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EPA RRP rule: lead-safe certification and work practices for renovators

The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule governs paid work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools. This page covers who must be certified, how the work must be done and what changes for homeowners and landlords.

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Answers are written by a language model solely from this base's documents, with numbered sources. They can be wrong and aren't legal, medical or financial advice: check the sources before any important decision.

Who must be certified

Anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, child care facilities and preschools built before 1978 must be certified, and employees must be trained, either as certified renovators or on the job by a certified renovator. This applies to all firms, even sole proprietorships, and to property management companies that perform or offer such work.

The rule generally does not apply to homeowners working on their own pre-1978 home. It does apply if they rent all or part of the home, run a child care center in it, or buy, renovate and sell homes for profit.

If you rent a pre-1978 home, your landlord or property management company must comply with the RRP Rule when performing work that disturbs paint. Renovations of child-occupied facilities in pre-1978 buildings may only be performed by lead-safe certified renovation firms.

Before and during the work

Owners and occupants must receive the Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right before work disturbing more than six square feet of painted surface in a room inside, or more than twenty square feet outside, and before window replacement or demolition.

Warning signs must be posted and plastic or other impermeable material used to cover floors and furniture that cannot be moved. Open flame burning or torching, heat guns above 1100°F, and power sanding, grinding or blasting without a shroud and HEPA vacuum attachment are prohibited.

Cleanup and cleaning verification

When the work is done, the area must be cleaned with a HEPA vacuum followed by wet wiping and wet mopping, before the plastic isolating the work area comes down.

EPA then requires cleaning verification: the contractor wipes floors and other surfaces with disposable cloths and compares them to an EPA cleaning verification card.

Frequently asked questions

Do some states run their own RRP program?

Yes. EPA has authorized Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe-Boise Forte to operate their own programs. EPA administers it elsewhere.

Can a lead test kit show the RRP rule does not apply?

An EPA-recognized lead test kit used by a trained professional can reliably determine that regulated lead-based paint is not present through a negative result. A certified renovator may also send paint chip samples to an EPA-recognized laboratory.

Is RRP work the same as lead abatement?

No. Abatement is designed to permanently address lead-based paint hazards and is a separate program with different certifications. It often starts with an inspection or risk assessment.

How can I check that a contractor is certified?

Check EPA's website at epa.gov/getleadsafe or call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

What if a tenant will not sign the pamphlet receipt?

EPA's sample pre-renovation form lets the renovator certify a good faith delivery attempt when the occupant declined to sign or was unavailable, and that a copy was left at the unit. As an alternative to delivery in person, the pamphlet may be mailed at least seven days before the renovation, documented by a certificate of mailing from the post office.

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}

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