RRP-regulated trades we cover

Drywall demo, repair, and patching in pre-1978 homes routinely disturbs painted plaster, lath, and adjacent painted trim — every cut, pull, and sand event aerosolizes lead dust. Even small drywall repairs (>6 sq ft interior) cross the EPA RRP threshold and require certified-renovator-supervised work.

Window replacement is the textbook EPA RRP trigger. The friction surfaces and painted frames in pre-1978 windows almost always carry lead-based paint, and removing the sash, stops, and casing disturbs it directly. EPA's training materials use window jobs as the canonical example for a reason.

Door replacement disturbs painted jambs, casing, and the threshold — all common lead-paint surfaces in pre-1978 homes. The cuts, pry-outs, and reframing work create chips and dust that EPA RRP regulates whenever the disturbed surface exceeds 6 sq ft interior or 20 sq ft exterior.

Painters scraping, sanding, or power-washing pre-1978 surfaces are the most common source of inadvertent RRP violations. Surface prep on old paint — even just to feather an edge before a new coat — disturbs lead-based paint and crosses the EPA threshold quickly. Painters working pre-1978 homes need a documented compliance partner.

Removing wood, aluminum, or vinyl siding off a pre-1978 home almost always disturbs the painted sheathing or the painted edges of original trim and fascia. Exterior RRP kicks in at 20 sq ft of disturbed surface — most siding jobs hit that within the first wall. The 10 ft ground containment requirement is non-trivial on a residential lot.

Gutter replacement on pre-1978 homes disturbs the painted fascia and soffit board the gutter is attached to — cutting through hangers, prying off old gutters, and reattaching new ones all break the painted surface. Even a small fascia disturbance crosses the 20 sq ft exterior RRP threshold over a full perimeter.