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Renovation, Repair and Painting
Highlights
View NBC's Today show story on dangers and precautions to be aware of
when renovating older housing or child care facilities.
On March 31, 2008, EPA issued a new rule aimed at protecting children from lead-based paint hazards (79 pp, 847K). The rule requires contractors and construction professionals that work in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities to follow lead-safe work practice standards to reduce potential exposure to dangerous levels of lead for children in places they frequent. View the effective dates of the rule.
Important Resources
- Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB) En Español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB)
- Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation (PDF), color, in English (2 pp, 826K) | color, en Español (PDF) (2 pp, 334K) | HTML version | Other formats
- Renovation fact sheet En Español
- EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (34 pp, 2.5MB)
On this page you will find:
- EPA Requirements
- Information for Property Owners
- Information for Tenants and Families of Children Under Age 6 in Child Care Facilities and Schools
- Information for Contractors
- Training Courses
- Related Notices, Proposed Rules and Background Information on EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rule
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 March 31, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices (79 pp, 847K) and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning in April 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.
Until that time, EPA recommends that anyone performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools follow lead-safe work practices.
- All contractors should 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) (20 pp, 3.3MB). En Español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB)
- Read about lead-safe work practices for contractors in the EPA pamphlet Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation (PDF) color, in English (2 pp, 826K) | color, en Español (PDF) (2 pp, 334K) | HTML version | Other formats
- Read about how to comply with EPA's rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (34 pp, 2.5MB).
Beginning in December 2008, the rule will require that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint provide the Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB) lead hazard information pamphlet En Español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB) 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 rule will affect 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 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. Window replacement is not minor maintenance or repair.
Read EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rule (PDF) (79 pp, 847K).
View the implementation deadlines associated with the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program rule.
Information for Property OwnersAs a property owner, you have the ultimate responsibility for the safety of your family, tenants, or children in your care. To learn more about lead-safe practices and actions you can take before beginning work, read EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB). En Español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB)
Information for Tenants and Families of Children Under Age 6 in Child Care Facilities and SchoolsAs 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, 36K), which indicates that the tenant received the Renovate Right lead hazard information pamphlet.
- Beginning in December 2008, the contractor must also provide a copy of EPA's Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) lead hazard information pamphlet (20 pp, 3.3MB) En Español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB) to owners and administrators of pre-1978 child care facilities and schools to be renovated and make renovation information available to the parents or guardians of children under age six that attend child care facilities and schools.
As a contractor, you play an important role in helping to prevent lead exposure. Ordinary renovation and maintenance activities can create dust that contains lead. By following the lead-safe work practices, you can prevent lead hazards.
Understand that after April 2010, federal law will require you to be certified and to use lead-safe work practices. Read more about EPA's rules and lead-safe work practices in EPA's pamphlet Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation (PDF) color, in English (2 pp, 826K) | color, en Español (PDF) (2 pp, 334K) | HTML version | Other formats
Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs should also:
- Take training to learn how to perform lead-safe work practices.
- Provide a copy of your EPA or state lead training certificate to your client.
- Tell your client what lead-safe methods you will use to perform the job.
- Learn the lead laws that apply to you regarding certification and lead-safe work practices beginning in April 2010. Beginning December 2008, contractors are required to provide owners, tenants, and child care facilities with a copy of EPA's Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB) lead hazard information pamphlet En Español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB) before beginning work.
- Provide your clients with a pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 36K). You may use this form to make documentation of compliance easier.
- Ask your client to share the results of any previously conducted lead tests.
- Provide your client with references from at least three recent jobs involving homes built before 1978.
- Keep records to demonstrate that you and your workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices and that you followed lead-safe work practices on the job. To make recordkeeping easier, you may use the sample recordkeeping checklist (PDF) (1 pg, 58K) that EPA has developed to help contractors comply with the renovation recordkeeping requirements that will take effect in April 2010.
- Read about how to comply with EPA's rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (34 pp, 2.5MB).
Joint EPA/HUD Renovation Training Curriculum - EPA and HUD developed this course to instruct renovators, painters, and maintenance personnel how to work safely in homes with lead-based paint. This course is approved by HUD, in accordance with the Lead-Safe Housing Rule (24 CFR Part 35), for training contractors working in federally owned or assisted housing.
Renovation and Remodeling Model Training Course - Renovation, remodeling, and painting activities that disturb lead-based paint can produce lead hazards. This course teaches how to contain and minimize lead dust and clean-up work areas in order to protect occupants from exposure to lead.
Related Notices, Proposed Rules and Background Information on EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rule
Note: EPA no longer updates the information below, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
Supplemental Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking: Lead; Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program (PDF)
(27 pp, 376K) (June 5, 2007)
- Revised Sample Pre-Renovation Form (PDF)
(1 pg, 107K)
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
- Fact Sheet - Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Establish
Requirements To Protect Children During Renovation, Repair and Painting Activities that Disturb
Lead-Based Paint in Child-Occupied Facilities
Notice of Availability;
New Renovation Studies (March 16, 2007) - EPA announced the availability of two new studies in
the Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program rulemaking docket [EPA-HQ-OPPT-2005-0049]. Since the
2006 proposal, two new studies assessing hazards associated with renovation activities have been
completed. They include one study conducted by EPA, and a second study conducted by the National
Association of Home Builders (NAHB). EPA is offering the opportunity for the public to comment
regarding the proposed work practice standards in light of these studies. The comments period
closed April 16, 2007.
- Draft Final Report on Characterization of Dust Lead Levels
After Renovation, Repair, and Painting Activities (PDF) (127 pp, 1.0MB)
- Appendix A (PDF) (203 pp, 2.2MB)
- Appendices B-H (PDF) (266 pp, 1.1MB)
- Appendices I-O (PDF) (323 pp, 4.7MB)
- Lead-Safe Work Practices Survey Project Report, Atrium Environmental
Health and Safety Services, LLC, for the National Association of Home Builders, November 2006
(PDF) (210 pp, 1.2MB)*
(*This report is included in these materials because the subject matter of the report relates to lead-safe work practices. The presence of this report on this page does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or approval by the United States government. The views and opinions of the report's authors, as expressed therein, do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government and may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.)
Proposed Rule: Lead;
Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program (PDF) (130 pp, 320K) (January 10,
2006). As part of this proposed rule, EPA developed a sample acknowledgment form to help
renovation firms comply with the existing Pre-renovation Education Rule and the requirements of
this proposal. This form should not be used by renovation firms until a final Renovation, Repair,
and Painting rule is in effect. Sample Pre-Renovation Form
(PDF) (1 pg, 29K).
EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee Lead Review Panel will conduct consultations on
various technical matters relating to the development of the Renovation, Repair and Painting
Program. Additional information and background materials for the
consultation process are available.
Notice of Availability;
Lead Hazard Information Pamphlet (March 8, 2006) - EPA sought comment on a new lead hazard
information pamphlet for renovation activities, Protect Your Family
from Lead During Renovation, Repair & Painting (PDF) (22 pp, 305K).
Notice of Availability
of Supplemental Information: Lead; Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (March 2, 2006) -
EPA sought comment on a revised Economic Analysis for the
Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program Proposed Rule (PDF)
(1,083 pp, 14MB).
Notice of Public
Meetings: Lead; Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program (February 27, 2006) - EPA held public
meetings in March and April of 2006 to receive verbal comments regarding the Renovation, Repair, and
Painting proposal. To assist the public, EPA prepared a paper, Renovation,
Repair and Painting Proposal; Points to Consider (PDF) (4 pp, 36K),
which listed the major issues on which the Agency was seeking public input.
Press Release on New Requirements Proposed for Lead-Based Paint Work, December 2005
Fact Sheet - Proposed Rule
Establishing Requirements To Protect Children During Renovation, Repair and Painting Activities that
Disturb Lead-Based Paint |
PDF version (2 pp, 193K)
en Español.
Additional background information on the development of this proposal. EPA has held public meetings to discuss this rulemaking. Transcripts of these meetings include: