Building with poles can save you time, money, and effort. Creating strong, durable structures this way requires only limited grading and essentially no excavation on site, allows for plenty of design flexibility, and utilizes fewer materials than other building techniques.

In his classic do-it-yourself guide Practical Pole Building Construction, author and builder Leigh Seddon covers everything you need to know about all stages of the process from initial designing and planning to the actual construction and building stage. With an emphasis on practicality and economy, this essential reference manual includes helpful, easy-to-follow yet detailed information about how to choose between kiln-dried vs. green poles; architectural and structural specifications; site selection; construction-site preparation; design principles; aesthetics; pole setting; sustainability considerations; and ways to insulate and ventilate. It also features original design plans for multiple building and outbuilding types, including lean-to barn, horse stable, hillside house, garage/woodshed, mountain pole cabin, and coastal/lake house. In addition to the many photographs within, illustrator David Sylvester provides plentiful architectural drawings to accompany the clear, informative text.

Engineer and veteran builder Leigh Seddon is also the author of Low-Cost Green Lumber Construction (also available from Echo Point Books)' another time-honored reference book for resourceful, do-it-yourself builders looking to save costs and work sustainably.