EPA Lead Paint Requirements

Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.

To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning April 22, 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

EPA requires that firms performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools be certified by EPA and that they use certified renovators who are trained by EPA-approved training providers to follow lead-safe work practices. Individuals can become certified renovators by taking an eight-hour training course from an EPA-approved training provider.

• Contractors must use lead-safe work practices and follow these three simple procedures: 
• • Contain the work area. 
  • Minimize dust. 
  • Clean up thoroughly. 

• Read about lead-hazard information for renovation, repair and painting activities in the EPA lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools(PDF) 11 pp, 1.1MB) |en español (PDF)(11 pp, 2.4MB) 

• Read about how to comply with EPA's rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right(PDF) (32 pp, 5.5MB)|en español (PDF) (34 pp, 1.3MB).

•  on lead-safe renovation, repair and painting and on lead poisoning prevention.

Beginning in December 2008, the rule requires that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint provide to owners and occupants of child care facilities and to parents and guardians of children under age six that attend child care facilities built prior to 1978 the lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (11 pp, 1.1MB). |en español (PDF) (11 pp, 2.4MB)

The rule affects paid renovators who work in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities, including:

• Renovation contractors 
• Maintenance workers in multi-family housing 
• Painters and other specialty trades. 

Under the rule, child-occupied facilities are defined as residential, public or commercial buildings where children under age six are present on a regular basis. The requirements apply to renovation, repair or painting activities. The rule generally does not apply to minor maintenance or repair activities where less than six square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed in a room or where less then 20 square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed on the exterior, but this does not include window replacement, demolition, or prohibited practices.

Previously, owner-occupants of homes built before 1978 could certify that no child six years of age or younger or pregnant woman was living in the home and "opt-out" of having their contractors follow lead-safe work practices in their homes. On April 23, 2010, to better prevent against lead paint poisoning, EPA issued a final rule to apply lead-safe work practices (PDF) (18 pp, 121K)to most pre-1978 homes, effectively closing the exemption. The rule eliminating the opt-out provision became effective July 6, 2010.

Read EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule.

View the implementation deadlines associated with the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule.

Information for Property Owners of Rental Housing, Child-Occupied Facilities

Property owners who renovate, repair, or prepare surfaces for painting in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must, before beginning work, provide tenants with a copy of EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools(PDF) (11 pp, 1.1MB)|en español (PDF) (11 pp, 2.4MB). Owners of these rental properties must document compliance with this requirement; EPA's sample pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 53K)may be used for this purpose.

After April 22, 2010, property owners who perform these projects in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must be certified and must follow the lead-safe work practices required by EPA's Renovation, Repair and Remodeling rule. To become certified, property owners must submit an application for firm certification (PDF) (9 pp, 642K)and fee payment to EPA. EPA began processing applications on October 22, 2009. The Agency has up to 90 days after receiving a complete request for certification to approve or disapprove the application.

Property owners who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs in rental property should also:

• Take  to learn how to perform lead-safe work practices. 
• Learn the lead laws that apply to you regarding certification and lead-safe work practices beginning April 22, 2010. 
• Keep records to demonstrate that you and your workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices and that you follow lead-safe work practices on the job. To make recordkeeping easier, you may use the sample record keeping checklist (PDF) (1 pg, 83K)that EPA has developed to help contractors comply with the renovation recordkeeping requirements that took effect April 22, 2010. 
• Read about how to comply with EPA's rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right(PDF) (32 pp, 5.5MB)|en español (PDF) (34 pp, 1.3MB).
• Read about how to use lead-safe work practices in EPA's Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting(PDF) (36 pp, 878K)|en español (PDF) (36 pp, 1.5MB).

Information for Homeowners Working at Home

If you are a homeowner performing renovation, repair, or painting work in your own home, EPA's RRP rule does not cover your project. However, you have the ultimate responsibility for the safety of your family or children in your care. If you are living in a pre-1978 home and planning to do painting or repairs, please read a copy of EPA's Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools(PDF) lead hazard information pamphlet(11 pp, 1.1MB). |en español (PDF) (11 pp, 2.4MB). You may also want to call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) and ask for more information on how to work safely in a home with lead-based paint.

Information for Tenants and Families of Children under Age 6 in Child Care Facilities and Schools

As a tenant or a parent or guardian of children in a child care facility or school, you should know your rights when a renovation job is performed in your home, or in the child care facility or school that your child attends.

• Before starting a renovation in residential buildings built before 1978, the contractor or property owner is required to have tenants sign a pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 53K),which indicates that the tenant received theRenovate Rightlead hazard information pamphlet. 
• Beginning in December 2008, the contractor must also make renovation information available to the parents or guardians of children under age six that attend child care facilities and schools, and to provide to owners and administrators of pre-1978 child care facilities and schools to be renovated a copy of EPA's Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools(PDF) lead hazard information pamphlet(11 pp, 1.1MB)|en español (PDF) (11 pp, 2.4MB).