Lead and asbestos rules for an older home remodel in Concord, CA

Lead paint: the EPA rule for pre-1978 homes

EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires that anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 be lead-safe certified. That covers the firm doing the work and the certified renovator who supervises it, including a sole proprietor. The rule does not apply to a homeowner doing the work themselves in their own home, but it does apply once you hire a paid contractor.

• Ask whether your home, or the specific area being remodeled, has ever been tested for lead paint
• If your home was built before 1978, ask whether the firm and the person doing the work are EPA lead-safe certified
• Ask to see the firm's EPA certification and the certified renovator's training card before work starts
• Get the certification confirmation in writing, not as a verbal assurance

Asbestos: the Bay Area Air District rule

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Regulation 11, Rule 2 generally requires a survey for asbestos before any demolition or renovation, performed by a person certified by Cal/OSHA who has completed an EPA-approved building inspector course. Residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units, which covers most Concord homes, get a narrower rule: a full survey is not required, but a sample and lab test is required before disturbing specific materials.

If a tested material comes back above 1 percent asbestos and is friable, it has to be handled under the district's removal and disposal rules. Separately, the district generally does not require advance notification for a renovation below 100 linear feet, 100 square feet, and 35 cubic feet of regulated asbestos-containing material, and a single-family home project above that threshold can often get a 72-hour notice period, instead of the standard 10 working days, when the applicable fee is paid.

• Ask whether your project disturbs any popcorn ceiling, textured wall, cement siding or stucco, resilient flooring, or HVAC ducting
• If so, ask for a sample and lab test before that material is disturbed, not after
• If a test comes back above 1 percent asbestos and friable, ask how the contractor will contain and dispose of it
• Ask who is responsible for notifying the Air District if your project's scope requires it

Where this fits with the permit

Neither rule replaces Concord's building permit requirement. Both can apply on top of it for an older home. The permit side is on the permit fee guide and the permit comparison. The contract rules a licensed general contractor has to follow are on the contract guide.