Lead Paint and Asbestos in an Older Basement

Lead paint

EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Program requires that anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 be certified, and that their employees be trained in lead-safe work practices. This covers sole proprietors as well. In general, the rule does not apply to homeowners doing projects in their own pre-1978 homes. It does apply if you rent all or part of your home, run a child care center in it, or buy, renovate and sell homes for profit (EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program). The reason it matters in a basement: demolishing old walls, sanding trim and cutting openings all disturb painted surfaces.

What to ask a contractor

• Is the firm EPA lead-safe certified, and who on site is a certified renovator?
• Which work practices will contain dust: plastic barriers, wet methods, HEPA cleanup?
• Does the bid price those practices as a line item?

Asbestos

EPA's page lists where asbestos may be found: attic and wall insulation containing vermiculite, vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives, roofing and siding shingles, and textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceilings. Exposure occurs only when the material is disturbed or damaged so that fibres are released (EPA, Learn about asbestos).

EPA's FAQ says that if material is damaged, or you are planning a renovation that would disturb it, you should have it sampled by a properly trained professional, and that it recommends a properly trained asbestos contractor for work on it. It also says vermiculite insulation should be left undisturbed (EPA, Asbestos frequently asked questions). The federal rules on renovation of asbestos materials do not apply to a homeowner's renovation of their own home, but the hazard is the same.

The practical order

• Date the house. Built before 1978? Assume lead in painted surfaces.
• List what you plan to remove: floor tile, ceiling texture, pipe wrap, wall patching.
• Have suspect materials tested by a lab before disturbing them. We did not find a Winnebago County program for this, so ask the permit office or the Health Department.
• Plan the remedy as a separate line item, because it can change the schedule.
• Put the conditions in the contract: who handles the material and who pays if more is found.

Interaction with the permit

Tell the permit office if you expect asbestos or lead work. The office does not run those programs, but an inspector who sees the open walls will ask. For local context on how old Rockford housing is, see the older homes guide.

Cost

We found no Rockford or Illinois cost for abatement, and national guides in our price set do not include it, so we do not quote a figure. Get a lab test and a written quote. See the cost page for the figures we can source.

What a lab test costs and who does it

We found no sourced price for lead or asbestos testing in Winnebago County and do not quote one. EPA recommends sampling by a properly trained professional when material is damaged or a renovation would disturb it. Ask the testing professional which laboratory they use and ask any contractor you hire the same. Tests are usually fast compared with the risk of finding out after demolition.

If you rent the basement

EPA's lead rule applies if you rent all or part of your home, so a landlord finishing a basement apartment in a pre-1978 house is covered even if they do the work themselves. Add that to the other landlord duties in this site's guides: radon disclosure to tenants below the third story, smoke and CO alarms, and egress for every sleeping room.

Where to go next

This guide sits under Basement refinishing. Every price on this site, with its source and date, is on the basement finishing cost page. If this topic is on your list, these guides cover the neighbouring questions: Finishing a Basement in an Older Rockford Home, Stages of Finishing a Basement, in Order, and Partially Finished Basement: What to Check First.