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What our clients say

Hi Michael and Team-
Tom and Mike Jr. I realized I never wrote this email that I had been meaning to for a long time! We want to thank everyone at LEAD DOG for such a great experience. This being our first renovation, we were a little apprehensive to take on such a big job, and the LEAD DOG team was so professional and patient with all of our questions (I know I had a lot of them) and concerns. Michael - you have an awesome team! Everyone was a pleasure to work with, so clean and considerate of our family... and nap time :) Brian and I couldn’t be happier with the end result. Every day we have someone walk by who says how fabulous it looks! Hope everyone is doing well!

Meghan and Brian - Little Silver, NJ

My wife and I couldn’t be happier with Lead Dog. We contracted them to expand our home, rebuild our garage, and enhance our home’s overall cosmetics. The quality of their work was only matched by their exceptional service, transparency and professionalism. The entire team was absolutely fantastic. Thank you Mike and team!

George Manas and Monika Balsamo - Little Silver, NJ

We met Mike Villane after our project stalled in the architectural phase. We immediately hit it off and hired him on the spot. He provided expert advice to get the job moving again and it kept on moving. The finished product was more than we had hoped for and was completed close to budget and within the time frame quoted. Mike and all his contract professionals did an outstanding job with top notch workmanship and professional attitudes. Mike was easy to work with and went out of his way to make sure everything turned out to our satisfaction. Mike has a keen eye for detail and was an invaluable asset in helping us come up with the plans and pick all the finishes. We continue to receive compliments and would highly recommend Mike and Lead Dog Builders for any home renovation or building project.

Ellen and Alex Krasutsky - Shrewsbury, NJ

We had Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year. Everyone was impressed with the work. This was the 1st project like this that Suzie and I ever really got involved in. Admittedly, we weren’t sure about some things... 1yr later we look back and are impressed with how quickly and professionally your guys got in and out. Everyone did a good job. Just wanted to say “thanks”.

Suzie and Jeff Mendell - Monmouth Beach, NJ

Mike Villane and his team at Lead Dog handled the renovation of Cups & Cakes Bakery in Rumson, NJ in December 2014. I highly recommend Mike Villane for any construction project. This particular project involved the design and construction of a juice bar, reallocation and new construction of counter tops and work stations, new electrical and plumbing, carpentry, lighting, refinishing, painting etc. Mike is extremely knowledgeable with a keen sense of design and always accessible, before during and after the construction. Mike handles permits with the town in an efficient and professional way. Always a pleasure to deal with!

Denise Kelleher, Owner - Creator Cups & Cakes Bakery

I would like you to include me as a strong reference for Lead Dog Builders. I have been through five (5) home renovation projects with five (5) different builders over twenty (20) years and have never experienced the professionalism, attention to detail or customer focus as I have with Lead Dog. It is also important to point out that this observation is not just related to Mike Villane, the owner. It extends to his project managers and the sub-contractors he brings into the job. It is apparent Mike sets clear expectations of how his people need to work and they embrace it. Thanks for the great work.

Jim O’Connor - Little Silver, NJ

Mike Villane and his team at Lead Dog Builders are outstanding. We hired Lead Dog for our house renovation in 2010 and were so happy that we hired them back in 2015 to add a beautiful covered porch to the back of our house. Not only do they deliver beautiful craftsmanship, they are diligent, thoughtful, and very responsive.

Lisa and Lou Rettino - Rumson, NJ

Mike Villane and his team, led by project manager Todd Coggins, are a pleasure to work with. They are honest, organized, meticulous with details and have exceptional standards of craftsmanship. They communicate fast, effectively and with transparency. The company’s core values of integrity and mutual respect between clients and partners are present in every interaction. Two years after our whole-house remodel, there has not been an issue with any of their work. We could not have asked for better partners in our project, and recommend Mike to anyone looking for a reliable, trustworthy builder.

Mike and Leslie Loomis - Holmdel, NJ

Michael was great to work with and though we had the usual stresses accompanied with building a home, the end product was amazing quality and exactly what we wanted!

Frances and Wayne Wilson - Rumson, NJ

When choosing a contractor to finish our basement we were looking for someone who had a reputation for quality work, on time delivery, and most importantly respect for our home. Lead Dog hit all of these points on top of being competitively priced. Mike and his team delivered and met all of our expectations. They constantly stayed on top of the workers to ensure their work was performed to our high standards. Any time there was a concern Mike or one of his guys would be right there to address it. Couldn’t have been more pleased with the whole experience.

Blair and Danielle Robbins - West Long Branch, NJ

We used Lead Dog to conduct a major renovation on our 50 year old Rumson house. Mike was a pleasure to work with. He is extremely organized, knowledgeable, and very flexible. He also had very good quality controls. I worked as a construction engineer for six years myself and I can recognize a construction professional. Mike has also been very diligent with follow up in the three years that we have completed our renovation. We would use Lead Dog again.

Tim and Tami Horan - Rumson, NJ

My wife had wanted to add a sun room off our den and do some minor touch ups around the house. After discussing design and architecture, Mike recommended a better idea... remodeling a front room that was under-utilized. He designed the whole thing and brought the work together like great art by designing and installing a hutch in our kitchen off this front room. He also remodeled our bathroom. His recommendations were tasteful, practical and economical. The quality of the implementation was outstanding and beyond the workmanship, the two aspects of working with Lead Dog we appreciated most, were the quality of communication and dialogue to ensure we were always on the same page, and that our home never felt in disarray... every day the house was clean and we didn’t feel like we were under renovation. We highly recommend Lead Dog without reservation.

Mike and Caren McCormack - Little Silver, NJ