Presto Painting

In a September 2022 review, a homeowner described handing Presto Painting a 256-year-old house — the second home they had hired the company for, the first job two decades earlier — and singled out how the crew was supervised and what the supervisor recommended along the way. Old North Shore housing stock is much of what this Marblehead company works on, and it lists EPA RRP certification for lead-safe renovation, the credential that old painted woodwork calls for. Presto says it has been family-owned since 1988, more than 35 years on the North Shore, with Costa Makris overseeing every project himself, covering Marblehead, Swampscott, Salem and Boston for both homes and businesses. Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration, #153422, is active. It also lists membership in the Painting and Decorating Contractors Association, the Building Trades Association and the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, plus a 2018 Pulse of the City award. What customers write about is the prep and the cleanup. In November 2023, someone who said it was the first review they had ever written described exterior prep that sanded many areas down to bare wood, and noted that more than one neighbor remarked on the result. In February 2026, another homeowner wrote that the crew cleaned the house at the end of each day, leaving rooms and bathrooms spotless. Google shows 4.4 stars from 13 ratings, Houzz a 5.0 from a single rating, and the Better Business Bureau an A+. One practical thing to settle on the first call: the Bureau carries more than one Presto profile — Presto Painting, Inc., accredited with 38 years in business, and a separate one under Presto Carpentry Painting Roofing at a different Marblehead street address, listing John Makris as principal and 28 years in business, while the company's own site gives 5 Hathaway Rd and Costa Makris. Ask which entity signs your contract and which registration number goes on it. On an older house, ask for the lead-safe work plan in writing, and get the prep, primer and coats spelled out in the quote.