Chesapeake, VA Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger Year
- Pre-1978 housing
- RRP
- EPA certification
- Thresholds
- 6 sq ft interior / 20 exterior
- Disclosure
- 42 USC §4852d
- State Program
- VDH lead screening
Summary
Chesapeake follows EPA RRP and Virginia DPOR lead rules for pre-1978 housing. Contractors disturbing painted surfaces must be EPA Lead-Safe Certified. Landlords must provide lead disclosure under federal law.
EPA's RRP Rule requires that anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 be certified and their employees be trained (either as a certified renovator or on-the-job by a certified renovator) in the use of lead-safe work practices that minimize occupants' exposure to lead hazards. In general, the RRP Rule does not apply to homeowners doing RRP projects in their own pre-1978 homes. However, it does apply if you rent all or part of your home, operate a childcare center in your home or if you buy, renovate and sell homes for profit (i.e., a house flipper). EPA administers the RRP Program in most Tribes, states and territories, but has authorized the following to operate their own programs: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe-Boise Forte (Nette Lake).
Full Breakdown
Homes built before 1978 in Chesapeake are presumed to contain lead-based paint. Renovations disturbing more than 6 square feet interior or 20 square feet exterior require EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule compliance, performed by firms certified by EPA and individual renovators trained under DPOR-approved courses. Sellers and landlords must deliver the EPA Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home pamphlet and a lead disclosure under 42 USC §4852d. Virginia Department of Health runs the childhood lead screening program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I DIY repaint my 1960s Chesapeake home?
Who enforces RRP?
Sources & Official References
- [1]EPA Lead RRP
Other rules in Chesapeake
Compare Chesapeake to another location·View the Virginia building safety overview
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