The building books Australia still learns from.
Step-by-step Australian building manuals by Allan Staines, covering the whole house from footings and frames to roofs, decks and renovations. Every title in stock, in its current edition.
Current editions only$12 flat-rate tracked postageDispatched from Port Macquarie NSWAustralian Made & Owned
Manuals for every part of the house
Each book stands on its own, and they’re written to work together.
Our best seller
The core of the range, now in its 9th updated edition. Over 660 drawings take you through a whole house, stage by stage: setting out, footings and slabs, framing and trusses, brick veneer, cavity brick, block and weatherboard, wet areas, stairs and fit-off.
Owner building? Choosing a site, designing the house, running trades, extensions and spotting faulty work.
$44.95
· with Lloyd Hiddle
Cutting a roof? The traditional method, built from scratch, with bevels for every pitch from 5° to 75°.
$34.95
Adding a deck? Design, council approval, span tables, stairs, balustrades and bushfire areas.
$32.95
Renovating? Restumping, rising damp, termites, cracked walls, leaking showers, new openings.
$34.95
Also by Allan Staines. How to draw landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes and buildings in pencil, or pen and ink.
$29.95
Book sets
The complete set
$177.95Bought separately $197.75You save $19.80 vs buying separately
Most popular
$85.40Bought separately $94.90You save $9.50 vs buying separately
More book sets11 more combinations, from two books to four
See all book sets →
Which book do I need?
Find your project, then start with the book in the middle column.
| I'm working on... | Start with | Also useful |
|---|---|---|
| Building a new house | House Building Manual | Successful Owner Builder |
| Owner building: planning and running the job | Successful Owner Builder | House Building Manual |
| Extending a house | Successful Owner Builder | Renovator's Manual |
| Repairs and upgrades to an older home | Renovator's Manual | - |
| A deck or pergola | Decks & Pergolas | - |
| Cutting a roof from scratch (not trusses) | Roof Building Manual | House Building Manual |
| A carpentry apprenticeship | House Building Manual | Roof Building Manual |
Make sure you have the latest edition.
We only stock and sell the latest edition of each title.
By Allan Staines
First published in the 1980s and revised edition after edition, Allan’s manuals cover every stage of building, renovating and extending an Australian home.