Pionarch
Local business · 450 Asbury St, South Hamilton, MA 01982
Verified record
- MA HIC licenseVerified active
- Not rated by the BBB
Highlights
- Design-build in one — drawings and construction from the same practice
- Fast permit drawings — a 2018 client had stamped plans in two weeks
- Repeat customers — one Marblehead homeowner was on a third project
- Active state registration — home improvement contractor registration current under Pionarch, LLC
- Additions and renovations — permits cluster on North Shore additions and remodels
- Listening on residential — a 2022 client got layout changes never requested
- Dated written record — newest customer account dates from 2022
- Trade-peer reviews — several five-stars are agents, vendors and peers
- Two listed addresses — South Hamilton and Beverly appear on different profiles
- Second registration cancelled — BuildZoom lists number 160008 as inactive
Pionarch draws the plans and then builds the job. It is a husband-and-wife practice — Lidia and Michal Szydlowski — working out of the North Shore, and its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is active, held under Pionarch, LLC. The permit trail is the clearest picture of what they actually do: 14 permitted projects, weighted toward home additions and kitchen and bathroom renovations, spread across Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Marblehead, Topsfield, Middleton, Newbury and Newton. Thumbtack puts the shop at nine employees and says it has been in business 21 years, which is the company's own number rather than a checked one. What people who hired them wrote is real but dated: 17 accounts running 2014 to 2022, rated 4.8 from 14 on Houzz and 4.9 from 18 on Thumbtack. In a 2016 review a Marblehead homeowner said they were on their third project with Michal's crew — a new bathroom at home, then a kitchen in Brookline, then water-damage repairs — and praised him for choosing the best fix rather than the quickest. A contractor writing in 2018 had stamped plans in hand two weeks from first contact, town back-and-forth included. Another 2016 review describes a finished master bathroom, tile and fixture selection included. The most recent written account is also the sharpest warning. In October 2022 a residential client rated them 2 stars and said they were never listened to: they asked for the toilet in a separate room and instead got a laundry room in a closet and a desk built into a bedroom, neither requested. That review quotes the designer's own reply suggesting the firm should stick to commercial projects — worth weighing, because two of the warmest accounts here describe commercial office jobs, not houses. Several of the five-star Houzz entries are from trade peers rather than homeowners: two real-estate agents, a graphic designer who did the company's branding, and a project manager at another builder. Two other things to sort out on the call. The listings disagree on where they sit — BuildZoom has them at 450 Asbury St in South Hamilton, Houzz at 501 Cabot Street in Beverly — and BuildZoom prints a second Massachusetts home improvement registration, number 160008, as cancelled alongside the active one. They are a reasonable call for an addition or a whole-room renovation on the North Shore where you want the drawings and the build from the same hands. Ask who your day-to-day contact is, get the design scope and change-order process in writing before anything is drawn, and confirm the current registration directly with the state.
Read the comments
Most recent comments
- 2.0Oct 5, 2022
We found Lidia extremely difficult to work with on our residential project. We never felt listened to. We asked for the commode in a separate room of the bathroom and instead of that, we got a laundry room in the closet, which we never requested. We never asked for but got a desk area designed into the bedroom because this was 'creative design'. Lidia then complained that we made too many major changes. When we expressed we felt these changes were necessary based on miscommunication, she sent this email to us "Rosanna, thank you for making me realize we should do commercial projects." So if you have a commercial project Pionarch may be good to work with but as Lidia herself expresses, go elsewhere with your residential jobs.
— follypointView on Houzz ↗ - Jan 2, 2019
(Thumbtack labels this review "From Google") My Wife and I used Pionarch to design our second floor addition to our small Cape. We couldn't be happier with Lidia and Diana for all of their help and expertise! They really helped us bring the whole project together and I can't wait to finish it! They made numerous house visits and several design changes along the way as my Wife and I had new thoughts or ideas. They were extremely flexible and really went the extra mile for us. I would recommend Pionarch for any of your design needs. I certainly will be looking to them for any of my future projects. Thanks again!
— Joe S.View on Thumbtack ↗ - Sep 20, 2018
Pionarch put together plans for a commercial job we are remodeling. Prompt service, responsive and kept us in the loop. Also made the effort to come by very quickly as we were under constraints to get building permit approved. Start to finish from time to contact was just 2 weeks with stamped plans in hand. As a contractor that's a great turnaround and that included a lot of back and forth with town. Good company and will use again for future design/architectural work. Details: Project consultation • Design drawings • Construction documents (blueprints) • Construction administration • Remodel of a few rooms • Commercial • 1,500 - 2,000 sq ft
— Joshua G.View on Thumbtack ↗ - 5.0Apr 28, 2017
Lidia and Michal are professional, responsive, and straightforward. The design documents and cost estimates are detailed and inclusive. I'm confident the job will be done correctly and with the highest level of quality.
— Jorge SalazarView on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Feb 10, 2017
Michal and Lidia are a joy to work with. As a real estate agent, I recommend them to many of my clients looking for contractors or architects or both. Michal is a straight shooter, he tells you exactly what to expect and really knows his stuff. Lidia is lovely and has terrific knowledge and vision. Together they are a perfect team. Plus they are both really lovely people! Highly recommend!
— Andrea BennettView on Houzz ↗
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Update history
Added 17 new comments, verified active license, established rating 3.8
- confirmed against the state license registry
- behind the score: Listening on residential — a 2022 client got layout changes never requested
What does window, siding, or gutter work cost in Greater Boston?
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Pionarch. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Estimated range
$4,000 – $11,000
Typical exterior project around $7,500