EPA Lead RRP Certification Guide
The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule protects children from lead dust during paid work on older homes and child care buildings. This guide covers what a certified renovator must know, each point tied to 40 CFR 745.
Start Here
- EPA Lead RRP Practice Test
151 original questions, adaptive 15–20 question tests with explanations and CFR references.
- OSHA 30 Construction Study Guide
Supervisor-level construction safety, including the OSHA lead standard.
When the RRP Rule Applies
- Paid renovations in target housing (built before 1978) and child-occupied facilities (745.82). Housing for the elderly or disabled, and 0-bedroom units, are excluded unless a child under 6 lives there (745.103).
- A child-occupied facility is visited by the same child under 6 on two or more days a week, at least 3 hours a visit, 6 hours a week and 60 hours a year (745.83).
- Minor repair is excluded at 6 sq ft or less per room inside, or 20 sq ft outside, but never for window replacement, demolition or prohibited practices (745.83).
- Work is exempt if testing shows paint below 1.0 mg/cm² or 0.5% by weight (745.82(a)).
Before the Job: Renovate Right
Give the owner the Renovate Right pamphlet no more than 60 days before work and get a written acknowledgment, or a certificate of mailing at least 7 days before. Adult occupants, common-area tenants and child-care parents have their own notice rules (745.84).
Containment and Prohibited Practices
Post warning signs. Indoors, close and cover ducts and cover floors 6 feet beyond the work. Outdoors, close doors and windows within 20 feet and cover the ground 10 feet out, adding vertical containment near a property line. Open-flame burning, unshrouded power sanding and heat guns at 1,100 °F or higher are banned (745.85(a)).
Cleaning and Cleaning Verification
Mist and fold sheeting dirty side in, HEPA-vacuum and wet-clean within 2 feet of the work area, and mop with separate wash and rinse water. The certified renovator then wipes sills and floors and compares each cloth to the EPA verification card, re-cleaning once if needed (745.85(b)).
Certification and Records
Firms are certified for 5 years and renovators for 5 years after an 8-hour course. The renovator must be on site for signs, containment and cleaning, and keep course certificates at the job. Records are kept for 3 years (745.86, 745.89, 745.90).
How to Use This Section
Read this guide, then take the Lead RRP practice test. Every answer cites the CFR section behind it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who needs EPA Lead RRP certification?
Firms paid to perform renovation, repair or painting that disturbs paint in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities must be EPA-certified (or certified by an authorised state) and use a certified renovator, under 40 CFR 745.81 and 745.89.
How long does renovator certification last?
Five years from the initial course. A refresher taken without hands-on training gives three years, and the next refresher must then include hands-on training (40 CFR 745.90(a)(4)).
How long is the initial renovator course?
At least 8 hours, including at least 2 hours of hands-on training, from an EPA-accredited training provider (40 CFR 745.225).
Does my state run its own program?
Some states and tribes are authorised by EPA to run their own RRP programs. Check EPA's list before you book a course.