Provider profile
MJ White
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Novi and SE Michigan homeowners dealing with water, fire, or mold damage who want a locally owned restoration company with 45+ years in the area and 24/7 emergency response.
Best for
- Homeowners in Novi, Oakland County, and SE Michigan who need mold remediation as part of a larger water or storm damage restoration project.
- Property managers and commercial building owners who need a single contractor to handle water extraction through final rebuild under one roof.
- Insurance claim situations where you want a company experienced in working directly with adjusters and documenting losses.
- Homeowners facing asbestos or lead concerns discovered during water or mold damage — MJ White handles abatement in-house rather than referring out.
- Emergency situations requiring 24/7 response, especially burst pipes or flooding during Michigan winters.
About this company
MJ White & Son is a full-service disaster restoration and renovation company headquartered in Novi, Michigan. They've been locally owned and operated since 1979, which gives them over 45 years in the SE Michigan market. Their primary work is water damage restoration, but mold remediation, fire restoration, and storm cleanup round out the core offering. They also handle asbestos and lead abatement, trauma and crime scene decontamination, and contents storage — services most standalone mold companies don't touch.
What stands out is the breadth. This isn't a mold-only shop. They handle the full disaster lifecycle: emergency water extraction, dry-down, mold remediation, structural repairs, painting, and rebuild. Their mold remediation page references HEPA vacuuming, HEPA air scrubbers, and antimicrobial treatments. They claim 60-to-90-minute on-site response times and run a dedicated commercial division for larger properties. They also work directly with insurance companies on claims documentation.
The company operates under a family business model — the name is "MJ White & Son" — and multiple long-tenured staff members show up repeatedly in reviews spanning years. Les Neal appears as a project manager across reviews from 2019 through 2025. Joel is referenced as an owner or leader. The consistency of named staff across a five-year review window suggests low turnover, which is unusual in restoration.
Their 4.2-star Google rating across 112 reviews is below the threshold where you'd call it strong. Most of the negative history falls outside the recent 18-month window, so the current trajectory may be better than the lifetime number suggests. The recent complaints center on billing and communication rather than work quality.
Services
Service area
MJ White is headquartered in Novi, Michigan and serves Lower Michigan broadly. Their website lists specific service area pages for Novi, Sterling Heights, Trenton, Ann Arbor, Rochester Hills, Brighton, and counties including Oakland, Monroe, Washtenaw, and Macomb. Their contact page also references Fenton, Lansing, Utica, and Ypsilanti. The claimed coverage area is large — spanning from Lansing to Metro Detroit — so response times at the edges are worth confirming.
Review consensus
Angie is the most frequently named employee, appearing in at least 15 reviews spanning 2020 through 2026, consistently praised for painting, drywall finishing, and attention to detail. Les Neal shows up repeatedly as a project manager who communicates well and guides homeowners through insurance claims. Johnny (also referenced as John Price) is praised for explaining options clearly and being fair. Justice is mentioned for patching and repair work. Roger and Steve appear in multiple reviews for carpentry and roofing. Joel is referenced as a leader who personally meets with clients. Reviewers repeatedly highlight communication, on-time arrival, and crews who clean up after themselves. Several property managers and realtors specifically endorse the company.
2 found across 112 total reviews at 4.2★. Madison Parker described a frustrating insurance-assigned project where the project manager was difficult to reach and uninformed about job status. She had to request an itemized statement twice, then found charges for work never done — including removal and replacement of a nonexistent closet door. The owner responded with a generic invitation to call the office. Janette L. left a 1-star rating with no text. The owner responded that they have no record of her as a client and asked for details — this may be a misattributed or fake review.
The billing complaint from Madison Parker is notable because it describes specific, verifiable errors (charging for a door that didn't exist), not just a vague sense of overcharging. The owner's response was a template deflection rather than addressing the specific billing allegations. With only one substantive negative in the recent window, this is a one-off rather than a pattern, but it flags a gap in their invoicing review process. The second 1-star review has no text and the owner indicates the person isn't in their system, which weakens its weight as evidence.
Angie (painter/finisher — consistently positive across many reviews). Les Neal (project manager — consistently positive, praised for communication and insurance navigation). Johnny/John Price (adjuster/estimator — positive, praised for clear explanations and fairness). Joel (owner/leader — positive, praised for personal involvement). Justice (repair/patching — positive). Roger (carpentry/roofing — positive). Steve (carpentry/installation — positive). Mike (siding/general repair — positive). Bryan/Brian (painting/carpentry — positive). David (painting — positive). Karen (mitigation/contents — positive). Marshall (mitigation — positive). Deseray (mitigation — positive, called out for A+ work). Samantha (mentioned positively). Jim (mentioned positively). Gary (mentioned positively). Dylan (carpentry — positive). Alex (drywall — positive). Brandon (mentioned positively). Dan Wood (mentioned positively). Gregg Montowski (mentioned positively, though his own review of the company raises a credibility question).
MJ White's strength is the full-service model — one company from emergency response through final paint. The crew names that repeat across years of reviews suggest a stable team, which matters in restoration. Ask for an itemized estimate before work begins and verify every line item against completed work before paying. If Les Neal or Johnny is assigned as your project manager, reviewers consistently report good communication.
Keep in mind
- MJ White is primarily a restoration company, not a mold specialist. Mold remediation is one service among many. If you need focused mold expertise rather than general restoration, ask how many mold-specific jobs they handle per month.
- One recent reviewer reported being billed for work that was never performed, including replacement of a closet door that didn't exist. Request an itemized statement before paying and verify line items against actual work completed.
- Their service area spans most of Lower Michigan — Novi to Ann Arbor to Sterling Heights to Lansing. For locations at the edges of this range, confirm response times and whether the same crew handles your area.
- They are frequently assigned by insurance companies, which means you may not have chosen them. If your insurer selected MJ White, you still have the right to request a different contractor if the fit isn't right.
- The 4.2-star rating across 112 reviews is moderate. Ask for references from recent jobs similar to yours.