EPA RRP Small Business Advocacy Review Panel (SBAR)
for Proposed Public & Commercial Building Exteriors

Download zipped folder of files relating to SBAR Panel activities to your computer

For information on becoming a Lead-Safe Certified Firm select your state below

Information for Contractors

As a contractor, you play an important role in helping to prevent lead exposure. Ordinary renovation and maintenance activities can create dust that contains lead. By following the lead-safe work practices, you can prevent lead hazards.

Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities must, before beginning work, provide owners, tenants, and child-care facilities with a copy of EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (11 pp, 1.1MB) | en español (PDF) (11 pp, 2.4MB). Contractors must document compliance with this requirement; EPA's pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 53K) may be used for this purpose.

Understand that after April 22, 2010, federal law requires you to be certified and to use lead-safe work practices. To become certified, renovation contractors must submit an application and fee payment to EPA.

• Application for firm certification (PDF) (9 pp, 590K)

EPA began processing applications on October 22, 2009. The Agency has up to 90 days after receiving a complete request for certification to approve or disapprove the application.

Contractors who perform renovation, repair and painting jobs in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities must also be trained in lead-safe work practices.

• Find an EPA-accredited training provider in your area.
• Access a calendar of training courses for RRP and other programs.
• Please note that if you previously completed an eligible renovation training course, you may take the four-hour refresher course instead of the eight-hour initial course from an accredited training provider to become a certified renovator. See a list of eligible courses.

Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs should also:

• Provide a copy of your EPA or state lead training certificate to your client.
• Tell your client what lead-safe methods you will use to perform the job.
• Learn the lead laws that apply to you regarding certification and lead-safe work practices beginning April 22, 2010.
• Ask your client to share the results of any previously conducted lead tests.
• Provide your client with references from at least three recent jobs involving homes built before 1978.
• Keep records to demonstrate that you and your workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices and that you follow lead-safe work practices on the job. To make recordkeeping easier, you may use the sample recordkeeping checklist (PDF) (1 pg, 83K) that EPA has developed to help contractors comply with the renovation recordkeeping requirements that took effect April 22, 2010.
• Read about how to comply with EPA's rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (32 pp, 5.5MB) | en español (PDF) (34 pp, 1.3MB).
• Read about how to use lead-safe work practices in EPA's Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting (PDF) (36 pp, 878K) | en español (PDF) (36 pp, 1.5MB).

NOTE: Contractors and training providers working in Wisconsin, Iowa, North Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas, Rhode Island, Utah, Oregon and Massachusetts must contact the state to find out more about its training and certification requirements. These states are authorized to administer their own RRP programs in lieu of the federal program. In following the above links you will leave the EPA Web site. 

Contractors should also read the EPA Enforcement Alert newsletter titled Compliance with New Federal Lead-Based Paint Requirements (PDF) (4 pp, 120K).