If your home was built before 1978 and you’re planning a renovation that will disturb painted surfaces, yes — you should have it checked for lead paint first. Federal rules require lead-safe work practices in pre-1978 homes, and a lead inspection or risk assessment tells you exactly what you’re dealing with before the dust starts flying.
Last updated August 2026 · By D.K.H.
Older homes have a lot of charm — and, sometimes, lead-based paint hiding under newer coats. If you’re getting ready to remodel a kitchen, replace windows, or open up a wall in a pre-1978 home around Athens or anywhere in the area Environmental Services of America (ES America) serves, it’s worth understanding the lead question before you begin. Here’s a plain-language guide.
Why Does the Year 1978 Matter So Much?
In 1978, the federal government banned lead in consumer paint for homes. That single date is the dividing line most rules use. If your home was built before 1978, the paint underneath may contain lead; if it was built after, it almost certainly doesn’t. Lead-based paint is most common on surfaces that take wear and friction — window sashes and sills, doors and frames, stair railings, porches, and trim.
Intact, well-maintained lead paint that nobody disturbs is generally low-risk. The danger comes when that paint is sanded, scraped, cut, or demolished. Those activities release lead dust and chips, and lead dust is the main way people — especially young children — end up exposed.
Why Is Lead Paint Such a Health Concern?
Lead is a toxin, and there is no known safe level of lead exposure for children. Young kids are most at risk because their bodies absorb lead more easily and their brains are still developing. Lead exposure has been linked to learning and behavior problems, and at higher levels it can affect the nervous system and other organs. Pregnant women and the babies they carry are also vulnerable. That’s why the rules around renovating older homes focus so heavily on controlling lead dust.
What Is the EPA RRP Rule, and Does It Apply to Me?
The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule sets the ground rules for work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 homes and in “child-occupied facilities” like many daycares and schools. In practice, the RRP Rule means that renovation work disturbing painted surfaces in those buildings should be performed by a certified firm using lead-safe work practices: containing the area, minimizing dust, cleaning thoroughly, and verifying the cleanup.
The RRP Rule is about doing the work safely. A separate step — a lead inspection or risk assessment — is about knowing whether lead is present in the first place. The two go hand in hand: testing tells you where the lead is, and lead-safe practices keep its dust out of your living space during the work.
Inspection vs. Risk Assessment — What’s the Difference?
- A lead inspection identifies whether lead-based paint is present and where it is, surface by surface.
- A risk assessment goes a step further, evaluating where lead hazards exist right now — deteriorating paint, lead dust, or contaminated soil — and what should be done about them.
For a homeowner planning a specific renovation, knowing whether the surfaces you’re about to disturb contain lead is the practical first step. It lets you and your contractor plan the right precautions instead of guessing.
Do I Legally Have to Get an Inspection Before Renovating?
The RRP Rule doesn’t require every homeowner to test before every project — but it does require that renovation disturbing paint in a pre-1978 home be done with lead-safe practices by a certified firm (with a narrow exception for a homeowner doing work in their own home). Even where testing isn’t strictly mandated, it’s the smart move: confirming what’s there protects your family and helps your project go smoothly. And if you assume lead is present and skip testing, the work still has to follow lead-safe practices.
How Does ES America Handle Lead Paint Work?
ES America is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm (RRP), and lead paint work is one of the environmental services we’ve provided since 2009 across Georgia and South Carolina. We can help you determine whether lead is present, contain and control the work area, and safely remove or address lead-based paint using lead-safe practices — so your renovation moves forward without putting your family at risk. Our Bogart office serves homeowners throughout the Athens area.
You can learn more about our lead paint removal services, our Bogart, GA office, and lead paint removal in the Athens area.
Frequently asked questions
Does every pre-1978 home actually contain lead paint?
No. Many older homes do, but not all — and lead may be present on some surfaces and not others. The only way to know for certain is to have the surfaces you plan to disturb tested by a professional.
Is intact lead paint dangerous if I just leave it alone?
Lead-based paint that is intact, well-maintained, and undisturbed is generally low-risk. The hazard comes from deterioration or from disturbing it during sanding, scraping, cutting, or demolition, which releases lead dust.
What should I do if I find lead paint partway through a project?
Stop the work that’s disturbing the paint, keep children and pregnant women away from the area, and contact a certified professional. Continuing to sand or scrape can spread lead dust through your home.
Who is most at risk from lead exposure?
Young children and pregnant women are the most vulnerable, because lead is especially harmful to developing bodies and brains. That’s why lead-safe practices focus so heavily on controlling dust.
How do I get started with ES America?
Call our Bogart/Athens office at (770) 758-2027 or email services@es-america.com. As an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm, we’ll walk you through your options before your renovation begins.
Planning a renovation on an older home near Athens? Talk to ES America first. Call (770) 758-2027 or email services@es-america.com, and we’ll help you renovate safely. (For official guidance, see the EPA’s lead information.)