Tigard, OR Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)

The lead rule in the City of Tigard is one sentence in Tigard Municipal Code § 14.16.320(A): when paint is applied to any surface of a residential structure, it shall be lead-free. The reach is wide because of how Chapter 14.16 defines the terms. A residential structure is any building or other improvement containing one or more dwelling units plus any accessory structure, and accessory structures include garages, carports, sheds, decks, awnings, fences, trellises, flag poles, exterior stairs and walkways. So the lead-free rule applies to repainting a fence or deck as much as a bedroom wall. The trigger is the act of applying paint, and the chapter applies to all property in the City except Group "I" occupancies (§ 14.16.030).

Subsection B sits beside it: residential property must be free of dangerous levels of hazardous materials, contamination by toxic chemicals or other circumstances that would render the property unsafe. "Hazardous materials" means materials defined as hazardous by the current fire code adopted by the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue District. Subsection D adds that residential property must be kept free of friable asbestos. Tigard's code contains no separate lead disclosure form or lead inspection program; this sentence is its only lead paint rule, enforced like the rest of the property maintenance code. Under § 14.16.420 the building official inspects regulated buildings, with entry by the owner's consent or a search warrant from the City's Municipal Court. Under § 14.16.440, a unit vacated after a notice of violation cannot be reoccupied until corrections are made and inspections approved, unless the building official finds all fire and life safety hazards rectified.