Most of New Orleans’ older housing stock carries lead-paint rules that shape how renovation work gets done, especially in the historic neighborhoods where original painted surfaces are still common. These rules aren’t a compliance afterthought we deal with once work is underway — they’re built into how we plan the project from day one. Our crews are RRP-certified and follow lead-safe containment and cleanup procedures on any work that disturbs painted surfaces in these homes.
Homes built before lead-based paint was banned for residential use are likely to fall under the EPA's Lead-Safe Renovation, Repair, and Painting requirements, and much of New Orleans' historic housing stock falls into that category. We check your property's likely status before finalizing the scope, since it affects containment requirements, timeline, and cost. If you're unsure of your home's renovation history or whether previous work already addressed lead paint, we help you sort that out rather than assuming the worst-case scenario applies by default.
Once we know lead-safe procedures apply, we set up containment before any surface-disturbing work begins — plastic sheeting, sealed work areas, and controlled entry points that keep dust and debris from spreading into the rest of the home. This isn't a quick tarp-and-go setup; it's done to the standard the RRP rule requires, because inadequate containment is one of the most common ways lead dust ends up somewhere it shouldn't. Containment gets factored into the project timeline upfront, so it doesn't read as an unexplained delay once work starts.
After the work is done, we follow RRP-specified cleanup procedures — wet cleaning, HEPA vacuuming, and verification checks — before removing containment or considering the area complete. Where full abatement (rather than renovation-related containment) is needed, we coordinate with the right abatement specialists so the two processes work together instead of one undoing the other. You get documentation of the cleanup process, which matters if you sell the property later or need to show compliance for any reason.
You’ll know before work starts whether your home likely falls under lead-safe requirements, and what that means for your timeline and price — not as a surprise once demolition has already begun. Containment and cleanup costs are built into the scope from the beginning, with assumptions written next to the price, so there’s no ambiguity about what’s included. If we find lead-painted surfaces we didn’t anticipate mid-project, we stop, explain what containment requires, and price it before continuing rather than working around it quietly.
Most of New Orleans’ older homes — especially in the historic neighborhoods — fall under the EPA’s Lead-Safe Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule, which applies to homes built before lead-based paint was banned for residential use. If you’re unsure whether your home falls into this category, we can check for you and explain what lead-safe procedures will apply to your specific project.
It adds containment and cleanup costs, but those are built into your scope upfront with the assumptions written next to the price, so you’re not surprised by an add-on later. The alternative — skipping proper containment — carries real health and liability risk, so it isn’t a step we cut.
We follow RRP-certified containment and cleanup procedures for renovation work. Where full abatement is needed, we coordinate with the right abatement specialists so both processes are aligned rather than working against each other.
We stop, explain what containment the finding requires, and price it before continuing — the same way we handle any unexpected structural or environmental finding mid-project.
