Evansville, IN Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- dwellings and child/day care facilities
- Lead threshold
- 1.0 mg/cm² or 0.5% weight
- Required condition
- no peeling, chipping, or flaking
- Cover method
- filed with Vanderburgh Health Dept.
Summary
Evansville's Property Maintenance Code requires dwellings and licensed child and day care facilities to keep lead-painted surfaces free of peeling or chipping, or safely covered, above set lead thresholds.
(D) Lead-Based Paint. Interior and exterior painted surfaces of dwellings and child and day care facilities, including fences and outbuildings, which contain lead levels equal to or greater than 1.0 milligram per square centimeter or in excess of 0.50 percent lead by weight shall be maintained in a condition free from peeling, chipping and flaking paint or removed or covered in an approved manner on file with the Vanderburgh County Health Department. Any surface to be covered shall first be identified by approved warnings as to the lead content of such surface. See Chapter 8.05 EMC, Article VII.
(E) Stairs and Railings. All interior stairs and railings shall be maintained in sound condition and good repair and capable of supporting normally imposed loads.
(F) Stairs and Walking Surfaces. Every stair, ramp, and floor shall be maintained in sound condition and good repair and capable of supporting normally imposed loads.
(G) Handrails and Guardrails. Every handrail and guardrail shall be firmly fastened and capable of supporting normally imposed loads and shall be maintained in good condition. [1983 Code § 15.150.187.]
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance G-2026-12, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
EMC 15.15.130(D) singles out 'dwellings and child and day care facilities,' including their fences and outbuildings, when interior or exterior painted surfaces test at or above 1.0 milligram of lead per square centimeter or more than 0.50 percent lead by weight. Those surfaces must be maintained free from peeling, chipping, and flaking paint, or be removed or covered using a method on file with the Vanderburgh County Health Department, and any covered surface must first carry an approved lead-content warning. The rule sits inside the same maintenance chapter that governs structural members, stairs, and interior surfaces generally.
Violations & Fines
A child care facility with deteriorating lead-painted surfaces above the threshold is out of compliance with the Property Maintenance Code and subject to code enforcement under Chapter 15.15 EMC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Evansville regulate lead paint at day care centers?
Who approves covering old lead paint instead of removing it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Evansville
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