Guide
Lead Paint and Painting Pre-1978 Homes Around Boston
If your home was built before 1978, the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires anyone paid to disturb its painted surfaces to be certified in lead-safe work practices. Massachusetts runs its own EPA-authorised program, so certification here goes through the state.
If your home was built before 1978, the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule applies to paid work that disturbs its painted surfaces. Anyone doing that work for money has to be certified in lead-safe work practices.
That covers an enormous share of Greater Boston. Somerville, Cambridge, Medford and much of Boston filled in decades before 1978, so for most houses around here the sensible default assumption is that the rule applies.
What the rule actually says
In 1978 the federal government banned the sale of lead-based paint for homes, childcare facilities and preschools. According to the EPA, roughly three-quarters of US homes built before then still contain some lead-based paint.
The RRP Rule requires that anyone paid to perform work disturbing painted surfaces in a pre-1978 home, childcare facility or preschool be certified, and that their workers be trained in lead-safe work practices that limit occupants’ exposure.
Two clarifications that matter:
- It generally does not apply to homeowners doing the work in their own pre-1978 home. It does apply if you rent all or part of it, operate a childcare center in it, or buy and renovate homes to sell.
- Massachusetts runs its own EPA-authorised program. The EPA administers the rule in most states, but has authorized a number to run their own — Massachusetts and Rhode Island among them. New Hampshire is not on that list, so work there goes through the EPA directly. If you have property in more than one of those states, they are separate routes.
Why dust is the issue, not the paint
Intact paint on a wall is not the hazard. The EPA is explicit that children can live safely in these homes as long as the paint and surfaces are in good condition and kept clean.
The hazard is dust. Old paint on surfaces that rub — window sashes in their frames, door edges against jambs, stair treads — wears into fine particles. Scraping and sanding create far more of it, very quickly, and it settles on floors and sills where small children put their hands.
Which is why the rule is about work practices: containing the area, using the right tools, and cleaning up in a way that actually captures the dust rather than redistributing it.
What to ask before any work starts
If your home predates 1978, ask every contractor you are considering — including us — these questions before scheduling:
- Are you certified for lead-safe work practices in Massachusetts? Ask to see it, rather than accepting a verbal yes.
- How will you contain the work area? The answer should describe sealing the space off, not just laying down a sheet.
- How will you clean up? Specialized vacuuming and wet cleaning, not sweeping.
- What happens to the waste? Dust and debris from these surfaces need proper handling.
A contractor who cannot answer these clearly on a pre-1978 house is telling you something useful.
Where this sits with us
We will talk through your specific house at the walkthrough before any work is scheduled, and we would rather have that conversation early than discover it matters halfway through a job.
If your house predates 1978, raise it when you call. It changes how the work is planned, and it is better priced honestly at the start than treated as a surprise later.
Sources: US Environmental Protection Agency, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, epa.gov — consulted 22 September 2026. This guide is general information about the rule, not legal advice about your property.
Questions
Does the lead paint rule apply to my Boston-area house?
If it was built before 1978, assume yes. The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule applies to paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978. Most of the housing stock in Somerville, Cambridge, Medford and much of Boston predates 1978.
Does the rule apply if I do the work myself?
Generally no. The EPA states that the RRP Rule does not apply to homeowners doing the work in their own pre-1978 home. It does apply if you rent out all or part of it, run a childcare center in it, or buy and renovate homes to sell.
How do I check a contractor is certified?
Ask them directly, before work is scheduled, and ask for the certification rather than a verbal assurance. Massachusetts runs its own EPA-authorised program, so a contractor working here should be able to point you to their state certification.
Does this mean my house is dangerous?
No. The EPA's own position is that children can live safely in these homes as long as the paint and surfaces are in good condition and kept clean. The risk comes from deteriorating paint and from the dust created when painted surfaces are disturbed — which is exactly what the rule is designed to control.