Does a painter need to be lead-safe certified to work on an older house?

Yes, in most cases. If your house was built before 1978 and a painter is paid to scrape, sand or otherwise disturb its paint, federal law requires the painting firm to be lead-safe certified by the EPA and a certified renovator to direct the work. Most exterior repaints involve at least some scraping and sanding, so most of them disturb paint.

Who the rule covers

The rule is EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. In the agency's words, anyone who is paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified. This includes all firms, even sole proprietorships.^[2] EPA names special trade contractors, including painters^[2] among those covered, and the regulation's definition of renovation includes surface preparation activity (such as sanding, scraping, or other such activities that may generate paint dust).^[4]

Virginia does not run its own version. EPA administers the program except in the states it has authorized, and that list is Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin^[1] and one tribe. So in Virginia, the certification to ask for is EPA's.

When certification is not required

The rule does not cover:

• Housing built in 1978 or later.^[2]
• Housing or components declared lead-free by a certified inspector or risk assessor.^[2] In addition, a certified renovator may declare specific components lead-free using an EPA recognized test kit or paint chip samples sent to an EPA recognized laboratory.^[2]
• Minor repair and maintenance that disturbs 20 square feet or less on the exterior of a home.^[2] Window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are always covered regardless of square footage.^[2]

Testing is optional, but the default runs one way: unless you have documentation that the paint is not lead-based, then the requirements of the RRP Rule apply.^[2]

It also matters who is doing the work. Generally, the RRP Rule does not apply to homeowners doing RRP projects in their own pre-1978 homes.^[1] It does apply if you rent all or part of your home, operate a childcare center in your home or if you buy, renovate and sell homes for profit.^[1] If you plan to do the prep yourself, see how to prep a house for exterior painting for lead-safe methods.

What a certified painter has to do

Certification comes with specific duties you can watch for.

Before the job. No more than 60 days before beginning renovation work, the firm must give the owner EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet and get a written acknowledgment that the owner received it, or a certificate of mailing at least 7 days before the work.^[4][5]

A certified renovator in charge. The renovator must be physically present at the work site when the warning signs are posted, while the containment is being set up, and while the work area is cleaned,^[8] and must be available, either on-site or by telephone, at all times that renovations are being conducted.^[8] Renovators must have copies of their initial and most recent refresher course certificates with them at the work site,^[8] and when you ask, must use an acceptable test kit to determine whether components to be affected by the renovation contain lead-based paint.^[8]

Containment outside. The crew must close all doors and windows within 20 feet of the renovation^[7] and cover the ground with plastic sheeting or other disposable impermeable material extending 10 feet beyond the perimeter of surfaces undergoing renovation.^[7]

Banned methods. "Open-flame burning or torching of painted surfaces is prohibited."^[7] Machines that remove paint at high speed, such as sanding, grinding, power planing, needle gun, abrasive blasting, or sandblasting,^[7] are allowed only with a shroud and a HEPA vacuum attachment. Heat guns may be used only below 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit.^[7]

Cleanup. At the end, a certified renovator must visually inspect surfaces in and below the work area, including windowsills and the ground, and have any remaining dust, debris or residue cleaned up.^[7]

Lead-safe painting is not lead abatement

EPA describes renovation work and abatement as two separate programs that require different certifications.^[9] A lead-safe painter controls dust while repainting; the paint stays. The EPA adds that "Just painting over the paint hazards with regular paint will not permanently address lead-based paint hazards."^[9]

Virginia defines lead abatement as any measure or set of measures designed to permanently eliminate lead-based paint hazards.^[10] Lead contractors, abatement workers, inspectors and risk assessors are licensed by the Virginia Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors,^[10] a DPOR board that licenses individuals engaged in lead-based paint remediation.^[6] The EPA notes that abatement is sometimes ordered by a state or local government and can involve specialized techniques not typically performed by most residential contractors.^[9]

The Virginia contractor licence still applies

EPA certification is on top of, not instead of, a Virginia contractor licence. Under the Code of Virginia, a single contract over $1,000 falls under at least a Class C licence.^[11] See how to check a contractor's licence.

Stop and call a pro if

• A crew on your pre-1978 house is dry sanding, power sanding without a vacuum shroud, burning paint, or working with no plastic on the ground. Stop the work and call the firm's certified renovator. You can also call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-5323 or report a violation to EPA online.^[1]
• Peeling paint on an older house shows cracked, scaly surfaces that look like alligator skin^[12] and young children live there. The Virginia Department of Health's advice: "Ask your doctor to find out if your child should be tested for lead."^[12] A certified lead risk assessor can tell you where the hazards are.
• The job is abatement rather than painting. Hire a Virginia-licensed lead abatement contractor.

For what the extra work does to price, see what exterior painting costs in Virginia, and for diagnosis, why exterior paint peels. Browse exterior painters, look up painting businesses around Blacksburg, or read more exterior answers. When you are ready, describe your exterior painting job, mention the year the house was built, and licensed local businesses can quote it.