The state of Kansas requires all house built prior to 1978 to be assumed that they have lead paint unless cleared by a certified firm that has tested the surfaces. DIY kits are not acceptable as an official test.

The state of Missouri follows EPA guidance which follows the above with the exception that certain specialty lead testing kits are acceptable to confirm lead paint presence. We do use these kits and can test for lead presence.

Hiring Contractors

If you are paying/hiring a person or company to do work for you, they must be licensed through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment—KDHE or the Environmental Protection Agency—EPA. If you hire a person or company that is not licensed and they get caught, they can face a fine of up to $32,000. You should be requesting a copy of licenses to protect yourself against being implicated in any kind of investigation.

Basic Rules

The important rules involve the creation of dust and the area that could be disturbed (think dust being created). For interiors the rules do not apply if less than 6ft is going to be disturbed in a room; for exteriors the area has to be less than 20sf. 

For exterior painting and wood rot repairs the process is a bit more manageable than for interior painting. For exterior work there is no need for clearance testing (meaning testing that no lead paint was left behind). For interior work it's a bit more complicated where deep cleaning and clearance testing is required.

The ideal situation for interior painting would be NOT to disturb more than 6sf in any room. Disturbing a surface means scraping (like scraping loose paint off of trim wood), sanding (like sanding surfaces), replacing drywall or trim. If this cannot be avoided, then expect the full extent of precautions which will add to the final price of the project.

Know Better-Do Better

Unfortunately, this is something that most contractors don't like to discuss let alone deal with so they will ignore it. Since we are licensed and know better—we have to do better. Plus, a notice came out from the EPA that they are going to increase their vigilance over this type of work due to an increase of contractors being caught breaking the law.

Don't Be Afraid

We certainly don't want to scare you into not doing your project. We are licensed and have experience dealing with the lead paint rules. Kansas City has a ton of houses built prior to 1978 so this is something we will be dealing with as long as those houses need painting.