diff --git a/src/build.ts b/src/build.ts
index fc341d2..29cc8ce 100644
--- a/src/build.ts
+++ b/src/build.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { parse } from "./utils/parse";
 import { getArg } from "./utils/args";
 import { getCommits, CommitLogObject } from "./utils/commits";
 import { validateSchema } from "./utils/validate";
+import { build as help } from "./help";
 import * as T from "../typings/tutorial";
 
 const write = util.promisify(fs.writeFile);
@@ -27,6 +28,12 @@ type BuildArgs = {
 
 async function build(args: string[]) {
   let options: BuildArgs;
+
+  if (args.length && ["--help", "-h"].includes(args[0])) {
+    help();
+    return;
+  }
+
   try {
     // default .
     const dir = args[0].match(/^-/) ? "." : args[0];
diff --git a/src/create.ts b/src/create.ts
index 5840b10..ecb91a6 100644
--- a/src/create.ts
+++ b/src/create.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import ncp from "ncp";
 import * as path from "path";
 import { promisify } from "util";
 import { getArg } from "./utils/args";
+import { create as help } from "./help";
 
 const copy = promisify(ncp);
 
@@ -14,6 +15,11 @@ type CreateArgs = {
 async function create(args: string[]): Promise<void> {
   let options: CreateArgs;
 
+  if (args.length && ["--help", "-h"].includes(args[0])) {
+    help();
+    return;
+  }
+
   // default .
   const dir = !args.length || args[0].match(/^-/) ? "." : args[0];
   const lang = getArg(args, { name: "lang", alias: "l" }) || "js";
diff --git a/src/help.ts b/src/help.ts
index ed20f2c..9b74510 100644
--- a/src/help.ts
+++ b/src/help.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,38 @@ export default function help() {
 Usage: coderoad [options]
 
 Options:
-  help          display these help docs
-  version       show coderoad cli version
-  create        start a new tutorial from a template
-  build         generate a coderoad.json file from markdown and yaml
+--help (-h)       display these help docs
+--version (-v)    show coderoad cli version
+create            start a new tutorial from a template
+build             generate a coderoad.json file from markdown and yaml
 
 More docs at https://github.com/coderoad/coderoad-cli
     `);
 }
+
+export function create() {
+  console.log(`
+Usage: coderoad create [path] [options]
+
+Options:
+--help (-h)         display these help docs
+--lang (-l)         programming language for template
+--testRunner (-t)   test runner module for template
+
+More docs at https://github.com/coderoad/coderoad-cli
+`);
+}
+
+export function build() {
+  console.log(`
+Usage: coderoad build [path] [options]
+
+Options:
+--help (-h)       display these help docs
+--markdown (-m)   custom path to the tutorial markdown file (TUTORIAL.md)
+--yaml (-y)       custom path to the tutorial yaml file (coderoad.yaml)
+--output (-o)     custom path to tutorial json config file (coderoad.json)
+
+More docs at https://github.com/coderoad/coderoad-cli
+`);
+}