Our Staff
Caleb Howell
Caleb Howell founded Howell Building Care in 2020 to bring honesty, craftsmanship, and great communication to every remodeling project. With years of experience in construction and maintenance, he leads his team by example, focusing on quality work and genuine relationships with clients across Lake Mills and the surrounding area.
Josh Howell
Josh Howell has been a vital part of HBC since its inception, working with Caleb for seven years. Recently promoted to Project Coordinator, he now ensures jobs are organized and completed efficiently.
Kurtis Howell
Kurtis joined HBC in the summer of 2021, bringing prior experience in building houses and roofing with Caleb at another company during high school and immediately after. After exploring the HVAC trade, Kurtis became HBC’s finish carpenter, excelling in tasks from building steps to installing railing, trim, and cabinetry.
Logan Nelson
Logan began working part-time with HBC in 2023, primarily on the Commercial Maintenance side. A quick and insightful learner with a strong understanding of construction, Logan rapidly advanced to lead projects, typically overseeing demolition and framing.
Chase Radke
Chase also started part-time with HBC in 2023, focusing on Commercial Maintenance. He is known for being organized, meticulous, detail-oriented, and consistently bringing a positive attitude to the crew.
Brady Lehman
Brady Lehman joined HBC in the spring of 2025 after graduating from Jefferson High School, where he was a notable athlete. He quickly proved to be a valuable addition, contributing to both the Remodel and Commercial Maintenance divisions of the business.
Boston Daino
Boston has been a valuable member of HBC since 2020. His collaborative spirit is evident in his long-standing work relationship with Caleb, which began in 2016 across various roles and employers. Primarily working on our Commercial Maintenance division, Boston consistently demonstrates a willingness to contribute wherever needed.
Darren Miller
As HBC’s first employee, Darren has been an integral part of the team, working alongside Caleb since 2018. He leads our Commercial Maintenance division and brings extensive mechanical expertise and a wealth of skills to the company.
Jacob Ehleiter
Jacob joined HBC in the winter of 2023 through his High School Apprenticeship program. He began with shop and job site cleanup and quickly advanced. He is now capable of leading projects when required. Jacob’s readiness and willingness to tackle any task make him a valuable team member.
Dee Dee Balaam
Dee Dee is instrumental behind the scenes, and the Company would not be able to function without her. She wears several hats, possessing a strong background in accounting and extensive experience in finances and bookkeeping. Dee Dee also has a keen eye for design, proving invaluable when customers need assistance with their design projects.
Tiffany Howell
Tiffany joined HBC in the summer of 2024. She is typically the first point of contact when you call the office. Tiffany has significantly contributed to organizing the company and promptly returning calls to customers regarding their projects.
Company Background
Howell Building Care was founded on January 1, 2020, with a clear vision: to provide homeowners with exceptional remodeling services backed by honesty, craftsmanship, and strong communication. After years in the construction and maintenance industry, our founder saw a need for a remodeling company that truly put customers first—delivering quality work, staying on schedule, and building lasting relationships.
We started with small maintenance and repair jobs, but our passion for transforming homes quickly led us to focus on residential remodeling. Today, we specialize in kitchens, bathrooms, decks, windows, doors, and basements, handling everything from quick updates to full-scale renovations. Our mission is simple: treat every project as if it were for our own home, and every client like a valued neighbor.
What sets us apart is more than the work we do—it’s how we do it. Our friendly, skilled team communicates clearly, respects your home, and takes pride in the details. Many clients tell us they feel like friends by the time the project is complete, and we think that speaks volumes about the trust we build.
Local Presence
Lake Mills, WI is more than where we work—it’s home. Our roots in this community run deep, and we take pride in serving our neighbors throughout Jefferson County and beyond. Most of our projects are right here in Lake Mills, but we also work regularly in nearby cities like Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, Watertown, and Sun Prairie.
We understand the unique character of homes in this area, from historic late-1800s houses to modern builds, and we know how to bring out their best. Whether we’re restoring a porch on a century-old home or creating a modern kitchen in a newer neighborhood, we approach every project with the same care and commitment.
Choosing Howell Building Care means choosing a local partner who understands your home, your community, and your vision for the future.
As the homeowners, we originally intended to manage the project ourselves and hired Howell for carpentry work. While we had no problems coordinating the trades we managed directly, Howell eventually assumed more of a general contractor role, with Caleb recommending bringing certain subcontractors under his management. We agreed because initially Caleb seemed responsive, responsible, and trustworthy. Unfortunately, that shift marked the beginning of the problems.
Our experience was marked by consistent lack of communication, poor project management, and ultimately, an incomplete job. Throughout the project, we had to chase down Caleb for updates and eventually coordinate directly with subs under Caleb’s management. The only time we received prompt communication was when a new invoice was being sent. When we raised concerns about incomplete work and withheld payment as leverage to encourage progress, we were immediately threatened with collections (just one day after an invoice was due).
Caleb has even admitted what we had suspected, which was that he had taken on too much work and our project was not a priority because it wasn’t as profitable (or large) as others he had later taken on. As a result, our job remains incomplete and has ultimately been abandoned by Howell. Howell’s intention to abandon the project was further evidenced by Caleb’s attempt to pass us off to another local contractor (but not as a sub and with no intention of honoring our agreed-upon price).
Despite having a signed agreement and multiple written requests to finish the work, Caleb has refused to schedule the remainder of our project and has argued (wrongly, in our opinion) that the signed estimate doesn’t constitute a binding contract. He now refuses to return our calls since receiving final payment. Ironically, the only portion of work that remains incomplete is Howell’s self-perform piece of finish carpentry work.
We have no complaints regarding the quality of carpentry work started by Howell, but we are deeply disappointed by the lack of professionalism and accountability. We typically like to support local business, but we would not recommend Howell to others based on our experience.