Evansville, IN Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- EMC § 15.15.130(D)
- Lead threshold
- 1.0 mg/cm² or 0.5% by weight
- Covered facilities
- dwellings, child/day-care buildings
- Enforcement
- Dept. of Code Enforcement
Summary
Evansville's Property Maintenance Code requires peeling or chipping lead-based paint on homes, fences, and outbuildings above set lead thresholds to be repaired, removed, or covered.
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) targets painted surfaces (interior and exterior) of dwellings and child/day-care facilities, including fences and outbuildings, that test at or above 1.0 mg/cm² or over 0.50% lead by weight. Those surfaces must be kept free of peeling, chipping, and flaking paint, or be removed or covered using a method on file with the Vanderburgh County Health Department, with the covered surface first marked with an approved lead-content warning. The section cross-references the separate lead-poisoning reporting and enforcement article at EMC 8.05, Article VII.
Violations & Fines
Peeling, chipping, or flaking lead paint left uncorrected is a Property Maintenance Code violation, enforced through the Department of Code Enforcement's notice-and-hearing process under EMC 15.15's general enforcement provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Evansville require fixing chipping lead paint on a house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Evansville
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