U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule establishes requirements for firms and individuals performing renovations, and affects contractors, property managers, and others who disturb painted surfaces. It applies to work in houses, apartments, and child-occupied facilities (such as schools and daycare centers) built before 1978. It includes pre-renovation education requirements as well as training, firm certification, and work practice requirements.
In general, anyone who is paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified. This webpage provides information on how to become a certified renovator.
Paint Testing
Paint testing is not required by the regulation, but unless you have documentation that the paint is not lead-based, then the requirements of the renovation regulation apply. If you or your client chooses to have the paint tested prior to renovation, testing must be done on all surfaces to be affected by the work, by the appropriate qualified professional.
Type of Paint Testing for Renovations
|
Who can do the testing? |
EPA-recognized test kits |
Certified Renovators |
X-ray fluorescence instruments |
Certified lead-based paint inspectors
or risk assessors |
Paint chip sampling |
Certified renovator, inspector
or risk assessor |
An inspection is a surface-by-surface investigation to determine whether there is lead-based paint in a home or child-occupied facility, and where it is located. Inspections can be legally performed only by certified inspectors or risk assessors. Lead-based paint inspections determine the presence of lead-based paint. It is particularly helpful in determining whether lead-based paint is present prior to purchasing, renting, or renovating a home, and identifying potential sources of lead exposure at any time. EPA administers the lead-based paint program only in areas where states, territories or tribes are not authorized by EPA to operate their own lead abatement programs.
Check your area.
To Become a Certified Renovator
To become a U.S. EPA Certified Renovator, a person must complete an initial renovator 8-hour training course accredited by EPA or an EPA authorized program. Renovators are certified upon completion of the course, and the certification of completion serves as the certification credential. You are not fully Lead-Safe Certified as a Renovator until you complete an EPA-approved course, pass the written test, and complete the 2-hour hands-on exercises and assessment of your skills.
EPA-Approved Class
InterNACHI's Renovator Initial Course in English (E-Learning) Program is:
- an 8-hour EPA-approved class that combines a 6-hour online course and 2 hours of hands-on training; and
- accredited pursuant to 40 CFR Part 745 Subpart E and is approved for purposes of certification under Section 402 of TSCA for the respective discipline.
View EPA approval. This applies to all States, Territories, and Indian Tribes that do not have an authorized Renovation, Repair and Painting Program.