Option to Presume

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Under the Lead Safe Housing Rule, grantees may choose not to perform a risk assessment or paint testing and, instead, presume that lead-based paint and/or hazards are present. This option can be cost effective in cases where lead-based paint is likely to be present.

The consequences of presuming are different, depending on the lead hazard evaluation and reduction requirements.

• For rehab up to $5000 per unit, the grantee may skip the paint testing and presume all painted surfaces being worked on have lead-based paint. In this case, workers must use lead safe work practices on all the painted surfaces they work on and perform clearance when work is complete.
• For rehabilitation projects over $5,000 up to $25,000 per unit, the grantee may skip the risk assessment and presume lead based paint and lead hazards are present. To address the presumed hazards, the grantee must perform standard treatments.
• For rehabilitation over $25,000 per unit), the grantee may skip the risk assessment and presume lead hazards are present. In this case, the grantee must perform abatement on all potential lead hazards - deteriorated, impact, friction, chewable surfaces, as well as surfaces to be disturbed.

Option to Test

Grantees also always have the option to test limited surfaces to rule out lead-based paint on those surfaces. For example, after a visual assessment, the grantee may choose to test deteriorated surfaces to determine if those surfaces have lead-based paint.