As part of the Wayne County Builders Association's plan to provide our members with educational opportunities for professional development, we have created a Builder's Bookcase (the WCBA resource library).  The library contains building industry related books, digital materials, audio books pertaining to business management, business related forms, human resources, green building and much, much more.  The books and reference materials will be available to our members to sign out and borrow much like any other library.  All the books and materials are listed below.  New acquisitions are received and updated on the site periodically. 

Resource Books Available

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Daily Field Guide:  A Logbook for Home Builders

With this guide, you can manage the details to keep up each job running smoothly and on schedule.  Keep accurate records of jobsite activities, document what happened during the course of construction and schedule trade contractors and suppliers.  Includes a CD, so you can easily modify and personalize each form, chart and checklist.

Basic Construction Management - Superintendent Job

This book provides information that will sharpen a superintendent’s skills in maintaining budgets, preparing and meeting schedules, and ensuring quality control.  New Managers can use this essential reference as a comprehensive training tool, and more experienced superintendents can brush up on the latest techniques and technologies.

Strategic Business Planning

Follow this simple path to create an effective business plan.  This book contains everything you need to chart your path to the top, including the selection of the right business plan, the seven-step strategic growth program and processes that involve providing products that best fit targeted buyers' profiles.   This step-by-step guide gives you the tools necessary to control the direction of your business.

Home Builders Contracts & Construction Management (Book and CD)

Nearly 100 of the most useful business forms and contracts for builders from successful builders across the country.  Includes sales and marketing forms, contracts and agreements, trade contractor specifications and checklists, orientation and quality control documents and much more.  Easy to use:  Simply download documents from the CD and customize to meet your business needs.

Building Partnerships:  Work With Trade Contractor

How to increase professionalism with loyalty of the trades by treating them as an extension of your building team.  Techniques include finding and evaluating contractors, effective scheduling, ensuring quality performance, and negotiating and writing effective trade contractor agreements.

Management Ideas That Work

This is where successful builders share their secrets.  A collection of bright ideas and concise articles let you in on innovative techniques builders have devised to improve profits and productivity.  Discover creative methods that single-family home builders use to deal with the day-to-day challenges of production, maintaining cash flow, and keeping customers happy.

More! Management Ideas that Work

The follow-up to Management Ideas that Work.  This book provides you with nearly 175 ideas to help you run your home building business more effectively and profitability.  Topics include hiring the right people, boosting visibility, increasing Realtor sales, and budgeting for profit.

Human Resources - Form Builder (CD)

Saves you time and money by letting you customize the forms to fit your specific needs.  The CD contains over 100 forms, including job descriptions, contractor agreements, applications, scheduling tools, sample policies, performance evaluations, and much more to help you create and run a successful human resource department.

Managing Your Employees (Book and CD)

Create a strong foundation, successful employees for your home building business.  As many small-business owners, home builders often handle multiple internal functions, including human resources management.  This book helps you manage your staff and your paperwork easily and productively.

Production Checklist for Builders & Superintendent (Book and CD)

This step-by-step process can be applied to any project.  All of the checklists are included on CD so you can modify the checklists to meet the unique needs of your company.  Checklists and schedules are designed to slab-on-grade, poured-in-place, incline and production housing tracts.

Estimating Home Construction Costs

Helps you develop complete and accurate estimates.  This book is perfect if you are new to home building or want to improve your estimating abilities and discover better ways to do a quantity takeoff.  Reviews types of estimates and when to use them, how to integrate estimating into other management functions and the benefits of computer estimating.  House plans worksheets, and checklists are included.

Business Basics for Builders

Save money and increase profits with the beginner's guide to effective business management.  Twelve industry experts share their knowledge with you.  Use the hands-on exercises, sample forms and documents and tricks of the trade to take your business to a higher level of success.

Contracts and Liability, 5th Edition

Protect your profits! Reduce or eliminate litigation costs by learning how to write better contracts from the start. Contracts and Liability, 5th edition provides builders and remodelers with concise, informative insights into creating effective contracts.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer Service - Form Builder (CD)

Simplify your home building or remodeling business by having all of the customer service forms you need on one CD, office forms, contracts, design selections, work orders and change orders, presettlement forms, warranty service forms, and customer feedback forms.  Nearly 150 of the most commonly used customer service forms to help you create and run successful customer service program.

Homeowner Manual:  A Template for Home Builders (Book and Disc)

Create your own company home owner manual that explains your contract documents, policies, procedures and philosophy.  By using the text included on the disk and following the guidelines in the text, you provide your customers with an organized, professional, and easy-to-understand manual.  Covers purchasing, financing, selections, construction, orientation, closing, maintenance and warranties.

Dear Homeowner: A Book of Customer Service Letters (Book and CD)

The power of the written word can benefit a home builder in many ways. Written communication; whether by letter, post card, fax, or e-mail – prevents problems and keeps customers content. Clear communication helps you keep your customers informed and enhances your reputation as a knowledgeable professional. Many builders have learned that when conflicts arise, documentation is their greatest ally.
But who has time to sit down and write all these letters?
Carol Smith has done the writing for you! Smith contributes her customer service expertise to more than 70 clearly written and compelling letters you can use to communicate with your customers. Each letter is included on computer disk, so you can personalize it and print it on your company letterhead. Smith has written letters to cover every aspect of the builder-customer relationship:
Scheduled letters help you communicate each step of the home building process and foster customer confidence.
Occasional letters prepare you to address the endless variety of situations generated by customers and new homes.
Letters for difficult situations and tough customers will help you respond to negative or emotional situations in a calm, diplomatic manner.

Managing Your Most Difficult Customers

This books provides the steps needed to avoid disgruntled customers and bad press, establish a proactive customer care culture, create a quality building program, extend extraordinary post-settlement service, resolve common disputes and complaints, and document communication with customers.  Learn how to make every customer a happy customer.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Financial and Cash Management

Learn how to master the primary financial concerns of builders, continuity, stability, profitability, investor satisfaction, and meeting financial commitments.  This book provides the knowledge and direction needed to avoid financial pitfalls.  By combining the key resources (people and money) with a solid business plan, you can build high-quality, high-profit homes far into the future.

Accounting & Financial Management

This solid resource for builders, remodelers, developers, and contractors provides detailed information on how an accounting system operates and the basic principles for professing financial data.

BUILDING STANDARDS

Estimating Home Construction Costs

Helps you develop complete and accurate estimates.  This book is perfect if you are new to home building or want to improve your estimating abilities and discover better ways to do a quantity takeoff.  Reviews types of estimates and when to use them, how to integrate estimating into other management functions and the benefits of computer estimating.  House plans worksheets, and checklists are included.

Warranties for Builders and Remodelers

NAHB staff attorneys provide new information about warranties based on research for NAHB members on hundreds of warranty issues.  It addresses the changes to state statues of repose applicable to construction changes and additions to mandatory notice provisions in states that have these laws.  It also provides vital knowledge concerning the basic elements of a warranty; the different types; drafting tips and formats; potential legal pitfalls and limitation of liability.

American National Standards - Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities - 2003

The specifications in this standard make sites, facilities, buildings and elements accessible to and usable by people with such physical disabilities as the inability to walk, difficulty walking, reliance on walking aids, blindness and visual impairment, deafness and hearing impairment, reaching and manipulation disabilities, lack of stamina, difficulty interpreting and reacting to sensory information, and extremes of physical size. The intent of this standard is to allow a person with physical disability to independently get to, enter, and use a site, facility, building, or element.

2006 International Residential Builder Code Book

2006 International Builder Code Book

GREEN BUILDING

Profit from Building Green

Discover what energy conscious, award-winning builders are doing.  Learn about innovative energy-efficient features and successful techniques for building a niche market and get marketing tips from experienced sales professionals.

Green from the Ground Up

Green construction is the building trend of the decade. In direct response to the growing demand for sustainable, healthy, and energy-efficient homes, David Johnston and Scott Gibson present the most forward-thinking theories and the best proven methods of new and remodeled green construction. They begin with down-to-earth explanations of green building basics and move on to site planning, materials selection, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality -- detailing along the way every step in design and construction, from framing to finishes.

A must-have reference for contractors who want to remain competitive, Green from the Ground Up is also a remarkable resource for homeowners who require the clearest and most thorough green building information available.

"A refreshing and comprehensive step-by-step course in green building, packed with both solid building science and commonsense solutions."
 

 Estimating with Microsoft Excel

This book gives you step-by-step instructions on how to create a powerful estimating program and improve the accuracy of your estimates.  Provides easy-to-understand examples and screenshots, includes chapters on using First Tools and User Forms, which give the user greater flexibility and power to customize worksheets and retrieve/enter data.  Examples, templates, and other extras includes on CD.

Scheduling for Home Builders with Microsoft Project

This book provides easy step-by-step instructions to help you master this powerful scheduling program.   Every chapter of Scheduling for Builders with Microsoft Project helps you learn and practice each new skill. The CD offers sample residential schedules. Learn how to create a realistic construction schedule, document all changes to the schedule, assign and track resources and costs, monitor and update the schedule, print customized reports, communicate with trade contractors and home buyers and much more.

Home Builders' Safety Program

Use this practical guide to understand how to develop and implement a total loss-control safety program. In addition to the clear presentation of OSHA standards, you will learn how to respond to OSHA inspection, the essential elements of your written safety plan and what safety training to provide. The companion CD presents a model safety program that lists safe work practices for the most common residential construction operations and can be easily customized to meet your specific needs. This book has everything you need to create a safety program that saves lives and protects your bottom line.

SALES

Option Selling for Profit: The Builder's Guide to Generating Design Center Revenue and Profit

If you think your customer’s home buying experience ends with the signing of the sales contract—think again."

• create an option sales program that motivates customers to buy
• capitalize on your options and upgrades program to increase your bottom line
• empower your sales team with the tools they need to succeed
• cultivate loyal customers
• deliver outstanding customer service
• implement a profitable design program no matter the size of your company

Topics include:
warranties
environmental issues
inspections
trade contracts
design-build contracts
contracts with other team members
and more.

This updated and expanded version now includes sections on mold, arsenic (in drinking water and pressure-treated lumber), notices, and disclaimers.

Eliminate risks and protect against liability with well-written contracts. Contracts and Liability, 5th edition provides illustrative cases, sample language, and current guidelines for creating comprehensive contracts for the residential construction industry.