How Much Does Paint Removal Cost?

Since 1978, lead-based paint was banned for residential use in the United States by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. During the past several decades, environmental scientists and health experts determined how exposure from this metal can pose significant public health problems – a fact substantiated by the World Health Organization. What makes lead even more disconcerting is the fact that its natural toxins are more potent against pregnant women and children below 6 years of age.

Despite the serious health concerns posed by lead-based paint, 75% of the American homes still have lead paint coating the inner and/or outer walls. Lead paint removal is one of the important sectors of home renovation business under the close supervision of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). After all, improper procedures of dealing with lead increase risk and exposure.

The average lead paint removal price, as estimated by the EPA, is $8 to $15 per square foot. Projected according to the scope of an entire conventional American house, the price would fall at about $10,000 the lowest.

In some cases, the cost of paint removal would climb up as high as $45,000. This price range describes the thorough abatement of lead paint on the exterior wall of an average home that covers a total of 3,000 square foot. Exterior areas are costlier given that the work being performed requires more protective screening. However, there are other crucial expenses worth noting prior to the paint removal procedure.

An overall labor cost for paint removal would come as low as $325.79. The average high fee for each 10-hour job is roughly around $793.39. In addition to shouldering labor cost, the expenses needed to cover for the paint removal equipment is $11.25 to $15.75 per job. Fortunately, most of the trained contractors already have their own special tools.

First Step: Lead Testing

Before immediately getting into the task of dealing with lead, one must know which area in the house contains dangerous amounts of toxic concentration. Unfortunately, it is impossible to detect lead by the naked eye. Just like radiation, screening lead requires precision equipment.

A $10 worth easy to use DIY detector kit may ease up the total lead abatement cost. However, some experts recommend the option of hiring a certified inspector to do the thorough survey. This latter option could cost roughly around $350 to $500.

There is only one exception that renders lead testing almost practically unnecessary. If a homeowner possesses a house that was constructed before the 1978 prohibition, then it is automatically understood that the level of lead exposure prompts total paint removal in and out of the house. People who are thinking of extending their long-term stay must consider complete lead paint abatement as the single most viable solution.

3 RRP Alternatives To Abatement

There are other alternatives to the conventional lead paint abatement procedures being used by professionals today. However, there is a reason why the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Program is classified as an alternative and not a gold standard.

• Renovation: Renovation extends the degree of risk for people around the vicinity of a lead-polluted area. Ordinary renovation and maintenance activities can create toxic lead particles that can be transmitted airborne within in closer proximity. This type of lead abatement is something that requires extreme care on the part of the professionals, especially given the fact that the EPA has taken a total of 75 enforcement actions in 2016 against companies for failing to guarantee the safety of their customers.

This EPA-authorized alternative requires professional contractors to have the following: EPA Lead-safe Certification, training, and a working knowledge of lead-safe containment protocols. The average cost of renovation depends on which part of the homeowner’s living space requires complete removal. For instance, siding (outer wall) replacement generally costs $8,879 to $22,000.

• Encapsulation: This alternative method is very popular among American household. Apart from being the cheapest in terms of overall lead abatement cost, encapsulation is also the least complicated procedure. In fact, this process can be performed without the need for professional expertise – although the latter is often more preferable.

Encapsulation merely requires one to cover lead-painted walls with a special paint-like coating. The substance effectively seals the lead-based paint via a watertight bond. Encapsulation materials cost roughly around $50 per gallon. To over a conventional house spanning an average perimeter of 2,000 square feet, the projected cost is anywhere between $800 and $1,400. For the purpose of this part of the article, the estimate excludes the total labor cost.

• Enclosure: Another familiar method of lead paint abatement is called enclosure. Similar to encapsulation, the idea is simply to seal the areas that have the highest degree of lead contamination. Unlike encapsulation, the materials used to enclose risky areas may vary from aluminum to vinyl cladding. The only real downside to this method of lead abatement is that it does not last long against exposure to weathering – hence the health risks will start again.

The estimated cost of lead paint removal using enclosure entails around $9.62 per square foot. Anyone who prefers hiring professional hands could expect a total of $3,240 for the initial labor cost. However, it is important to take note that the estimate does not yet include materials and carpentry. The total projected lead removal price is roughly $11,544.

Top 5 Cheap And Costly Labor Areas

Speaking of hiring professionals, certain areas in the United States are generally more economical than the average national cost. These are the following areas where labor is discounted:

1. Blythe, California: 45% less
2. Earleville, Maryland: 26% less
3. Garret, Indiana: 26% less
4. Fort Bragg, California: 21% less
5. Ogden, Utah: 28% less

Some highly-urbanized areas in America naturally offer a very steep price of labor cost in comparison to the national average cost. These are the locations which often prompt homeowners to do DIY lead abatement:

1. New York City, New York: 77% more
2. Lexington, Massachusetts: 41% more
3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 40% more
4. Chicago, Illinois: 40% more
5. Arlington, Virginia: 38% more