Lead-Based Paint: What Every Homeowner Should Know Before Repainting

If your home was built before 1978, there’s a high likelihood that lead-based paint is hiding beneath the surface, and disturbing it without proper precautions can be dangerous. It’s more than just a messy cleanup or poor prep job. Lead dust poses serious health risks, especially to children, pregnant women, and pets, and requires strict safety protocols.

At Roe Painting, we've worked on countless older homes throughout the western Idaho and northern Nevada area and know how often lead paint is involved. While we don’t currently handle lead paint removal ourselves, we know what to look for and when to step back and help you find the right professional to manage the situation safely. Hiring someone who isn't trained or equipped to deal with lead can put your family, neighbors, and painting crews at risk. 

In this article, we'll break down what lead-based paint is, how to know if it's a concern for your home, and what steps to take if it's discovered during your painting project. 

What is Lead-Based Paint and Why Is It a Problem? 

Lead-based paint was widely used in homes built before 1978 for its durability and vibrant finish, but today, it's considered a serious health hazard. When left undisturbed, it may not pose an immediate risk, but during repainting or renovation, sanding, scraping, or cutting through lead-based layers can release fine dust that's toxic when inhaled or ingested. 

Who is the most vulnerable? Children, pregnant women, pets, and anyone with long-term exposure. Lead poisoning can cause developmental delays, neurological damage, and a range of long-term health issues. Even a small amount of dust (invisible to the eye) can be dangerous. 

This is why lead-based paint isn't just a cosmetic concern. It's a safety issue that requires specialized care. Whether you're planning a repaint or restoring a historic home, it's important to identify lead early so the project can be handled legally and safely. 

The Difference Between Lead Abatement and Lead-Safe Painting Practices

Not all lead paint projects require full removal. It’s important to understand the difference between lead-safe work and lead abatement, especially when discussing project scope and cost with contractors.

Lead-safe painting practices refer to the methods used by EPA-certified painters to prepare and paint surfaces that may contain lead safely. This includes:

• Removing or stabilizing peeling or chipping paint
• Carefully sanding or scraping lead-coated surfaces using containment and filtration
• Encapsulating lead-based paint with modern primers and coatings to prevent exposure

Lead abatement is a more extensive process, and often a legal requirement in cases involving health hazards, renovations near children, or real estate disclosures. This typically includes:

• Stripping surfaces down to bare wood
• Removing all lead-based paint from the property
• Certified hazardous material disposal

Lead-safe painting is about managing risk during repainting. Lead abatement is a full removal process required in specific cases.

How Do You Know If Your Home Has Lead-Based Paint? 

The simplest indicator is the age of your home. If it was built before 1978, especially in the 1950s or earlier, there's a high chance that lead-based paint is present somewhere beneath the surface. Paint manufacturers started removing lead from their paint well before 1978, but that was when lead paint became illegal to produce. 

In the Treasure Valley,  we most often encounter lead-based paint in historic neighborhoods like the North End of Boise, and historic districts in Nampa and Caldwell, where many homes still retain original or layered finishes. Even if the topcoat looks modern, older layers underneath can still contain lead. 

• When you may be susceptible to lead exposure:
  • When scraping or sanding chipped, cracked, or "alligatoring" paint (all over cracks that look like alligator skin)
  • If layers of paint are flaking away, especially near windows, doors, or trim

Here's how to asses the risk: 

• Check the build date: Pre-1978 homes are at risk. The older the home, the higher the likelihood.
• Use an EPA-recognized test kit: Available at hardware stores, these lead paint test kits can offer an initial indication, but they're not foolproof. 
• For certainty, hire a certified lead inspector: This is the most accurate and legally recognized way to test for lead paint. 

If you're unsure, don't guess. The risk of disturbing lead paint without knowing is simply too high. 

What Needs to Happen if Lead Paint Is Present

Lead-based paint can't be sanded off like a regular coating. Once identified, the project must follow strict federal safety protocols to protect everyone involved, especially your family, neighbors, and workers on-site. 

Here's what proper lead paint removal involves: 

• Certified contractors who are trained under the EPA's Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule
• Specialized containment to seal off work areas and prevent dust from spreading
• HEPA-filtered vacuums and air systems to clean up dangerous dust particles
• Proper disposal procedures for hazardous waste
• Detailed documentation to confirm the work was done to code and protect you legally during the resale or inspections

Because of the equipment, time, and training involved, lead paint removal costs much more than a standard repaint. It’s not uncommon for this kind of work to require specialized labor teams, multiple site visits, and containment materials — all of which contribute to a higher project total. 

Ignoring lead-safe rules can have serious consequences. Contractors who skip these steps risk fines from the EPA, liability for health problems, and long-term legal exposure for homeowners — especially during resale. Even well-meaning DIY efforts can lead to contamination that’s expensive to clean up.

Why Roe Painting Doesn't Handle Lead Paint Projects (And Why That's a Good Thing)

We don't take shortcuts, and that includes knowing when a project requires a different kind of expert. Lead-based paint removal is one of those cases. 

At Roe Painting, we're not currently certified to perform lead paint projects under the EPA's RRP Rule. That means that we don't currently have the specialized equipment or licensing required to legally disturb lead-painted surfaces. 

Rather than pretend it's just another paint job, we choose to step back because getting this wrong can endanger families, create costly legal issues, and put your health at risk. 

When we encounter a possible lead paint situation: 

• We'll clearly communicate it to you.
• We'll explain what needs to happen next (certified lead testing and hiring a certified contractor).
• If you perform certified lead testing and discover that your surfaces are lead-free, we will happily complete any painting projects that you may need.

Our role is to be your guide, even when that means guiding you to someone else first. 

What to Do Next If You Suspect Lead Paint

Lead-based paint isn't something to ignore or try to fix without the right knowledge. Now that you understand what it is, why it matters, and how it must be handled, you're in a much better position to protect your home and everyone in it. 

If your home was built before 1978 (especially in a historic neighborhood like Boise's North End), there's a real chance that lead paint may be present. Testing for it early helps avoid costly mistakes, unsafe work conditions, and long-term health risks. 

We’re here to help you get the job done right — even when that means saying, “This part isn’t ours to handle.” And once the lead-safe work is complete, we’re ready to step back in and help you move forward with the rest of your project.

Not sure what to do next? Download our homeowner guide: What to Do If You Suspect Lead Paint below. It walks you through what questions to ask, who to contact, and how to protect your home before any painting begins.