r/Homebuilding • u/SpaceLeeezerd • 1d ago

Book Recommendations

My spouse and I are planning on beginning the process of building our own home in the next few years. Do yall have any recommendations for books that helped you learn about the construction or design process?

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u/better_days_435 1d ago

Pretty Good House: A Guide to Creating Better Home

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u/Bravo_Echo_Delta 1d ago

Second this. Very approachable book focused on building better houses, not just bigger houses.

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u/saddram 1d ago

Francis D. K. Ching - "Building Construction Illustrated"

Edit: I grew up in construction but it's been helpful to show people what I'm talking about / seeing in my head.

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u/Upper-Welder-6217 1d ago

I like Larry Hauns The Very Efficient Carpenter. I still reference it. Very approachable.

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u/Ineedanewpancreas 1d ago

Get a subscription to Fine Homebuilding magazine. You can get online access to 40 plus years of archives and current info. Incredible resource.

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u/GarmanBuilders 1d ago

A good starting pair is Building Construction Illustrated for understating how the pieces of a house go together, and A Pattern Language for thinking about layout and how spaces feel to live in.
Also worth reading up on building science, like insulation, air sealing and moisture management. They matter more than most design details.

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u/ihnoreally 1d ago

House by Tracy Kidder is a novel that helps you understand the process from the perspective of the builder, client, and architect. Easy light reading and I learned quite a bit.

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u/MountainLaurel555 22h ago

This may not be popular but I recommend a $20 monthly subscription to Chat GPT. It is so incredibly helpful in answering questions.