Build Your Own House or Addition - You can Remodel too!

Save 25% Without Lifting A Hammer - Be Your Own General Contractor

"You can do it, I can help!" - Carl Heldmann
"Build my own home? Build my own house? You must be dreaming!" I can't even count the number of times I've heard these questions over the last 27 years. I myself had the same questions 36 years ago.

Well, you can build your own house! And it became more than a dream for those who have read my books. Since 1981, hundreds of thousands have saved enough money building, renovating, or adding on to their own home to make their dream come true. Most knew little or nothing about building, yet they saved 25% or more. They did so by being the General Contractor (GC), determining building costs & hiring professionals (subcontractors) to do the actual work. That’s all a GC does. You can be your own General Contractor for ANY type of construction: new homebuilding, adding room additions, remodeling older homes, even renovating foreclosures.
  • New construction, log homes, kit homes, panelized homes, geodesic domes, concrete homes, etc.

  • Save even more than 25% by being your own GC for renovating or additions.
  • You can do it & I can help.

  • Imagine saving $25,000, $50,000, $75,000 or more. A few lenders allow this savings to be your down payment!

  • Or, you could sell the house and realize the cash profit.

  • Then, build the same house again with a smaller mortgage, or build a bigger house!

  • Now, with byoh.com, you can have up-to-the-minute help in building your own home, with current cost to build, interest rates, credit score info, house plans, forms, cost estimate software, and more.

  • The Categories to the left contain information, tips, and photos. I remember that on my first house I didn’t even know what a "footing" was, let alone what one looked like. You won't have that problem. Just click on the "Footings" category. I selected categories with information, photos, and tips I think you'll find interesting. I'll be adding more categories often, so check back.

  • If you can’t find exactly what you are looking for, use the Google search form ( bottom left) to search either byoh.com, or the web. Just typing in 1 or 2 key words is sufficient. (Even I use it sometimes)

  • Also, as an additional reference source for you, you will notice that Google does an amazing job of matching relevant advertisers to (any) byoh page content or topics.

  • The Getting Started page will get you started on your dream house. You will find advice and links to credit scores, affordability calculators, house plans, design your own home software, building costs for any area in the USA, subcontractor advice, how-to videos, Free contractor’s forms, and much more.

  • The Construction Loan page explains how a Construction Loan works. Construction loans make building a house possible for most people.

  • The Cost Estimating page reveals to you the average cost to build anywhere in the USA and gives you both a FREE formatted excel spreadsheet and the FREE custom byoh.com spreadsheet for the very most important job of all: your control of these costs.

  • Ask Carl - Ask me any questions you want and I'll try to answer ASAP on my blog. If you just want to comment on something, that's great too.Your name is not required nor is your email. I won't post your full name if you happen to send it.

  • Visit my blog for other reader's questions & answers and my opinions on stuff.


  • It’s always a good time to build your own house. Take advantage of lower prices on materials & subcontractors & subcontractor availability during a recession or greater savings during a boom. Read more on why "It's a Good Time to Build."

  • Building a home is not as complicated as most people think. There are a lot of people out there who will help you in all the phases of being your own general contractor. Many offer free help. I am one of them. My web site is free and so is my book…at the library (be sure to return it).

    • About Carl Heldmann

    Carl has been a home builder for over 30 years and a construction loan consultant to credit unions for 20 years. He has personally helped thousands of folks like yourself build their dreams. He is also the founder of two schools of homebuilding, a former newspaper housing columnist, and author of several books on building your own home whose aggregate sales are more than ½ million copies. "Be Your Own House Contractor" has sold over 300,000 copies and is available in all USA libraries.

    Here’s what Book reviewers have to say:

    ".the bible for people who want to act as their
    own general contractor” - LA Times

    "We recommend it to anyone building a house" - Hometime®

    "This outstanding book rates a solid ten" - Robert Bruss

    "This book is a must" - American Homeowners Foundation

    "Simple language, no technical jargon" - New York Times

    "Excellent book.Recommended" - Library Journal

    "If you are bound and determined to plunge ahead.pick up a copy of this little book before you start."- Gordy Holt, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

    "If you're intrigued by the idea of being your own contractor for your dream house, here's where to begin."- Marcia Schnedler, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

    "…Heldmann offers something that you can hold dear for a lifetime: the skinny on homebuilding."— Mike McCarthy, Timber Home Building

    Other Books by Carl

    Note: "Learn To Be A General Contractor" is available at Lowe’s Home Improvement. All Carl’s books are available from your favorite bookseller, or go to our books page.

    Storey Publishing
    HDA Publishing
    Available at “LOWE’S”
    The Globe Pequot Press
    Also Available
    DVD + Book

    From PBS' Hometime.com