My house is from 1960. Does my painter need lead certification?
Researched by the LokalMatch editorial team1 answer
We are having the window trim sanded and repainted and nobody has mentioned lead once.
Answers (1)
LokalMatch EditorialLokalMatch editorial
Yes — and it is a federal rule, so it does not depend on which state you are in. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Program requires anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 to be a certified firm, with employees trained in lead-safe work practices, either as a certified renovator or on the job by one.
Sanding painted window trim in a 1960 house is the textbook case. It is the friction surfaces and the sanding dust that carry the risk, not the intact wall you were not worried about.
Ask for the firm's certification and for the certified renovator's card, the same way you would ask for insurance. A painter who has never heard of the rule is telling you how the dust will be handled.
The house may test clean, in which case the requirement falls away — but that is something a test establishes, not something the age of the paint lets anyone assume in either direction.
Answers come from pros and are reviewed by LokalMatch before they’re published. They’re general information — for regulated or safety-critical work, have a licensed professional assess your situation.
Sources
Where the facts on this page come from.
Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program — United States Environmental Protection Agency (accessed September 24, 2026)