Lead Paint Inspection Cost: What Homeowners Should Know

Have you noticed paint peeling off in your house or the place you work at? And is the building really old? These two signs point to the possibility of the existence of lead in the paint, which has proven to be a health hazard. However, to find out for certain if that is the case, you need a professional to assess the situation using specific tools, and these types of assessments cost money. In this post, we tell you all about the costs and the factors influencing them.

What Is a Lead Paint Inspection?

Firstly, we should briefly mention that lead paint is a kind of paint that contains lead as an ingredient. It was used in the past to make the paint resilient to moisture and wear, and it also made the paint more vibrant. It was banned due to safety concerns.

Now, a lead paint inspection is when a professional comes to your house, or a school building, or any building that was constructed a long time ago, and examines the walls, the wood trims, doors, and windows to see if there is any lead present in the paint.

The use of lead was banned in the USA for residential homes in 1978, and the same goes for Canada (although it wasn’t completely banned but significantly limited to less than 1% in weight). So if a building was built prior to this date, there is a good chance the paint contains lead.

When Do You Need a Lead Paint Inspection?

In short, when the building is very old, when you’re dealing with places that are going to contain children, and when you plan on renovating an old building, you want the building checked for lead presence. Here is a breakdown:

1. Renovation, Repairs, and Demolitions

If you plan on doing any of these three in a building that was built before the 70s, it is a good idea to have someone inspect the paint, which is probably peeling off and causing dangerous lead dust to spread into the air.

2. Buying or Selling an Old House

If you are selling, it’s nice to have the paints examined, and sometimes the buyer will ask you to do that before closing the deal. If there is lead in the paint and you know it, it is legally required that you disclose that information to the potential buyers.

There is also the popular option of a home inspection you can consider if you are buying a new house and want reassurance that there is nothing wrong with the house you are interested in. What Is Home Inspection will tell you all you need to know about the service. Also, Houmse, our own home inspection team, is always ready to offer its services in case you live in Ontario.

3. Schools, Childcare facilities, etc.

Places that house children are usually required to show proof that there is no lead in the paint if the building is very old, because children are the most prone to lead poisoning.

4. Noticing Peeling, Chipping, or Damaged Paint

If you are aware that the building was built before the 70s and you notice these signs, chances are that there is a high percentage of lead in the paint.

Average Lead Paint Inspection Cost

Here is a summary of the average costs and testing methods for lead paint inspection in Canada:

Something to be aware of is that if the inspection determines that there is indeed lead in the paint, the cost of removal (abatement) or encapsulation is much higher than the inspection's costs.

If you are considering an inspection and wondering if there is a lead paint inspection near me, you can always just search online, and you will be confronted with several options.

What’s Included in the Cost of a Lead Paint Inspection?

Typically, a lead paint inspection includes both on-site tests and official documentation and reports. Here are things included in the cost of a lead paint inspection:

• Initial Consultation & Site Walkthrough

The inspector(s) find out the age and history of the building and determine which areas should be tested.

• The Testing

Using either XRF (X-ray fluorescence) scanning or paint chip sampling (which includes lab analysis).

• Detailed Report

To know everything that goes on in a lead paint inspection, you can read Lead Paint Home Inspection.

Factors That Affect Lead Paint Inspection Pricing

There are several things to be aware of when it comes to the cost of lead paint testing:

1. How Big the Building Is

The bigger the property, the more testing points necessary to give a valid conclusion, and the higher the costs.

2. Conditions of the Building

The older the property, the higher the chances that the initial lead-based paint is hiding underneath new layers of regular paints, and that means more work for the inspector(s).

3. How Many Surfaces Are Tested?

Inspectors might test walls, ceilings, trim, doors, windows, railings, and exterior siding. More surfaces = higher costs.

4. What Tools Are Used

They either use XRF devices to do the testing, which is very quick and accurate but expensive, or they take paint samples and analyze them at a lab, which is the cheaper option, but the costs can add up if there are multiple samples taken.

5. Where the Building Is Located

If it is in a large city, prices are usually high. If it is somewhere remote, you might have to pay extra due to the travelling fees.

6. Do You Need It Right Away?

Because if you do, rush inspections or weekend/after-hours visits often have premium rates.

7. Certification & Expertise Level of Inspector

Highly certified or government-accredited inspectors sometimes charge more.

You should know that when doing a Yearly Home Inspection, the experts might recommend that you do a lead paint inspection as well if the property is very old.

FAQs

1. Is lead paint inspection required by law?

That depends on the specific laws of that state or locality, but in some cases, yes, it is, for example, in the case of renovations on older homes, rental housing compliance, or childcare facilities.

2. How accurate are lead paint tests?

Both methods (XRF & sample tests) are very accurate.

3. How long does a lead paint inspection take?

Typically 1 - 4 hours, depending on property size and number of test areas.

4. How long does a wind mitigation inspection take?

Usually, 30 minutes to 1 hour for most homes.

Final Thoughts: Invest in Safety and Compliance

All in all, it is not a bad idea to hire lead paint inspectors when it comes to properties that have been there for more than 60 years, especially when there are children in the building. Besides, the legal troubles that you might encounter if you don’t make sure there is no lead in the paint are certainly not worth the hassles. Lead-based paint testing cost depends on several factors, as we discussed, and reading up on those factors can help you decide if this inspection is indeed worth it in your particular case. In the end, a lead paint inspection is not just about compliance with the laws; it’s about your peace of mind in the long term.