Harvey Cedars, NJ · Ziman Development has been named the 2025 Best High-End Custom Home Builder on Long Beach Island by Certified Luxury Builders. The family-owned Design-Build firm is also the cover story of the award’s new magazine edition, Masters of the Shore: The Design-Build Edition, which tells the story of the builder, the team, the process and the award-winning homes behind the recognition.
Read the Masters of the Shore Magazine
The new digital edition goes behind the award in six chapters: The Builder, The Team, The Process, The Execution, The Homes and Recognition. Readers can meet Michael Ziman and Jon Mann, walk through Ziman’s 5 Simple Steps, and tour a gallery of award-winning homes from Loveladies, North Beach, Harvey Cedars and Surf City.
Read Masters of the Shore: The Design-Build Edition →
Why Ziman Development Stood Apart
Each year, Certified Luxury Builders recognizes the firms that define excellence along the Atlantic seaboard, evaluating craftsmanship, client satisfaction, design innovation and community impact. Ziman Development stood out on every measure:
- Client satisfaction: ranked #1 on Houzz on Long Beach Island with a 5.0 rating.
- Experience: more than 200 homes created on the Island since 1998.
- Process: a true Design-Build approach, guided by the proprietary 5 Simple Steps.
- Resilience: homes routinely built well above federal flood requirements.
- Community impact: more than 250,000 trees planted through the One Tree Pledge.
A Family Business Built on Long Beach Island
Ziman Development began in 1998 with Michael Ziman’s father building homes on Long Beach Island. Michael grew up watching that work, studied business at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and turned his father’s approach into a formal business plan before joining the company full time.
“I watched my father spec homes, and loved real estate, finance, and creating things.”
Michael Ziman, President, Ziman Development
Over more than two decades, Michael has grown the company into one of the Island’s most respected high-end custom builders and luxury remodelers, while keeping it family owned and personal.
One Team, From Sketch to Keys
As a Design-Build firm, Ziman Development keeps design, pricing and construction under one roof. Clients work with one accountable team instead of coordinating a separate architect, designer and builder. Every project follows the 5 Simple Steps:
- Your Vision: a free Idea Session to define goals, scope, timeline and budget range.
- Storyboard Process: ideas become a preliminary schematic floor plan.
- Rendering to Scale: selections, specifications, full plans and final pricing are approved.
- Construction Begins: permits, construction and weekly communication through the final walkthrough.
- You Will Love Your Home: warranty review, move-in, and a team that stays with you long after.
Built for Life on a Barrier Island
Hurricane Sandy changed how Michael builds. Ziman homes are often built three to eight feet above the federal flood minimum, with flood vents, breakaway walls and deep overhangs facing the northeast weather. Finishes are fabricated within about 15 minutes of the job sites, materials are chosen to stand up to salt air, and Passive House principles guide insulation, air sealing and windows for quieter, more efficient homes.
“We can implement anyone’s aesthetic at a very high level. Our standard never changes.”
Michael Ziman
Meet the People You Actually Work With
At Ziman Development, clients are never handed off. Michael Ziman leads every project personally, from site evaluation and design through construction. Jon Mann advises buyers, sellers and property owners across the Island, from finding the right lot to deciding whether a home should be remodeled or rebuilt, and writes Ziman’s monthly LBI market reports. Learn more about the family and the team on our About Us page.
Award-Winning Homes Featured in the Issue
The magazine’s portfolio chapter features homes across Long Beach Island, including:
- 1077C Long Beach Blvd, North Beach · the featured residence, with 8 bedrooms, 7 full baths and 7,150 sq ft built around a resort-style pool deck
- 6800 Kent Place, Harvey Cedars · an infinity-edge pool that meets the Atlantic
- 17 N Ocean Ave, Surf City · an oceanfront home with 6 bedrooms and 4,280 sq ft
- 43 W Holly Dr, Loveladies · 7 bedrooms and 6,300 sq ft, with a sculptural spiral staircase
- 161F Long Beach Blvd, 150H Long Beach Blvd and 180 Marina Blvd, Loveladies
- 1131C Long Beach Blvd, North Beach
See more in the Ziman Development portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What award did Ziman Development receive?
Ziman Development was named the 2025 Best High-End Custom Home Builder on Long Beach Island by Certified Luxury Builders. The recognition is featured in Masters of the Shore: The Design-Build Edition.
What does Design-Build mean for a custom home on LBI?
Design-Build means one team manages design, pricing and construction together. On Long Beach Island, that keeps vision, budget, permitting and coastal building requirements aligned from the first sketch to the final walkthrough.
Where does Ziman Development build?
Ziman Development builds and remodels custom homes across Long Beach Island, including Barnegat Light, Loveladies, North Beach, Harvey Cedars, Surf City, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township and Beach Haven.
How do I start a project with Ziman Development?
Every project begins with a free Idea Session. Schedule your Idea Session or call Michael Ziman at (609) 494-8010.
Start Your Story
Whether you own a lot, are weighing a remodel or rebuild, or are searching for the right place on the Island, Michael and Jon would love to hear about the home you have in mind. Schedule your free Idea Session or read the full magazine.
Real estate brokerage services are provided through Joy Luedtke Real Estate, LLC, a licensed New Jersey real estate brokerage (609-494-8883). Michael Ziman and Jonathan Mann are licensed New Jersey real estate sales associates affiliated with the brokerage.
