In about three months at the end of 2018, Byrne Construction Services essentially gave us a brand 'new' house -- retaining the advantages of an older home located in a spacious, quiet, well-established neighborhood. My husband and I could not be more pleased with the results. If you are looking for a General Contractor you can trust, someone with the skills and experience to deliver top quality work at a fair price, Kevin Byrne is your man. -- This review is in two parts: (1) What makes Kevin Byrne and his team stand out from the rest; and (2) Details of the work they did for us. - - First, an Introduction -- I initially contacted Kevin Byrne after reading reviews of his work on Angie's List. My husband and I were in the process of buying a different home, which turned out to have a mold problem. The week of closing, the sellers sent an e-mail to us, the attorneys, and the agents reporting that all of the mold remediation had been completed and the wet and contaminated insulation in the attic had been replaced, as repeatedly promised in writing over the previous several weeks. Still, I wanted to be certain the work had been done and asked Kevin on very short notice if he could help. He attended the pre-closing walk-through with me and, with permission, used his ladder to check the premises. No mold remediation had been done. It was an inch thick and the smell was horrible. All of the old insulation was still there. Kevin explained to me the risks involved, given his years of experience as both a contractor and, in the past, as a home inspector. In that unique and unusual situation, my husband and I felt it was in our best interest to abandon the transaction. Kevin saved us -- out of the goodness of his heart. And we moved on to the far superior property that I am writing about today. --- (1) What makes Kevin Byrne and his team stand out from the rest - As the Intro above illustrates, Kevin Byrne cares. Even about a perfect stranger. As a General Contractor, he is meticulously honest, personable, and hard-working. He is budget conscious and discusses the cost of various options whether you think to ask or not. For each project, he listens to the homeowner's ideas and offers cost-effective, creative ways to achieve them. He has fresh perspectives in both design and execution. The bottom line, I think, is that he simply wants the client to be happy with the result. I suspect this may keep him awake at night, sometimes. He is that conscientious. - -Kevin has the skills and experience that have brought him a significant volume of work over the years, and as a result, he knows who the best tradesmen are and, after running complete background checks on each and every one, he hires them. I actually witnessed someone trying to poach Kevin's absolutely brilliant lead-builder while he was working at our house. He was offered the moon, but Lee would have none of it. He was on Kevin's team, period. When you hire a highly skilled and honest man like Kevin, you get the highly skilled and honest tradesmen he attracts as well. Everyone who worked at our house -- the builders, plumbers, electricians, wood-workers, and painters -- did an excellent job. Kevin and Lee have exacting standards. If something did not seem quite right, Kevin or Lee had the work re-done -- long before the homeowner came around. They were personally invested in the job. -- (2) Details of the work they did - - Lighting was important to us. When the electricians began work, they discovered that the wiring in the house was not up to code. So Kevin had all of the electrical work overhauled, as a matter of safety, before beginning the lighting. He installed glare-free recessed lighting, with silent dimmer switches, in 8 rooms and an upstairs hallway. In 4 of those rooms, he and Lee also built tray ceilings with soft LED up-lighting hidden by moulding. Once it was all painted just so, the effect was stunning. It was all their doing... I just watched it unfold beautifully.- -All of the original oak flooring throughout the house was sanded and stained, then three coats of polyurethane applied. The color of the stain was just perfect and enhanced the grain. Every inch of flooring looked fabulous, even inside the closets. - -All of the interior doors were replaced. This turned out to be a bit of a challenge in places because many door frames were no longer square and remedial steps had been taken in prior years that were not helpful. Rather than make do, Kevin and Lee painstakingly corrected these problems before the new doors were hung. The difference was striking. -- An entirely new kitchen was installed, with the refinished oak flooring: new, reinforced cabinets to the ceiling with lovely moulding, an island with cooktop, all new plumbing and gas lines, polished granite countertops, and all new appliances -- ordered by Kevin to get the best possible price and fully installed. The refrigerator appeared to have its own custom-cabinet! -- A new MBR bathroom, with walk-in shower and glass sliding doors, glossy porcelain tile with mosaic accent, new plumbing and fixtures, new vanity, fan, and lighting. -- One of the most awesome projects was turning a large bedroom into a library/study for my professor husband. Kevin suggested the design and Vito did the wood-working. He constructed beautiful oak bookshelves to cover every inch of wallspace, floor to ceiling, with fine detailed work on the mouldings, trim, and other features. Yet each shelf was thick and ready to be filled with weighty volumes. It was a work of art. The stain complemented, without matching, the floor beautifully. My husband still can't get over it. Even the electrical outlets were cleverly placed so as to be unseen. -- Wallpaper was removed and the entire was freshly painted, repairs being made where necessary. The place gently glows. However, at the start, I made a big mistake when I first chose paint colors. Before things got too far along, I asked to re-do the work in a better color. I felt stupid and so guilty for asking. But Ramone, the head of the painting team, was reassuring and kind. Only later did I find out that the painters had worked several nights until 2am, without a word, to make up for my mistake and still stay on schedule. -- In progress is the finishing of our basement. We have chosen not to add a BR or bath there. Kevin and his team have done fireblocking, framed the walls, installed installation, put in new electrical wiring and lighting, and begun to put up the drywall. -- Perhaps this is a sign of our confidence and satisfaction with Byrne Construction, but we have also asked them to turn our screen porch in back into an all-seasons sunroom, connected to our existing HVAC system. ---- From township permit applications and inspections, to door knobs and light bulbs, our renovation has involved minimal effort on our part and virtually no worries -- thanks to Byrne Construction Services.