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How Do You Show Lead-Safe Certification on Your Painting Website?

By Ansh Singh · Updated November 8, 2026 · 9 min read

Short answer: Painters paid to paint, prep or repair painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 need EPA lead-safe firm certification, even if they work alone. Once certified, say so on your site in plain words and link EPA's firm search so homeowners can check you.

Key facts

EPA says anyone paid to do covered work in pre-1978 homes must be certified, including sole proprietorships.
EPA lists $300 for renovation firm certification or recertification, as read in November 2026; it lasts five years.
Apply for renewal at least 90 days before your certification expires.
Put the lead-safe line and EPA's logo in the footer, and link EPA's firm location search.
Never claim 'lead-free' or lead hazard removal; abatement is a separate activity with its own certification.
Fifteen states run their own programs where EPA certification does not apply; check your state agency.

Lead is a painter's issue more than any other trade's. Sanding, scraping and prep are the work that makes lead dust in an old house. That is why EPA's rule has "painting" in its name. It is also why a homeowner with an older house is looking for this on your website.

This page rests on EPA's own pages. Where EPA's pages do not say something, we say so instead of guessing. Rules change, so check the linked EPA pages before you act.

What is the RRP rule?

The RRP rule is EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Program. EPA describes it as a rule for work in housing, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978, the year the federal government banned lead-based paint for those uses. EPA says approximately three-quarters of homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint (EPA: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program).

In plain words: if you disturb paint in an old house for pay, EPA wants you trained, certified and using lead-safe work practices. These are a set of methods that keep lead dust and paint chips from spreading to the people who live there.

Who has to be certified

EPA is direct about this. Anyone paid to perform the covered work must be certified, and the page says this includes all firms, even sole proprietorships (EPA: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program).

Who	Covered by RRP?	Source
A painting company working on a pre-1978 home	Yes	EPA RRP
A one-person painter	Yes. Sole proprietors are included	EPA RRP
A landlord or property manager doing work in a pre-1978 rental	Yes	EPA RRP
A homeowner working on their own pre-1978 home	Generally no, unless they rent part of it, run a childcare center there or flip houses	EPA RRP
Work in a post-1978 home	Not covered by this rule	EPA RRP

Notice what that means for your marketing. A painter who advertises "interior and exterior painting" in a town full of older houses is advertising work that is often covered. EPA's page for contractors says that firms "cannot advertise or perform" covered renovation activities without certification (EPA: RRP Program for Contractors). So your website is part of the rule, not separate from it.

Which painting jobs count

EPA's contractor page says the covered activities include remodeling, repair and maintenance, electrical and plumbing work, painting preparation, carpentry and window replacement. It also says paint testing is not required, but the rule's requirements apply unless you have documentation that the paint is not lead-based (EPA: RRP Program for Contractors).

There is a minor-work exemption. The same page says repair and maintenance that disturbs 6 square feet or less of paint per room indoors, or 20 square feet or less outdoors, may be exempt. Window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are always covered, whatever the size.

For a painter, that has a practical effect. Scraping the trim on a whole house exterior is far above 20 square feet. Interior repainting that includes sanding and patching can also pass the limit. Do not guess. If you are unsure whether a job is covered, treat it as covered or ask EPA.

How to get certified

EPA's firm certification page lists the steps and costs (EPA: RRP Firm Certification):

Apply online through EPA's CDX portal and pay by credit card, debit card or electronic check.
Pay the fee. Renovation firm certification or recertification is $300 (per EPA's page, as read in November 2026). A replacement certificate is $15.
Wait a week or two. EPA says processing takes a week or two, with approval sent by email and the certificate and logo posted to your CDX inbox.
Renew on time. Certification is good for five years. Apply at least 90 days before it expires. If you apply later, EPA treats it as a new application and you cannot renovate until it is approved.
Update changes within 90 days. Name and address changes must be reported. Certifications cannot be transferred. A new owner files a new application.

EPA also says the certified firm must assign a certified renovator to each job. Other workers do not need to be certified themselves, but a certified renovator must train them. The firm must follow the work practice standards, complete pre-renovation education and hand out the lead pamphlet, and meet recordkeeping requirements. A renovator is the trained person who runs the job. Training providers must be accredited by EPA or an authorized state or tribal program (EPA: RRP Program).

States with their own program

EPA's "get certified" page says EPA certification does not apply in these states, where you must apply to the state program: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin (EPA: Get Certified). If you work in one of them, check your state agency. Our North Carolina page and Washington page cover those states' contractor rules.

How do you show lead-safe certification on your painting website?

Do the work first, then put it on the page. A certification line on a website only helps if it is true and current.

Step 1: Confirm your certification is active

Check the date on your certificate. If it is close to the five-year mark, start the renewal. EPA says to apply at least 90 days before expiry, so do not wait until your site badge is out of date.

Step 2: Use EPA's logo only as EPA gives it

EPA says the certificate and a personalized logo are sent to your CDX inbox when you are approved. EPA's consumer page tells homeowners to look for the lead-safe certified logo (EPA: RRP for Consumers). EPA says the logo comes with instructions for its use and that you may use it on advertising materials in accordance with EPA's logo use guidelines. Read those guidelines, use only the file EPA sent you, and ask EPA if you are unsure.

Step 3: Put it in the places homeowners look

Put the logo and one line in the footer of every page, so it follows the visitor. Add it to your about page, your interior and exterior painting pages and your estimate request page. A line like this works:

Lead-safe certified firm. We follow EPA lead-safe work practices in homes built before 1978.

Add your state program details if your state runs its own. Keep it accurate: say "EPA lead-safe certified" only if EPA certified you, and name your state program otherwise.

Step 4: Write a short lead-safe page

A page of about 300 to 500 words is enough. Answer these questions in plain text:

What is the lead rule and which houses does it cover?
What do you do differently on an older house?
Do you give owners the lead pamphlet before work starts?
Does it change the price or schedule?
How can the homeowner check your certification?

On that last point, EPA's program page links a "find a lead-safe certified contractor" tool that homeowners can use (EPA: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, which links to EPA's firm location search). Link to it from your page. A firm that invites checking looks more trustworthy than one that hides.

Step 5: Mention it in estimates and reviews

Put a lead-safe line on every estimate for an older home. See our estimate follow-up guide for how to word it. Ask customers to mention it only if it is true to their experience. Our review request guide has the rules for asking.

Step 6: Keep it current

Review the page each year. Update it when your certification renews, your renovators change or EPA changes its pages.

What not to say

Lead is a health topic, so be careful with promises.

Do not say "lead-free" or "100% lead safe." The certification means you follow a set of work practices, not that no lead is present.
Do not claim a certification you do not have. EPA says you cannot advertise covered work without certification.
Do not claim to remove lead hazards. EPA says RRP work is not designed to address lead-based paint hazards, and that abatement is a separate activity needing its own individual and firm certification (EPA: Lead Abatement versus Lead RRP).
Do not guess at health effects. Link to EPA's pages if a visitor wants health detail.
Do not copy another firm's lead-safe page. Write your own, based on what you do.

Why it is worth putting on your site

A home built before 1978 is what EPA's rule is aimed at. A page that says what you do and gives a way to check you answers a question they may not know to ask. It also gives search tools a fact to quote. Google says it has no extra requirements for AI features beyond being indexed and eligible for a snippet, and it says important content should be in text (Google Search Central: AI features and your website), so write the status as text, not only as a badge image.

A lead-safe page also fits with the rest of your painting company website, next to your license details (see our license number guide). If you would like a site with a lead-safe page built in, you can see a free demo site.

A quick checklist

Item	Check
Firm certification is current (EPA or state program)
Certified renovator assigned to each older-home job
Logo used as EPA supplied it
Footer line on every page
Lead-safe page written in plain text
Link to EPA's firm search
No "lead-free" or abatement claims
Renewal date on the calendar, 90 days ahead

Common questions

Do I need lead-safe certification if I only paint?

EPA's rule covers painting that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing, and its contractor page lists painting preparation among covered activities. If you only roll fresh coats on sound paint, you may disturb little, but prep work like scraping and sanding is covered. Read EPA's contractor page and ask EPA if you are not sure.

How much does lead-safe certification cost?

EPA lists $300 for renovation firm certification or recertification, as of the page we read in November 2026. That does not include training for your renovator or the materials for the work practices. Certification is valid for five years.

Can I advertise lead-safe painting before I am certified?

No. EPA says firms cannot advertise or perform covered renovation activities without certification. Wait until you have your certificate, then add it to the site.

Does the rule apply to my own house?

EPA says homeowners working on their own pre-1978 home are generally not covered, unless they rent part of the home, run a childcare center there or flip houses. A paid painter working on a homeowner's house is covered.

How can a homeowner check that I am certified?

EPA points homeowners to its firm location search and tells them to look for the lead-safe certified firm logo. Link to the search from your site so they can find you in it.

Sources

About the author

Ansh Singh runs Contractor Websites. He builds websites for electricians, plumbers, roofers and other home service trades, and writes the guides on this site. More about Ansh Singh.

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