend.

I'm a mechanical engineer extending my knowledge into residential wood framing. The markup these builders charge for basic management is just insane. Gives you enough knowledge so you don't get ripped off by subs. A mandatory read if you want to protect your budget.

We needed the basics to help us plan a cabin. The sales guy was going to lie to us… the sales guy is not your friend. He wants your money.

We are building a new house behind our existing one. I had no clue in what order things were supposed to happen. Gives you enough knowledge so you don't get ripped off by subs. The house appraised for way more than it cost us to build.

I wish I knew that my builder would never answer emails or calls.

We were lied to by sales guys on our first build, so this time I'm taking charge. Holding grown men's hands on a job site is a full-time job. The visual aids for framing and foundation work are second to none. A mandatory read if you want to protect your budget.

I've worked in IT my whole life, so swinging a hammer is new to me. The markup these builders charge for basic management is just insane. Reminded me to put outlets in closets and avoid useless bathtubs. Cannot wait to break ground next month.

Relocating to a new town and couldn't find a house we liked, so we are building. I was worried about getting scammed by unreliable trades. It helps you spot check contractors and catch their mistakes. Best bang for your buck if you're taking on a massive project.