What should I know about lead paint in an older home?

Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint. EPA says that in 1978 the federal government banned the sale of lead-based paint for use in homes, childcare facilities, and preschools, and that approximately three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint (EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program). CDC says homes built before 1978, when lead-based paints were banned, probably contain lead-based paint (CDC: Preventing childhood lead poisoning).

Intact paint is a different situation from a renovation. EPA says children can live in these homes when paint and surfaces are in good condition and surfaces are kept clean, and that deteriorated paint and renovation dust are the hazard (EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program). Do not sand, scrape, or demolish suspect paint until it has been tested.

EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule requires that anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, childcare facilities, and preschools built before 1978 be certified, and that their employees be trained in lead-safe work practices. EPA says this includes all firms, even sole proprietorships (EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program).

In general, EPA says the RRP rule does not apply to homeowners doing RRP projects in their own pre-1978 homes. It does apply if you rent all or part of your home, operate a childcare center in your home, or buy, renovate, and sell homes for profit. If you do the work yourself, EPA says to use lead-safe work practices. EPA also recommends that a homeowner planning an RRP project hire a lead-safe certified contractor (EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program).

EPA's page on lead in the home says to avoid do-it-yourself removal of lead-based paint, and not to attempt to remove lead-based paint yourself. It says to hire a certified inspector or risk assessor to determine whether the home has lead-based paint, or to assume that it does (EPA: Protect your family from sources of lead). Renovation or repair that disturbs painted surfaces in older homes may create lead dust, and EPA says projects that create even a small amount of dust can pose a risk to the family, especially young children who crawl and put hands and toys in their mouths (EPA: Protect your family from sources of lead).

Lead abatement and RRP are different programs. EPA says abatement is an activity designed to permanently address lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities, and that it often starts with an inspection or a risk assessment. The two programs require different certifications (EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program).

CDC says no safe blood lead level in children has been identified, and that even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect learning, the ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. When paint peels and cracks it makes lead dust. Children can be exposed when they swallow or breathe that dust. CDC says a blood test is the best way to determine whether a child has been exposed, and that most children with lead in their blood have no obvious symptoms. Talk to the child's health care provider about a blood lead test (CDC: Preventing childhood lead poisoning). This guide is not a diagnosis.

EPA's RRP page describes HUD's Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes programs and points to the Lead Safe Housing Rule toolkit and the HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing (EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program). HUD's own lead-based paint address is HUD: About lead-based paint. On November 5, 2026 that address returned a short page that refreshes to HUD's lead-based paint contact page, so the lead facts above are quoted from EPA and CDC rather than from body text on that HUD URL.

The lead abatement cost guide reports government-funded program averages of about $11,150 to $14,000 per home for whole-unit lead hazard control. The low end is the City of Cincinnati's 2024 program figure (City of Cincinnati lead hazard control RFQ (text on ConstructConnect)) and the high end is HUD's FY2026 estimate (HUD FY2026 Congressional Justification: Lead Hazard Reduction). Those are averages for HUD-funded work, including clearance testing, not a market price for your house. Ask for a quote from a profile in the directory.

The $11,150 to $14,000 per home range is the program average already published on the lead cost guide. It is not a new market range. The protect-your-family address below is the one checked for this guide. It redirects to EPA's current page on lead exposure at home.