Guides & rules
Lead-Safe Renovation in Pre-1978 KC Homes
This is the one federal rule that reaches most kitchen remodels in this metro, and the place you verify compliance depends on which side of the state line your house sits.
The rule
Work that disturbs painted surfaces in housing built before 1978 must be carried out by a firm certified under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, with certified renovators and contained work practices. A kitchen remodel disturbs paint almost by definition — demolition, cabinet removal and any sanding all qualify.
Verification differs by state
Kansas operates its own EPA-authorised programme. Missouri does not; the EPA administers the rule there directly. Same metro, same federal rule, two different places to confirm a firm is certified. Ask which applies to your address and check accordingly.
One technical point worth knowing if you go looking: RRP certification and lead-based paint abatement authorisation are separate EPA programmes with separate lists. A state can be authorised for one and not the other, so confirm you are looking at the right programme.
The homeowner exemption, and its limits
The rule generally does not apply to homeowners doing the work themselves in their own home. It does apply if you rent all or part of the home, if a childcare facility operates there, or if you are renovating to sell. A landlord doing their own work in a pre-1978 rental is inside the rule, not outside it.
How much local housing this covers
A great deal of it, and unevenly. Census figures put the share of housing built before 1970 at 63.3% in Kansas City, Kansas, 54.8% in Independence and 51.5% in Kansas City, Missouri — against 23.6% in Leawood, 20.3% in Shawnee and 10.8% in Olathe. Because the published age bands run 1970–1979, the true pre-1978 share sits somewhere between those figures and about twelve to seventeen points higher in each case.
The practical reading: in the older core of this metro, assume the rule applies until told otherwise. In the newer suburbs it is worth checking rather than assuming either way.
Common questions
How do I check a firm is lead-safe certified?
Does the rule apply if I do the work myself?
This page explains how these rules generally work and is not legal advice. Requirements change and vary by address — confirm anything that affects your project with the city that issues your permit, and speak to an attorney about contract or lien questions.
Sources
Have a kitchen in mind?
We quote around the rules this guide describes.