How to Start a Home-Based Carpentry Business (ISBN 0762700653)

MAKING MONEY FROM CARPENTRY WORK FROM HOME:
CREATE THINGS FROM CARPENTRY WORKING IS AMAIZING AND IF I GOING TO GET PAID FOR IT WHAT CAN BE BETTER WHEN SOMEONE DISPLAY YOUR WORK AND MENTION HOW MUCH IT COST AND IVEN BETTER HWOSE DO THAT JOB THAT MAKE ME FEEL THE REAL THING IN FRONT OF THE OTHER PEOPLE

If you're a moron this is the book to buy!:
If you read the review written in Sept 2000 that's the perfect example of the type of person this book is for. This book is useless because if you don't already know just by common sense about everything in it then you'll never be smart enough to run a business anyway. As an example, for estimating the author starts with this brilliant advice: "The basic tools for making estimates are simple things including a 50-foot or 100-foot tape measure, an adding machine (or calculator or computer), a legal-size pad or two, and a set of job plans..." Don't waste your money on this one. It doesn't even deserve 1 star.

Pretty good introduction by a decent writer:
The reviews here are inadequate and polarized so I'll weigh-in and moderate a bit here. My dad gave me this book many years ago when I was making cabinets in my garage and wondering how to get more work. The book is sort of geared towards the guy who wants to start as a general contractor but may not have the confidence or experience to know if he can pull it off. The author gives prudent advice - work for a contractor and work your way up to lead carpenter and you'll be pretty well informed about how to estimate jobs and run a crew. He covers must-have, nice-to-have, and specialized tools in a sensible way. He covers local regulations, marketing basics. This isn't a complete guide to being a building contractor and it is sort of written for the guy who wants to "ease into it". Some of the most prudent advice I have heard for the guy starting out with a pickup and a few tools is to get jobs hauling stuff to the dump. If you do that your hauling customers will ask you if you can fix things around the property and you are on your way. Hauling can be more lucrative than you might think as well - a hauling trailer can be a good investment. I was always an intermittent carpenter because I preferred building cabinets and furniture. I only took carpentry jobs occasionally - usually in connection with cabinet work at the same location. This book is up-front: you can start small with a little bit of gear and a good work ethic and build from there by being responsive to the needs of your local economy. Maybe there isn't much new construction but people need things mended and are willing to pay cash daily... you don't have to be a super-pro to get that kind of work and make some money at it. You do need to be able to quote a fair price and get along with clients however. I liked this book. I'm sure there are better ones out there but this one covered the basics. If you want to be a licensed contractor you should probably work under one for awhile or specialize in an area, like maintenance painting and replacing rotted facsia-boards, where the work isn't challenging and it's easy to pick up the skills.