The RRP Rule: Exclusions from the EPA rules as of Feb 09, 2026
Renovation activities where affected components do not contain lead-based paint.
emergency renovations (requires cleanup and cleaning verification).
Minor repair and maintenance activities. Note: This exclusion does not apply to window replacement, demolition or activities involving prohibited practices.
renovation performed by homeowners in their own homes.
So
Homeowners can work on their own homes, it appears, without following the EPA RRP Rules.
The concern is
When we do our own remodeling as a homeowner on our homes that contains lead, a house built in 1978 and before probably does contain lead in the paint unless tested otherwise.
Just because we homeowners are allowed to do our own work, and if our projects contain lead, we could possibly contaminate our entire home with lead dust - consider lead as a Poison!
The Problems that could arise are...
Do we have children in the house?
Do we expect children visiting our home?
A future sale of our home to a family?
Will the sale of our home trigger a lead test?
OOPS...
Hiring someone to work on our homes that is not RRP Certified working under a RRP Certified Firm, in our Pre-1978 homes.
We should still be able use our Handy-workers on a leaky faucet if it's a rubber gasket, but the RRP Rules are so lengthy, if lead is present, using a flame or torch can airborne lead in the fumes and that's against the Rule!
What shocked me...
Power washers can't be used to clean my pre-1978 rental houses that are vinyl sided unless, I have proof of testing of the materials behind the vinyl siding, to be lead free.
The Bright Side of the EPA RRP Rule
We have to clean up after every job anyway!
Now we have guidelines to work in a clean and dust free way at the start of our projects that greatly reduce clean up at the end of our projects.
We may be able to work on our own homes. When it comes time to sell our home, if we contaminated it with poisonous lead dust, if the buyers have a lead test performed, and lead testing will be more of a concern"Now That We Know".
Well... I hear decontaminated a medium size home that contain lead dust costs hundreds of thousand of dollars to decontaminate, and the house doesn't sell!
This is Joe-the-Rehabber, I just became a certified renovator and still learning.
I'll be updating my construction equipment and practices because, "Now I Know!"
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