There are new regulations coming from the EPA that I was warning my clients in Chelan about when it occurred to me that the home owners at Classic Homes would also want this information.

If your home was built before 1978, new rules coming from the EPA are going to make repairing your home more expensive.

The laws require contractors to be certified in lead paint removal and follow stringent rules to do the job. So the initial estimates on added costs by the EPA barely scratch the surface of what it takes contractors to comply with the regulations

If you’re thinking you’ll just do the job yourself in the middle of the night and ignore the rules, if you get caught, the fines are as much as $37,500 a day!

The EPA estimates that its new rule will add $8 to $167 to the cost of the average interior remodeling job, but contractors say the expense to homeowners will be much greater. “The EPA has grossly underestimated the costs to comply on any job. I can see my labor costs go up by thousands of dollars,” said Vince Butler, who runs Butler Brothers Corp. in Clifton and is president of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association.

Butler estimates that the extra time and effort required for protecting, cleaning and testing construction areas in pre-1978 homes will add 5 percent to 30 percent in fees on small renovation jobs.

“Expect to add another $500 to $1,000 for remodeling a kitchen, painting a couple rooms or replacing several windows,” Landis said. “That is the minimal additional cost to perform lead-safe work practices and associated documentation.”

The EPA rule applies to almost every type of renovation — from paint scraping to window replacement and carpet removal (which can disturb painted baseboards) — carried out by contractors in pre-1978 houses occupied by young children and pregnant women. -  Washington Post

The new rules take effect on Earth Day, April 22nd, so you better hurry!