diff --git a/.build.ps1 b/.build.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..96ace5991
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.build.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,234 @@
+param(
+    [ValidateSet("net451", "netstandard1.6")]
+    [string]$Framework = "net451",
+
+    [ValidateSet("Debug", "Release", "PSv3Debug", "PSv3Release")]
+    [string]$Configuration = "Debug"
+)
+
+# todo remove aliases
+# todo make each project have its own build script
+
+$resourceScript = Join-Path $BuildRoot "New-StronglyTypedCsFileForResx.ps1"
+$outPath = "$BuildRoot/out"
+$modulePath = "$outPath/PSScriptAnalyzer"
+
+$buildData = @{}
+if ($BuildTask -eq "release") {
+    $buildData = @{
+        Frameworks = @{
+            "net451"         = @{
+                Configuration = @('Release', "PSV3Release")
+            }
+            "netstandard1.6" = @{
+                Configuration = @('Release')
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+else {
+    $buildData.Add("Frameworks", @{})
+    $buildData["Frameworks"].Add($Framework, @{})
+    $buildData["Frameworks"][$Framework].Add("Configuration", $Configuration)
+}
+
+function CreateIfNotExists([string] $folderPath) {
+    if (-not (Test-Path $folderPath)) {
+        New-Item -Path $folderPath -ItemType Directory -Verbose:$verbosity
+    }
+}
+
+function Get-BuildInputs($project) {
+    pushd $buildRoot/$project
+    gci -Filter *.cs
+    gci -Directory -Exclude obj, bin | gci -Filter *.cs -Recurse
+    popd
+}
+
+function Get-BuildOutputs($project) {
+    $bin = "$buildRoot/$project/bin/$Configuration/$Framework"
+    $obj = "$buildRoot/$project/obj/$Configuration/$Framework"
+    if (Test-Path $bin) {
+        gci $bin -Recurse
+    }
+    if (Test-Path $obj) {
+        gci $obj -Recurse
+    }
+}
+
+function Get-BuildTaskParams($project) {
+    $taskParams = @{
+        Data = $buildData
+        Jobs = {
+            $d = $($Task.Data)
+            foreach ($frmwrk in $d.Frameworks.Keys) {
+                foreach ($config in $d.Frameworks[$frmwrk].Configuration) {
+                    dotnet build --framework $frmwrk --configuration $config
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    $outputs = (Get-BuildOutputs $project)
+    if ($null -ne $outputs) {
+        $inputs = (Get-BuildInputs $project)
+        $taskParams.Add("Outputs", $outputs)
+        $taskParams.Add("Inputs", $inputs)
+    }
+
+    $taskParams
+}
+
+function Get-RestoreTaskParams($project) {
+    @{
+        Inputs  = "$BuildRoot/$project/project.json"
+        Outputs = "$BuildRoot/$project/project.lock.json"
+        Jobs    = {dotnet restore}
+    }
+}
+
+function Get-CleanTaskParams($project) {
+    @{
+        Jobs = {
+            if (Test-Path obj) {
+                Remove-Item obj -Force -Recurse
+            }
+
+            if (Test-Path bin) {
+                Remove-Item bin -Force -Recurse
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+function Get-TestTaskParam($project) {
+    @{
+        Jobs = {
+            Invoke-Pester
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+function Get-ResourceTaskParam($project) {
+    @{
+        Inputs  = "$project/Strings.resx"
+        Outputs = "$project/Strings.cs"
+        Jobs    = {& "$resourceScript $project"}
+        Before  = "$project/build"
+    }
+}
+
+function Add-ProjectTask([string]$project, [string]$taskName, [hashtable]$taskParams, [string]$pathPrefix = $buildRoot) {
+    $jobs = [scriptblock]::Create(@"
+pushd $pathPrefix/$project
+$($taskParams.Jobs)
+popd
+"@)
+    $taskParams.Jobs = $jobs
+    $taskParams.Name = "$project/$taskName"
+    task @taskParams
+}
+
+$projects = @("engine", "rules")
+$projects | ForEach-Object {
+    Add-ProjectTask $_ buildResource (Get-ResourceTaskParam $_)
+    Add-ProjectTask $_ build (Get-BuildTaskParams $_)
+    Add-ProjectTask $_ restore (Get-RestoreTaskParams $_)
+    Add-ProjectTask $_ clean (Get-CleanTaskParams $_)
+    Add-ProjectTask $_ test (Get-TestTaskParam $_) "$BuildRoot/tests"
+}
+
+task buildResource -Before build "engine/buildResource", "rules/buildResource"
+task build "engine/build", "rules/build"
+task restore "engine/restore", "rules/restore"
+task clean "engine/clean", "rules/clean"
+task test "engine/test", "rules/test"
+
+task createModule {
+    Function CopyToDestinationDir($itemsToCopy, $destination) {
+        CreateIfNotExists($destination)
+        foreach ($file in $itemsToCopy) {
+            Copy-Item -Path $file -Destination (Join-Path $destination (Split-Path $file -Leaf)) -Force
+        }
+    }
+
+    $solutionDir = $BuildRoot
+
+    $itemsToCopyCommon = @("$solutionDir\Engine\PSScriptAnalyzer.psd1",
+        "$solutionDir\Engine\PSScriptAnalyzer.psm1",
+        "$solutionDir\Engine\ScriptAnalyzer.format.ps1xml",
+        "$solutionDir\Engine\ScriptAnalyzer.types.ps1xml")
+
+    $destinationDir = "$solutionDir\out\PSScriptAnalyzer"
+    $destinationDirBinaries = $destinationDir
+
+    foreach ($Framework in $buildData.Frameworks.Keys) {
+        foreach ($Configuration in $buildData.Frameworks[$Framework].Configuration) {
+            $itemsToCopyBinaries = @("$solutionDir\Engine\bin\$Configuration\$Framework\Microsoft.Windows.PowerShell.ScriptAnalyzer.dll",
+                "$solutionDir\Rules\bin\$Configuration\$Framework\Microsoft.Windows.PowerShell.ScriptAnalyzer.BuiltinRules.dll")
+
+            if ($Framework -eq "netstandard1.6") {
+                $destinationDirBinaries = "$destinationDir\coreclr"
+            }
+            elseif ($Configuration -match 'PSv3') {
+                $destinationDirBinaries = "$destinationDir\PSv3"
+            }
+        }
+
+        CopyToDestinationDir $itemsToCopyBinaries $destinationDirBinaries
+
+        # copy newtonsoft dll if net451 framework
+        if ($Framework -eq "net451") {
+            copy-item -path "$solutionDir\Rules\bin\$Configuration\$Framework\Newtonsoft.Json.dll" -Destination $destinationDirBinaries
+        }
+    }
+
+    CopyToDestinationDir $itemsToCopyCommon $destinationDir
+
+    # Copy Settings File
+    Copy-Item -Path "$solutionDir\Engine\Settings" -Destination $destinationDir -Force -Recurse
+}
+
+task cleanModule -if (Test-Path $outPath) {
+    Remove-Item -Path out/ -Recurse -Force
+}
+
+
+$docsPath = Join-Path $BuildRoot 'docs'
+$outputDocsPath = Join-Path $modulePath 'en-US'
+$bdInputs = (Get-ChildItem $docsPath -File -Recurse)
+$bdOutputs = @(
+    "$outputDocsPath/about_PSScriptAnalyzer.help.txt",
+    "$outputDocsPath/Microsoft.Windows.PowerShell.ScriptAnalyzer.dll-Help.xml"
+)
+
+task buildDocs -Inputs $bdInputs -Outputs $bdOutputs {
+    # todo move common variables to script scope
+    $markdownDocsPath = Join-Path $docsPath 'markdown'
+    CreateIfNotExists($outputDocsPath)
+
+    # copy the about help file
+    Copy-Item -Path $docsPath\about_PSScriptAnalyzer.help.txt -Destination $outputDocsPath -Force
+
+    # Build documentation using platyPS
+    if ((Get-Module PlatyPS -ListAvailable) -eq $null) {
+        throw "Cannot find PlatyPS. Please install it from https://www.powershellgallery.com."
+    }
+    Import-Module PlatyPS
+    if (-not (Test-Path $markdownDocsPath -Verbose:$verbosity)) {
+        throw "Cannot find markdown documentation folder."
+    }
+    New-ExternalHelp -Path $markdownDocsPath -OutputPath $outputDocsPath -Force
+}
+
+task cleanDocs -if (Test-Path $outputDocsPath) {
+    Remove-Item -Path $outputDocsPath -Recurse -Force
+}
+
+task newSession {
+    Start-Process "powershell" -ArgumentList @('-noexit', "-command import-module $modulePath -verbose")
+}
+
+# TODO fix building psv3
+task release cleanModule, clean, build, createModule, buildDocs
+task . build, createModule, newSession
diff --git a/Engine/project.json b/Engine/project.json
index 9788b31bf..28213a8b5 100644
--- a/Engine/project.json
+++ b/Engine/project.json
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
               "Strings.Designer.Core.cs",
               "Strings.Designer.cs"
               ]
-          }
+          },
+          "debugType": "portable"
         }
     },
     "netstandard1.6": {
diff --git a/Rules/project.json b/Rules/project.json
index ad6a65d3d..e359ab1a9 100644
--- a/Rules/project.json
+++ b/Rules/project.json
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
               "Strings.Designer.Core.cs",
               "Strings.Designer.cs"
               ]
-          }
+          },
+          "debugType": "portable"
         }
     },
     "netstandard1.6": {