1-800-424-LEAD (5323)

www.epa.gov/getleadsafe

EPA-740-K-10-001

April 2010 Important lead hazard information for 

families, child care providers and schools.

CERTIFIED FIRM

LEAD-SAFE

The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to

Renovate

right
It’sthe Law!

Federal law requires contractors that disturb painted surfaces 

in homes, child care facilities and schools, built before 1978 to 

be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead 

contamination. Always ask to see your contractor’s certification.

Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information 

before renovating more than six square feet of painted surfaces 

in a room for interior projects or more than twenty square feet of 

painted surfaces for exterior projects or window replacement 

or demolition in housing, child care facilities and schools built 

before 1978.

• Homeowners and tenants: renovators must give you this 

pamphlet before starting work.

• Child care facilities, including preschools and kindergarten 

classrooms, and the families of children under six years of age 

that attend those facilities: renovators must provide a copy 

of this pamphlet to child care facilities and general renovation 

information to families whose children attend those facilities.
Who Should Read This Pamphlet?

This pamphlet is for you if you: 

• Reside in a home built before 1978.

• Own or operate a child care facility, including preschools and kindergarten 

classrooms, built before 1978, or

• Have a child under six years of age who attends a child care facility built before 1978.

You will learn:

• Basic facts about lead and your health.

• How to choose a contractor, if you are a property owner.

• What tenants, and parents/guardians of a child in a child care facility or school 

should consider.

• How to prepare for the renovation or repair job.

• What to look for during the job and after the job is done.

• Where to get more information about lead.

This pamphlet is not for:

• Abatement projects. Abatement is a set of activities aimed specifically at 

eliminating lead or lead hazards. EPA has regulations for certification and training of 

abatement professionals. If your goal is to eliminate lead or lead hazards, contact the 

National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) for more information.

• “Do-it-yourself” projects. If you plan to do renovation work yourself, this document 

is a good start, but you will need more information to complete the work safely. 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.

• Contractor education. Contractors 

who want information about working 

safely with lead should contact 

the National Lead Information 

Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323)

for information about courses and 

resources on lead-safe work practices.

1
Renovating, Repairing, or Painting?

• Is your home, your building, or the child care facility 

or school your children attend being renovated, 

repaired, or painted?

• Was your home, your building, or the child care facility 

or school where your children under six years of age 

attend built before 1978? 

If the answer to these questions is YES, there are a 

few important things you need to know about 

lead-based paint.

This pamphlet provides basic facts about lead and 

information about lead safety when work is being 

done in your home, your building or the child care 

facility or school your children attend.

The Facts About Lead

• Lead can affect children’s brains and developing nervous systems, causing reduced 

IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. Lead is also harmful to adults. 

• Lead in dust is the most common way people are exposed to lead. People can also 

get lead in their bodies from lead in soil or paint chips. Lead dust is often invisible.

• Lead-based paint was used in more than 38 million homes until it was banned for 

residential use in 1978.

• Projects that disturb painted surfaces can create dust and endanger you and your 

family. Don’t let this happen to you. Follow the practices described in this pamphlet 

to protect you and your family.

2 3

Lead and Your Health

Lead is especially dangerous to children 

under six years of age.

Lead can affect children’s brains and developing 

nervous systems, causing:

• Reduced IQ and learning disabilities.

• Behavior problems.

Even children who appear healthy can have 

dangerous levels of lead in their bodies.

Lead is also harmful to adults. In adults, low levels 

of lead can pose many dangers, including:

• High blood pressure and hypertension.

• Pregnant women exposed to lead can transfer lead to their fetuses. Lead gets into 

the body when it is swallowed or inhaled.

• People, especially children, can swallow lead dust as they eat, play, and do other 

normal hand-to-mouth activities.

• People may also breathe in lead dust or fumes if they disturb lead-based paint. 

People who sand, scrape, burn, brush or blast or otherwise disturb lead-based 

paint risk unsafe exposure to lead.

What should I do if I am concerned about my family’s exposure to lead?

• Call your local health department for advice on reducing and eliminating 

exposures to lead inside and outside your home, child care facility or school. 

• Always use lead-safe work practices when renovation or repair will disturb 

painted surfaces. 

• A blood test is the only way to find out if you or a family member already has lead 

poisoning. Call your doctor or local health department to arrange for a blood test.

For more information about the health effects of exposure to lead, visit the EPA lead 

website at www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadinfo.htm or call 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

There are other things you can do to protect your family every day.

• Regularly clean floors, window sills, and other surfaces.

• Wash children’s hands, bottles, pacifiers, and toys often.

• Make sure children eat a healthy, nutritious diet consistent with the USDA's dietary 

guidelines, that helps protect children from the effects of lead.

• Wipe off shoes before entering house.
4

Where Doesthe Lead Come From?

Dust is the main problem.

The most common way to get lead in the body is from dust. Lead dust comes from 

deteriorating lead-based paint and lead-contaminated soil that gets tracked into 

your home. This dust may accumulate to unsafe levels. Then, normal hand to-mouth 

activities, like playing and eating (especially in young children), move that dust from 

surfaces like floors and window sills into the body. 

Home renovation creates dust.

Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create 

hazardous lead dust and chips. 

Proper work practices protect you from the dust.

The key to protecting yourself and your family during a renovation, repair or painting 

job is to use lead-safe work practices such as containing dust inside the work area, 

using dust-minimizing work methods, and conducting a careful cleanup, as described 

in this pamphlet.

Other sources of lead.

Remember, lead can also come from outside soil, your water, or household items 

(such as lead-glazed pottery and lead crystal). Contact the National Lead Information 

Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) for more information on these sources.

5

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Between

1940 – 1960

Between

1960 – 1978

Before 1940

24%

69%

87%

Percentage of Homes Likely to Contain Lead

Age of Homes

Checking Your Home for Lead-Based Paint

Older homes, child care facilities, and schools are more likely to contain 

lead-based paint.

Homes may be single-family homes or apartments. They may be private, governmentassisted, or public housing. Schools are preschools and kindergarten classrooms. They 

may be urban, suburban, or rural.

You have the following options:

You may decide to assume your home, child care facility, or school contains lead.

Especially in older homes and buildings, you may simply want to assume lead-based 

paint is present and follow the lead-safe work practices described in this brochure 

during the renovation, repair, or painting job.

You can hire a certified professional to check for lead-based paint.

These professionals are certified risk assessors or inspectors, and can determine if 

your home has lead or lead hazards. 

• A certified inspector or risk assessor can conduct an inspection telling you whether 

your home, or a portion of your home, has lead-based paint and where it is located. 

This will tell you the areas in your home where lead-safe work practices are needed. 

• A certified risk assessor can conduct a risk assessment telling you if your home 

currently has any lead hazards from lead in paint, dust, or soil. The risk assessor 

can also tell you what actions to take to address any hazards.

• For help finding a certified risk assessor or inspector, call the National Lead 

Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

You may also have a certified renovator test the surfaces or components being 

disturbed for lead using a lead test kit. Test kits must be EPA-recognized and are 

available at hardware stores. They include detailed instructions for their use.
6

For Property Owners

You have the ultimate responsibility for the safety of your family, tenants, or children 

in your care.

This means properly preparing for the renovation and keeping persons out of the work 

area (see p. 8). It also means ensuring the contractor uses lead-safe work practices.

Federal law requires that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects 

that disturb painted surfaces in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 

be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

Make sure your contractor is certified, and can explain clearly the details of the job 

and how the contractor will minimize lead hazards during the work.

• You can verify that a contractor is certified by checking EPA’s website at 

epa.gov/getleadsafe or by calling the National Lead Information Center at 

1-800-424-LEAD (5323). You can also ask to see a copy of the contractor’s 

firm certification.

• Ask if the contractor is trained to perform lead-safe work practices and to see a 

copy of their training certificate.

• Ask them what lead-safe methods they will use to set up and perform the job in your 

home, child care facility or school.

• Ask for references from at least three recent jobs involving homes built before 1978, 

and speak to each personally.

Always make sure the contract is clear about how the work will be set up, 

performed, and cleaned.

• Share the results of any previous lead tests with the contractor.

• You should specify in the contract that they follow the work practices described on 

pages 9 and 10 of this brochure. 

• The contract should specify which parts of your home are part of the work area and 

specify which lead-safe work practices will be used in those areas. Remember, your 

contractor should confine dust and debris to the work area and should minimize 

spreading that dust to other areas of the home. 

• The contract should also specify that the contractor will clean the work area, verify 

that it was cleaned adequately, and re-clean it if necessary.

If you think a worker is not doing what he is supposed to do or is doing something 

that is unsafe, you should:

• Direct the contractor to comply with regulatory and contract requirements.

• Call your local health or building department, or

• Call EPA's hotline 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

If your property receives housing assistance from HUD (or a state or local agency that 

uses HUD funds), you must follow the requirements of HUD’s Lead-Safe Housing Rule 

and the ones described in this pamphlet.

7

For Tenants and Families of Children Under Six 

years of age in Child Care Facilities and Schools

You play an important role ensuring the ultimate 

safety of your family.

This means properly preparing for the renovation 

and staying out of the work area (see p. 8).

Federal law requires that contractors performing 

renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb 

painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 and in 

child care facilities and schools built before 1978, that 

a child under six years of age visits regularly, to be 

certified and follow specific work practices to prevent 

lead contamination.

The law requires anyone hired to renovate, repair, or do 

painting preparation work on a property built before 

1978 to follow the steps described on pages 9 and 10 unless the area where the work 

will be done contains no lead-based paint.

If you think a worker is not doing what he is supposed to do or is doing something 

that is unsafe, you should:

• Contact your landlord.

• Call your local health or building department, or 

• Call EPA's hotline 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

If you are concerned about lead hazards left behind after the job is over, you can 

check the work yourself (see page 10).
8

Preparing for a Renovation

The work areas should not be accessible to occupants while the work occurs. 

The rooms or areas where work is being done may need to be blocked off or sealed 

with plastic sheeting to contain any dust that is generated. Therefore, the contained 

area may not be available to you until the work in that room or area is complete, 

cleaned thoroughly, and the containment has been removed. Because you may not 

have access to some areas during the renovation, you should plan accordingly.

You may need:

• Alternative bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen arrangements if work is occurring in 

those areas of your home.

• A safe place for pets because they too can be poisoned by lead and can track lead 

dust into other areas of the home.

• A separate pathway for the contractor from the work area to the outside in order to 

bring materials in and out of the home. Ideally, it should not be through the same 

entrance that your family uses.

• A place to store your furniture. All furniture and belongings may have to be moved 

from the work area while the work is being done. Items that can’t be moved, such as 

cabinets, should be wrapped in plastic.

• To turn off forced-air heating and air conditioning systems while the work is being 

done. This prevents dust from spreading through vents from the work area to the 

rest of your home. Consider how this may affect your living arrangements.

You may even want to move out of your home temporarily while all or part of the 

work is being done.

Child care facilities and schools may want to consider alternative accommodations 

for children and access to necessary facilities.

9

During the Work

Federal law requires contractors that are hired to perform renovation, repair and painting 

projects in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 that disturb painted 

surfaces to be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

The work practices the contractor must follow include these three simple procedures, 

described below:

1. Contain the work area. The area must be contained so that dust and debris do not escape 

from that area. Warning signs must be put up and plastic or other impermeable material 

and tape must be used as appropriate to:

• Cover the floors and any furniture that cannot be moved.

• Seal off doors and heating and cooling system vents.

These will help prevent dust or debris from getting outside the work area.

2. Avoid renovation methods that generate large amounts of lead-contaminated dust.

Some methods generate so much lead-contaminated dust that their use is prohibited. 

They are:

• Open flame burning or torching.

• Sanding, grinding, planing, needle gunning, 

or blasting with power tools and equipment 

not equipped with a shroud and HEPA 

vacuum attachment. 

• Using a heat gun at temperatures greater 

than 1100°F.

There is no way to eliminate dust, but some renovation methods make less dust than others. 

Contractors may choose to use various methods to minimize dust generation, including 

using water to mist areas before sanding or scraping; scoring paint before separating 

components; and prying and pulling apart components instead of breaking them.

 3. Clean up thoroughly. The work area should be cleaned up daily to keep it as clean as 

possible. When all the work is done, the area must be cleaned up using special cleaning 

methods before taking down any plastic that isolates the work area from the rest of the 

home. The special cleaning methods should include:

• Using a HEPA vacuum to clean up dust and debris on all surfaces, followed by

• Wet wiping and wet mopping with plenty of rinse water.

When the final cleaning is done, look around. There should be no dust, paint chips, or debris 

in the work area. If you see any dust, paint chips, or debris, the area must be re-cleaned.
10

For Property Owners: After the Work is Done

When all the work is finished, you will want to know if your home, child care facility, or 

school has been cleaned up properly. Here are some ways to check.

Ask about your contractor’s final cleanup check. Remember, lead dust is often 

invisible to the naked eye. It may still be present even if you cannot see it. The 

contractor must use disposable cleaning cloths to wipe the floor of the work area 

and compare them to a cleaning verification card to determine if the work area was 

adequately cleaned.

To order a cleaning verification card and detailed instructions visit the EPA lead 

website at www.epa.gov/lead or contact the National Lead Information Center at 

1-800-424-LEAD (5323) or visit their website at www.epa.gov/lead/nlic.htm.

You also may choose to have a lead-dust test. Lead-dust tests are wipe samples sent 

to a laboratory for analysis.

• You should specify in your contract that a lead-dust test will be done. In this case, 

make it clear who will do the testing.

• Testing should be done by a lead professional.

If you choose to do the testing, some EPA-recognized lead laboratories will send you 

a kit that allows you to collect samples and send them back to the lab for analysis.

Contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) for lists of 

qualified professionals and EPA-recognized lead labs.

If your home, child care facility, or school fails the dust test, the area should be 

re-cleaned and tested again.

Where the project is done by contract, it is a good idea to specify in the contract that 

the contractor is responsible for re-cleaning if the home, child care facility, or school 

fails the test.

11

You may need additional information on how to protect yourself and your children 

while a job is going on in your home, your building, or child care facility. 

The National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) or 

www.epa.gov/lead/nlic.htm can tell you how to contact your state, local, and/or 

tribal programs or get general information about lead poisoning prevention.

• State and tribal lead poisoning prevention or environmental protection programs 

can provide information about lead regulations 

and potential sources of financial aid for reducing 

lead hazards. If your state or local government has 

requirements more stringent than those described in 

this pamphlet, you must follow those requirements.

• Local building code officials can tell you the 

regulations that apply to the renovation work that you 

are planning.

• State, county, and local health departments can 

provide information about local programs, including 

assistance for lead-poisoned children and advice on 

ways to get your home checked for lead.

The National Lead Information Center can also provide 

a variety of resource materials, including the following 

guides to lead-safe work practices. Many of these 

materials are also available at 

www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/brochure.htm.

• Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting.

• Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home

• Lead in Your Home: A Parent’s Reference Guide

For AdditionalInformation

For the hearing impaired, call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 

to access any of the phone numbers in this brochure.
12 13

EPA Regional Offices

EPA addresses residential lead hazards through several different regulations. 

EPA requires training and certification for conducting abatement and renovations, 

education about hazards associated with renovations, disclosure about known lead 

paint and lead hazards in housing, and sets lead-paint hazard standards. 

Your Regional EPA Office can provide further information regarding lead safety and 

lead protection programs at epa.gov/lead.

Region 1 

(Connecticut, Massachusetts, 

Maine, New Hampshire, 

Rhode Island, Vermont)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 1

Suite 1100

One Congress Street

Boston, MA 02114-2023

(888) 372-7341

Region 2 

(New Jersey, New York, 

Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 2

2890 Woodbridge Avenue

Building 205, Mail Stop 225

Edison, NJ 08837-3679

(732) 321-6671

Region 3 

(Delaware, Maryland, 

Pennsylvania, Virginia, 

Washington, DC, West 

Virginia)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 3

1650 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 

19103-2029

(215) 814-5000

Region 4 

(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, 

Kentucky, Mississippi, North 

Carolina, South Carolina, 

Tennessee)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 4

61 Forsyth Street, SW

Atlanta, GA 30303-8960

(404) 562-9900

Region 5 

(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, 

Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 5

77 West Jackson Boulevard

Chicago, IL 60604-3507

(312) 886-6003

Region 6 

(Arkansas, Louisiana, New 

Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 6

1445 Ross Avenue, 

12th Floor

Dallas, TX 75202-2733

(214) 665-6444

Region 7 

(Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, 

Nebraska)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 7

901 N. 5th Street

Kansas City, KS 66101

(913) 551-7003

Region 8 

(Colorado, Montana, 

North Dakota, South Dakota, 

Utah, Wyoming)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 8

1595 Wynkoop Street

Denver, CO 80202

(303) 312-6312

Region 9 

(Arizona, California, Hawaii, 

Nevada)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. Region 9

75 Hawthorne Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 947-8021

Region 10 

(Alaska, Idaho, 

Oregon, Washington)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 10

1200 Sixth Avenue

Seattle, WA 98101-1128

(206) 553-1200

EPA Contacts Other Federal Agencies

CPSC 

The Consumer Product Safety 

Commission (CPSC) protects the public 

from the unreasonable risk of injury or 

death from 15,000 types of consumer 

products under the agency’s jurisdiction. 

CPSC warns the public and private 

sectors to reduce exposure to lead and 

increase consumer awareness. Contact 

CPSC for further information regarding 

regulations and consumer product safety.

CPSC 

4330 East West Highway

Bethesda, MD 20814

Hotline 1-(800) 638-2772 

www.cpsc.gov

CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning 

Prevention Branch

The Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) assists state and local 

childhood lead poisoning prevention 

programs to provide a scientific basis 

for policy decisions, and to ensure that 

health issues are addressed in decisions 

about housing and the environment. 

Contact CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning 

Prevention Program for additional 

materials and links on the topic of lead.

CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning 

Prevention Branch

4770 Buford Highway, MS F-40

Atlanta, GA 30341

(770) 488-3300

www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead

HUD Office of Healthy Homes and Lead 

Hazard Control

The Department of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD) provides funds 

to state and local governments to 

develop cost-effective ways to reduce 

lead-based paint hazards in America’s 

privately-owned low-income housing. In 

addition, the office enforces the rule on 

disclosure of known lead paint and lead 

hazards in housing, and HUD’s lead safety 

regulations in HUD-assisted housing, 

provides public outreach and technical 

assistance, and conducts technical 

studies to help protect children and their 

families from health and safety hazards 

in the home. Contact the HUD Office of 

Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control 

for information on lead regulations, 

outreach efforts, and lead hazard control 

research and outreach grant programs.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development

Office of Healthy Homes and 

Lead Hazard Control

451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 8236

Washington, DC 20410-3000

HUD’s Lead Regulations Hotline

(202) 402-7698

www.hud.gov/offices/lead/
Sample Pre-Renovation Form

This sample form may be used by renovation firms to document compliance with the Federal 

pre-renovation education and renovation, repair, and painting regulations.

Occupant Confirmation

Pamphlet Receipt 

q I have received a copy of the lead hazard information pamphlet informing me of the 

potential risk of the lead hazard exposure from renovation activity to be performed in my 

dwelling unit. I received this pamphlet before the work began.

Printed Name of Owner-occupant 

Signature of Owner-occupant Signature Date

Renovator’s Self Certification Option (for tenant-occupied dwellings only)

Instructions to Renovator: If the lead hazard information pamphlet was delivered but a tenant 

signature was not obtainable, you may check the appropriate box below.

q Declined – I certify that I have made a good faith effort to deliver the lead hazard information 

pamphlet to the rental dwelling unit listed below at the date and time indicated and that the 

occupant declined to sign the confirmation of receipt. I further certify that I have left a copy 

of the pamphlet at the unit with the occupant.

q Unavailable for signature – I certify that I have made a good faith effort to deliver the lead 

hazard information pamphlet to the rental dwelling unit listed below and that the occupant 

was unavailable to sign the confirmation of receipt. I further certify that I have left a copy of 

the pamphlet at the unit by sliding it under the door or by (fill in how pamphlet was left).

 Printed Name of Person Certifying Delivery Attempted Delivery Date

 Signature of Person Certifying Lead Pamphlet Delivery

 Unit Address 

Note Regarding Mailing Option — As an alternative to delivery in person, you may mail the 

lead hazard information pamphlet to the owner and/or tenant. Pamphlet must be mailed at 

least seven days before renovation. Mailing must be documented by a certificate of mailing 

from the post office.