diff --git a/src/main/java/com/github/zafarkhaja/semver/Version.java b/src/main/java/com/github/zafarkhaja/semver/Version.java
index 372a785..8859cb1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/github/zafarkhaja/semver/Version.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/github/zafarkhaja/semver/Version.java
@@ -53,10 +53,18 @@ public class Version implements Comparable<Version> {
                 .append(MetadataVersion.FORMAT)
             .append(")?")
         .append("$");
-        
+
         SEMVER_PATTERN = Pattern.compile(sb.toString());
     }
 
+    Version(NormalVersion normal) {
+        this(normal, null, null);
+    }
+
+    Version(NormalVersion normal, MetadataVersion preRelease) {
+        this(normal, preRelease, null);
+    }
+
     Version(
         NormalVersion normal,
         MetadataVersion preRelease,
@@ -93,15 +101,36 @@ public class Version implements Comparable<Version> {
     }
 
     public Version incrementMajorVersion() {
-        return new Version(normal.incrementMajor(), preRelease, build);
+        return new Version(normal.incrementMajor());
+    }
+
+    public Version incrementMajorVersion(String preRelease) {
+        return new Version(
+            normal.incrementMajor(),
+            new MetadataVersion(preRelease)
+        );
     }
 
     public Version incrementMinorVersion() {
-        return new Version(normal.incrementMinor(), preRelease, build);
+        return new Version(normal.incrementMinor());
+    }
+
+    public Version incrementMinorVersion(String preRelease) {
+        return new Version(
+            normal.incrementMinor(),
+            new MetadataVersion(preRelease)
+        );
     }
 
     public Version incrementPatchVersion() {
-        return new Version(normal.incrementPatch(), preRelease, build);
+        return new Version(normal.incrementPatch());
+    }
+
+    public Version incrementPatchVersion(String preRelease) {
+        return new Version(
+            normal.incrementPatch(),
+            new MetadataVersion(preRelease)
+        );
     }
 
     public int getMajorVersion() {
@@ -124,7 +153,7 @@ public class Version implements Comparable<Version> {
         return (preRelease != null) ? preRelease.toString() : "";
     }
 
-    public String getBuildVersion() {
+    public String getBuildMetadata() {
         return (build != null) ? build.toString() : "";
     }
 
@@ -171,7 +200,7 @@ public class Version implements Comparable<Version> {
             sb.append(PRE_RELEASE_PREFIX).append(getPreReleaseVersion());
         }
         if (build != null) {
-            sb.append(BUILD_PREFIX).append(getBuildVersion());
+            sb.append(BUILD_PREFIX).append(getBuildMetadata());
         }
         return sb.toString();
     }
@@ -181,9 +210,6 @@ public class Version implements Comparable<Version> {
         int result = normal.compareTo(other.normal);
         if (result == 0) {
             result = comparePreReleases(other);
-            if (result == 0) {
-                result = compareBuilds(other);
-            }
         }
         return result;
     }
@@ -201,18 +227,4 @@ public class Version implements Comparable<Version> {
         }
         return result;
     }
-
-    private int compareBuilds(Version other) {
-        int result = 0;
-        if (build != null && other.build != null) {
-            result = build.compareTo(other.build);
-        } else if (build == null ^ other.build == null) {
-            /**
-             * Build versions satisfy and have a higher precedence
-             * than the associated normal version. (SemVer p.10)
-             */
-            result = (build == null) ? -1 : 1;
-        }
-        return result;
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/github/zafarkhaja/semver/VersionTest.java b/src/test/java/com/github/zafarkhaja/semver/VersionTest.java
index d8fe02a..b13d7e7 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/github/zafarkhaja/semver/VersionTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/github/zafarkhaja/semver/VersionTest.java
@@ -54,22 +54,17 @@ public class VersionTest {
         @Test
         public void mayHaveBuildFollowingPatchOrPreReleaseAppendedWithPlus() {
             Version v = Version.valueOf("1.2.3+build");
-            assertEquals("build", v.getBuildVersion());
+            assertEquals("build", v.getBuildMetadata());
         }
 
         @Test
-        public void shouldCompareBuildIfNormalAndPreReleaseAreEqual() {
-            Version v1 = Version.valueOf("1.3.7-beta+build.1");
-            Version v2 = Version.valueOf("1.3.7-beta+build.2");
-            assertTrue(0 > v1.compareTo(v2));
-        }
-
-        @Test
-        public void buildShouldHaveHigherPrecedenceThanAssociatedNormal() {
-            Version v1 = Version.valueOf("1.3.7");
-            Version v2 = Version.valueOf("1.3.7+build");
-            assertTrue(0 > v1.compareTo(v2));
-            assertTrue(0 < v2.compareTo(v1));
+        public void shouldIgnoreBuildMetadataWhenDeterminingVersionPrecedence() {
+            Version v1 = Version.valueOf("1.3.7-beta");
+            Version v2 = Version.valueOf("1.3.7-beta+build.1");
+            Version v3 = Version.valueOf("1.3.7-beta+build.2");
+            assertTrue(0 == v1.compareTo(v2));
+            assertTrue(0 == v1.compareTo(v3));
+            assertTrue(0 == v2.compareTo(v3));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -126,12 +121,7 @@ public class VersionTest {
                 "1.0.0-beta.2",
                 "1.0.0-beta.11",
                 "1.0.0-rc.1",
-                "1.0.0-rc.1+build.1",
                 "1.0.0",
-                "1.0.0+0.3.7",
-                "1.3.7+build",
-                "1.3.7+build.2.b8f12d7",
-                "1.3.7+build.11.e0f985a"
             };
             for (int i = 1; i < versions.length; i++) {
                 Version v1 = Version.valueOf(versions[i-1]);
@@ -148,7 +138,7 @@ public class VersionTest {
             assertEquals(0, v.getPatchVersion());
             assertEquals("1.0.0", v.getNormalVersion());
             assertEquals("rc.1", v.getPreReleaseVersion());
-            assertEquals("build.1", v.getBuildVersion());
+            assertEquals("build.1", v.getBuildMetadata());
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -158,6 +148,13 @@ public class VersionTest {
             assertEquals("2.0.0", incrementedMajor.toString());
         }
 
+        @Test
+        public void shouldIncrementMajorVersionWithPreReleaseIfProvided() {
+            Version v = Version.valueOf("1.2.3");
+            Version incrementedMajor = v.incrementMajorVersion("beta");
+            assertEquals("2.0.0-beta", incrementedMajor.toString());
+        }
+
         @Test
         public void shouldProvideIncrementMinorVersionMethod() {
             Version v = Version.valueOf("1.2.3");
@@ -165,13 +162,47 @@ public class VersionTest {
             assertEquals("1.3.0", incrementedMinor.toString());
         }
 
+        @Test
+        public void shouldIncrementMinorVersionWithPreReleaseIfProvided() {
+            Version v = Version.valueOf("1.2.3");
+            Version incrementedMinor = v.incrementMinorVersion("alpha");
+            assertEquals("1.3.0-alpha", incrementedMinor.toString());
+        }
+
         @Test
         public void shouldProvideIncrementPatchVersionMethod() {
             Version v = Version.valueOf("1.2.3");
             Version incrementedPatch = v.incrementPatchVersion();
             assertEquals("1.2.4", incrementedPatch.toString());
         }
-        
+
+        @Test
+        public void shouldIncrementPatchVersionWithPreReleaseIfProvided() {
+            Version v = Version.valueOf("1.2.3");
+            Version incrementedPatch = v.incrementPatchVersion("rc");
+            assertEquals("1.2.4-rc", incrementedPatch.toString());
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        public void shouldDropBuildMetadataWhenIncrementing() {
+            Version v = Version.valueOf("1.2.3-alpha+build");
+
+            Version major1 = v.incrementMajorVersion();
+            assertEquals("2.0.0", major1.toString());
+            Version major2 = v.incrementMajorVersion("beta");
+            assertEquals("2.0.0-beta", major2.toString());
+
+            Version minor1 = v.incrementMinorVersion();
+            assertEquals("1.3.0", minor1.toString());
+            Version minor2 = v.incrementMinorVersion("beta");
+            assertEquals("1.3.0-beta", minor2.toString());
+
+            Version patch1 = v.incrementPatchVersion();
+            assertEquals("1.2.4", patch1.toString());
+            Version patch2 = v.incrementPatchVersion("beta");
+            assertEquals("1.2.4-beta", patch2.toString());
+        }
+
         @Test
         public void shouldBeImmutable() {
             Version version = Version.valueOf("1.2.3");