If the house predates 1978

The rule in one paragraph

Anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 must work for a firm certified under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting programme, and the people doing the work must be trained in lead-safe practices. Window replacement is named as covered work. A firm may not even advertise such work without the certification.

The penalty for ignoring it runs to tens of thousands of dollars per violation, and it lands on the contractor rather than on the homeowner — which is exactly why a certified firm will produce the number without being pressed.

Where it does not apply

A homeowner doing the work on their own home is outside the rule. It comes back if the property is rented out, if a childcare centre operates in it, or if the house is being renovated for resale.

What it changes about the job

Containment sheeting, sealed openings, wet methods rather than dry scraping, HEPA cleanup and a verification step at the end. It is slower than the same work in a newer house, and the difference shows on the invoice. A quote that matches a post-1978 quote exactly is worth a question.

What to ask, in one sentence

"What is your EPA lead certification number?" A certified firm answers immediately. Anything else — a pause, a promise to send it later, an assurance that it does not apply — is the answer.