Lead paint removal: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering lead paint removal

Lead paint removal is a regulated, high-liability job, and customers judge you by your testing, your containment and your paperwork. Win the job by showing your training, your test method and your written containment and waste plan.

What customers ask

  • Are your workers certified for lead-safe work?
  • What is the testing process, and will I get the results in writing?
  • How do you protect my children and my pets during the work?
  • How long will the house be closed, and when is it safe to move back in?
  • What paperwork do I get at the end of the job?

How to win the job

  • Explain on the first call that lead paint work is regulated, and name the training and certification each crew member holds.
  • Show the testing plan and the lab on the proposal, and provide the results to the customer before any surface is disturbed.
  • Draw the containment plan on a sketch, with the sealed rooms, the negative air use and the clean and dirty zones marked.
  • Quote the removal or encapsulation method for each surface type, with the reason for the choice in plain language.
  • Name the waste disposal route, containers and transport, and provide the paperwork template in the proposal.
  • Include a clearance test in the quote, and say who performs it and how the result is shared with the customer.
  • Give the customer a written plan for the household during the work, including the time children and pets must be out.

What to put on your profile

  • Photos of your lead-safe containment setup and the protective gear your crew uses
  • A list of your training and certifications, with the program names and the current status
  • A sample testing report with personal details removed, so customers see the format
  • Photos of a finished, cleared room with the surfaces and the clearance step documented

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • A maintenance guide for encapsulated surfaces, with the inspection schedule and the signs of failure
  • A follow-up clearance check after a period of use, offered if the household requests it
  • Advice on the next phase of painting or repair in the home, offered only when the customer asks

Licenses and permits

Lead paint work is regulated, and most areas require certified or licensed workers, lead-safe work practices and proper waste disposal. Confirm your certifications, your business registration and your insurance in your state and locality before you accept any lead job.

Questions

Should I test or refer the testing out?

Use a certified tester or a lab that is independent of your removal work, and keep the testing results on file. A conflict between the testing and the removal creates risk for you and the customer.

What do I do if I find lead in an area I did not test?

Stop the work in that area, contain it, notify the customer and retest. Note the change in the job file and update the quote before resuming.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

Edit history

More remodeling, painting and floors guides for pros

Start here

About this guide

Get lead paint removal requests

Customers pick you by name. Signup is free, and you pay only for leads you accept.

Join as a pro
Sign up free