In the late 1960s, while still in high school, John Carroll spent two summers nailing asphalt shingles on the roofs of new houses in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. After acquiring carpentry and masonry skills, he became a general contractor in 1977. He is a frequent contributor toFine Homebuildingand has written three books on building, all published by The Taunton Press (Measuring, Marking & Layout(1999),Working Alone(1999), andThe Complete Visual Guide to Building a House(2014). He lives in Durham, N.C.