When Do You Need a Specialized Contractor?

Hiring the right person to do the job is critical. It reduces your liability and repeating work.

You only need an Indiana licensed abatement contractor when you are undertaking repairs or renovations designed to eliminate lead-based paint hazards for more than 20 years. However, projects that only incidentally result in a reduction or elimination of the hazards are exempt.

In practice, abatements are unusual. You are likely to need to do an abatement only under three circumstances:

• You are receiving more than $25,000 of HUD funds to conduct a renovation;
• A child has been lead poisoned in the property and the risk assessor reports that an abatement must be performed; or
• A state or local agency orders the abatement.

Consider hiring an abatement contractor whenever lead hazards need to be cleaned even if it is not technically an abatement project.

While not demanding the use of a licensed abatement contractor, HUD does have special training requirements (and work practices) for any disturbance of lead-based paint in target housing built before 1978. If the project is not an abatement project, the work must be either:

• Supervised by a lead abatement supervisor licensed by IDEM; or
• Performed only by people who have successfully completed either:

• Lead supervisor or worker training; or
• HUD-Approved Lead-Safe Work Practices Training Course.

HUD and EPA have jointly approved a course for painters, renovators, and maintenance personnel. See www.hud.gov/offices/lead/training/rrp/rrp_course.cfm for the course materials.