As we said before, there is no shortage of comprehensive and well-written material on any of these subjects. If it's a project scheduling that you are interested in, we suggest you pick up a copy of Construction Scheduling Simplified, (Iannone, Prentice Hall, $39.95). This book is based on the premise that "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail". Given that construction scheduling is an important aspect of a growing business, and the CPM, PERT, and Arrow-Precedence Networking are computer software that a small contractor would rather not tackle, the system presented here, called MOST (Management Operation System Technique) is quickly overtaking all other management systems. It is easier, faster and, therefore, less expensive. This is the first (and perhaps last) book you'll need on construction scheduling.

The Manual of Professional Remodeling (Jones, Craftsman, $20.50) is written by an experienced remodeling contractor. It's a practical guide that includes chapters on calculating space requirements, repairing structural defects, remodeling kitchens, baths, walls and ceilings, doors and windows, floors, roofs, installing fireplaces and chimneys, skylights, and exterior siding. You'll find the blank forms, checklists and sample contracts especially helpful.

And finally, for your estimating needs there's Construction Estimating Reference Data (Craftsman, $20.00). Collected in this single volume are the building estimator's 300 most useful estimating reference tables. Labor requirements for nearly every type of construction are included: site work, concrete work, masonry, steel, carpentry, thermal and moisture protection, doors and windows, finishes, mechanical and electrical. Each section explains in detail the work being estimated and gives the appropriate crew size and equipment needed.