Harrisburg, PA Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)
Key Facts
- Abatement plan deadline
- Within 10 days after receipt of the written order
- Completion deadline
- 15 days after plan approval, unless extended
- Chemical lead threshold
- Over 0.06% by dry weight is a violation
- X-ray fluorescence threshold
- Over 0.7 milligram per square centimeter
- Prohibited abatement methods
- Dry sanding, heat guns, open-flame torch, methylene chloride strippers
- Child care facilities
- Lead test results required before occupancy approval
Summary
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Chapter 6-325 bans applying lead paint to toys, furniture, kitchen utensils and interior surfaces of dwellings or facilities where children live or enter. When the Bureau of Codes Enforcement finds a lead hazard to children or a pregnant woman, it orders the owner to submit an abatement plan within 10 days.
A. Where the Bureau of Codes Enforcement determines that the presence of lead paint upon any premises creates a health hazard to children or a pregnant woman, it shall issue an order to the owner or occupant to eliminate the hazard in accordance with methods set forth in this chapter. B. Within 10 days following receipt of the written order, the owner shall submit to the Bureau of Codes Enforcement written plans and a schedule for elimination of the hazard. ... C. Dry sanding, heat guns, the use of an open-flame torch, and chemical strippers containing methylene chloride are prohibited abatement techniques. ... The owner shall complete abatement of the lead hazard within 15 days after receiving notification from the Bureau of Codes Enforcement that the plans and schedule have been approved, unless the Bureau of Codes Enforcement extends the time for compliance.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 6-325 of the Harrisburg Codified Ordinances is the City's own lead program. Section 6-325.1 bars applying lead paint to toys, furniture, kitchen utensils, or the interior surfaces of any dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house, rooming unit or facility where children live or enter, including window sills, window frames, doors, door frames, walls, ceilings and stair rails and spindles. Section 6-325.2 bars selling, transferring or delivering toys or furniture to which lead paint has been applied, and § 6-325.3 requires retail containers to carry a warning beginning "WARNING! CONTAINS LEAD. HARMFUL IF EATEN."
The Bureau of Codes Enforcement can enter and inspect a dwelling on probable cause (§ 6-325.4), including a report of elevated blood levels of a child under seven years of age or a pregnant woman, a reinspection, a planned systematic inspection, a complaint, or a reasonable belief of a violation. If entry is refused, the Bureau applies for a search and inspection warrant. No day-care or child-care facility is approved for occupancy by the Codes Administrator unless the applicant provides test results evidencing that the property contains no paint containing lead (§ 6-325.5).
Section 6-325.6 sets the testing thresholds: lead content of any surface material in excess of 0.06% by dry weight, or in excess of 0.7 milligram per square centimeter by x-ray fluorescent analyzer, is a violation. Section 6-325.7 treats any lead source as a health hazard to children under seven years of age, pregnant women and others with evidence of lead poisoning.
Abatement under § 6-325.10 is either wet stripping to bare underlying materials or covering with a permanently affixed, lead-free covering. Dry sanding, heat guns, open-flame torches and chemical strippers containing methylene chloride are prohibited. Repainting with nonleaded paint without complete removal does not satisfy the chapter (§ 6-325.11). An owner cannot evict occupants whose children show lead poisoning to avoid ordered maintenance, and a unit vacated under a corrective notice cannot be re-let until corrected (§ 6-325.8).
Violations & Fines
Violations of Chapter 6-325 are subject to Chapter 6-103 (§ 6-325.99), which leads to the general penalty of not more than $1,000 plus all costs, or imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both, with each day a separate offense and a $25 neighborhood mitigation penalty on conviction. The Bureau of Codes Enforcement can also seek an injunction or any other legal remedy to prevent or correct a violation. Noncompliance with an abatement schedule leaves the owner exposed to those remedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when Harrisburg finds a lead paint hazard?
Which lead paint abatement methods does Harrisburg allow?
Can Harrisburg inspect a home for lead paint?
Can a Harrisburg landlord evict a family over lead paint orders?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Harrisburg
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