Contractors and Lead Certification??????????

[pike doctor]

So how many of my fellow contractors have taken their lead class and gotten insurance??

I still am completely confused by the whole process. I was told that if i dont have it by april 22, I can get a 37.5K fine.

Anyone else know more about this?

Thanks

[chad austin]

From what I understand, you will NOT get fined if you are not certified. You will get fined only if you do work that requires you to be certified. More info can be found at http://www.contractors-license.org/mn/Minnesota.html (admin I have only posted this as information)

Disturbing more than 6 sq. ft. in a home built pre-1978 would require you to be certified and this not only involves contractors; HVAC, carpet, painters, trim carpenters, plumbers, Ect. are all effected. This was brought on by someone in the senate (I don,t recall who at this time) that got this passed by saying "these regulations will only add $30 - $35 per job. The required steps involved with the process are completely absurd (for4 example EVERYONE in the home must wear a Tyvec suit while any work is being performed and that has to be documented) and they track these jobs by tracking permits that have been pulled by the contractor; they will then audit those company's files to make sure they followed all the rules....If not a $37,000.00 fine per day will be issued for every day you were out of compliance. It's another example of the wrong people making the rules for this industry when they clearly have no clue what should implented and what should not. With all that being said I personally will not be doing any window installs or siding jobs on any homes pre-1978.

Chad

[LightningBG]

This is a ridiculous requirement and will only lead to to more people doing jobs "under the radar".

[pike doctor]

Just think of the amount of people living in homes that were built before 1978. Think how many window and siding jobs need to be done on those homes. The only decent places to work will be the newer suburbs and the new housing developments. Just think what slums Minneapolis and St. Paul will turn into. Nobody is going to be able to afford a contractor that has the lead certs and ins. At my continuing ed class a couple guys were saying that their lead ins cost about 7,000 a year. That doesnt include all of the extra hours that are going to be needed on a job to do it "correctly." It will cost thousands more to reside and put windows in. I would think that ins. premiums for homeowners would skyrocket cause companies will have to pay replacement cost, and that will involve all of the lead abatement.

So am i correct that I dont need the license to work on a house built 79 or after? What if I roof an older house? Technically i am disturbing the exterior of the home.

Thank you gov't.

[Redlantern]

Why don't you contact the labor department with your questions?

[Tom7227]

My house was built in 62. Where is there lead here? All of the walls are latex, none of the trim is painted, siding is steel?? Any idea why the cutoff is 78?

[Shack]

Tom if it was built in 62' there is lead some wheres. Pipe fittings, old paint, lead fixtures, weird stuff behind walls you did not know about. I would assume some asbestos is looming around also. Furnace/water heater, underlay for carpet/floor, foundation block/brick, leveling block(s), possible roofing, possible siding, insulation (existing or debris from previous installation) and much more.

My grandparents just sold their house in Fridley that they have owned since new when it was build in 1960. They have renovated over the years to new siding, windows, kitchen, bathroom, roof and other things. When the third party inspection service was brought in by the some potential buyers, lead and asbestos were found. In their case it was some over looked electrical connection box and solder and pluming for lead. For asbestos it was the underlayment for the basement carpet (carpet was new in mid 80's but the underlay was never replaced).

[BRULEDRIFTER]

---Any idea why the cutoff is 78?---

They outlawed lead in paint in 1977...there wasn't "lead paint" for sale prior to that. Lead was an ingredient in paint to help the pigment color and drying of the paint I believe. Your pre 78 latex most likely has lead in it.

I am with Chad and will do all I can to get enough work in homes post 1978.

[sparkydm]

Just think of the amount of people living in homes that were built before 1978. Think how many window and siding jobs need to be done on those homes. The only decent places to work will be the newer suburbs and the new housing developments. Just think what slums Minneapolis and St. Paul will turn into. Nobody is going to be able to afford a contractor that has the lead certs and ins. At my continuing ed class a couple guys were saying that their lead ins cost about 7,000 a year. That doesnt include all of the extra hours that are going to be needed on a job to do it "correctly." It will cost thousands more to reside and put windows in. I would think that ins. premiums for homeowners would skyrocket cause companies will have to pay replacement cost, and that will involve all of the lead abatement.

So am i correct that I dont need the license to work on a house built 79 or after? What if I roof an older house? Technically i am disturbing the exterior of the home.

Thank you gov't.

My understanding is that this is only for lead paint. A contractor would first have the paint tested to see if it contains a certain PPM over the allowable level. If it is over that threshold, then lead abatement steps must be taken.

[buckeyes08]

I went in to the inspector in my area ask about the lead there really not a lot of home that have that much lead in them till you get to the older homes like 1940 and older. As far asbestos it is still used in some materials.

I heared about the class and the price to be cert. but not have to be insured. And my understanding is that it not a complete lead cert. so I don't know how the ins will cost that much.

There is a book on the new law I got mine from the inspector. the other thing is the near is office illonies. so how oftin are there go to be around and only come to the area they been tipped off.

[Tom7227]

On This Old House tonight they did a house and worked on the paint on the trim inside the homse. Scraped some, painted over some but removed all the window trim. There was some plaster that the guy said horse hair was in it ??? and they were going to cover it with sheetrock. Cost was $8,000. Pregnant woman didn't want to put her kid at risk.

[muchowja]

Our lead certification is not the same as lead abatement. It just shows us how to clean up and keep lead from traveling all over the house. Lead abatement is the actual removal of lead from the home. u won't need separate insurance unless you are doing abatement.

[scsavre]

So far what I know as far as the window industry, this is going to be a pretty good headache to the homeowner and to the installers. It might cost homeowners about the same money that they are saving with their rebates. Depends what the installation companies need to compensate extra work.

With the information we got, The EPA has basically no way to enforce this, they can however really attack your paper trail if need be. So keep very good records on your abatement. This will cause a lot of extra work that will slow down the installers.

I think yesterday was the last day that a homeowner could opt out of the abatement process.

I just got contracted for the year, to install windows in what looks to be neighborhoods loaded with old houses.

Ill update...

Scott

ProEdge

[eyeguy 54]

Found this online

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 745

[EPA–HQ–OPPT–2005–0049; FRL–8823–7]

RIN 2070–AJ55

Lead; Amendment to the Opt-out and Recordkeeping Provisions in the Renovation,

Repair, and Painting Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: EPA is finalizing several revisions to the Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting

Program (RRP) rule that published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2008. The RRP rule

established accreditation, training, certification, and recordkeeping requirements as well as work

practice standards on persons performing renovations for compensation in most pre-1978

housing and child-occupied facilities. In this document, EPA is eliminating the “opt-out”

provision that currently exempts a renovation firm from the training and work practice

requirements of the rule where the firm obtains a certification from the owner of a residence he

or she occupies that no child under age 6 or pregnant women resides in the home and the home is

not a child-occupied facility. EPA is also requiring renovation firms to provide a copy of the

records demonstrating compliance with the training and work practice requirements of the RRP

rule to the owner and, if different, the occupant of the building being renovated or the operator of

the child-occupied facility. In addition, the rule makes minor changes to the certification,

accreditation and state authorization requirements.

DATES: This final rule is effective [insert date 60 days after date of publication in the Federal

Register].

[scsavre]

Thanks for the Info,