Lead Paint Certified Remodelers in Short Supply

Home owners planning a remodeling project this spring may not be able to find a qualified remodeler if a new regulation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) goes into effect as scheduled, according to the Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA).

The regulation aims to reduce exposure to lead paint that may occur when a home built before 1978 is remodeled. 

As of April 22, the EPA will require all contractors working in homes built before lead paint was banned to be trained and certified under the Lead Paint: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (LRRP). Contractors subject to the rule include remodelers, carpenters, plumbers, heating and air conditioning workers, window installers and others.

“Remodelers are concerned about protecting children from lead. In fact, an NAHB study found that professional remodelers leave a home cleaner than when they begin work,” said Kevin Holland, president of the GHBA. “Our members are working hard to get certified by the deadline so that they can keep families safe from lead, but EPA hasn’t approved enough trainers to allow all professional remodelers to be certified on time.”

In fact, by mid-March EPA has only approved 135 training providers and certified about 50,000 renovators in lead-safe work practices despite their estimate that more than 200,000 contractors nationwide must be trained and certified by the April deadline. Their lagging efforts will severely limit the number of remodelers able to work in older homes and open the door to more fly-by-night contractors who will skip the training and skirt the law – putting home owners at risk.

Home owners will need to ask their remodeler if they are an “EPA Lead Certified Firm” and have a trained and certified renovator on staff because only these firms will be able to work legally in homes built before 1978 as of April 22. GHBA can help consumers find certified renovators and has information on safe work practices while working in homes with lead paint.

To learn more about the EPA ruling, go to www.epa.gov/lead.