This work is aimed specifically at those students and practitioners who require a broad understanding of building construction as part of a wider sphere of professional activity. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of modern construction and services. In addition most chapters contain information on earlier construction techniques to reflect the age profile of the UK housing stock. This fourth edition has a revised text and hundreds of revised graphics, new illustrations and photos, an additional chapter on concrete housing, and an eight page colour section showing a series of photographs of a modern housing development. This book is the recommended construction text at a number of colleges and universities. It concentrates on principles and practice rather than details and regulations. In doing so, it should enable the reader to demonstrate a comprehensive and genuine understanding of modern house construction and its evolution over the last 100 years.