Free Lead Inspection in St. Louis County: Who Qualifies

Who qualifies for St. Louis County’s free lead inspection?

You qualify if you live in the county, a child under six lives in your home or visits regularly, and that child has a recent venous blood lead level test. The County’s Healthy Homes Program states it “does offer free in-home lead inspections for county residents.” Both conditions must be true.

The County’s wording is short: “Residents must have a child under six that lives in the home or visits regularly and a recent venous blood lead level test for that child to be eligible.” A grandparent’s house counts if a grandchild visits regularly.

A venous test is a blood draw from a vein. Your child’s doctor can order one. We cannot give medical advice, so ask the doctor what a result means.

What does the County inspection cover?

The County page calls it an “in-home lead inspection” run by the Department of Public Health’s Healthy Homes Program. It does not list steps, timing or what the report contains. We will not guess. Call the Healthy Homes Program and ask what the visit includes and how long reports take.

One point is clear. An inspection finds lead. It does not fix it. The County page says nothing about removal. If the inspection finds lead-based paint in poor condition, you still need a plan to deal with it.

What if I do not qualify?

Hire a licensed lead inspector. The County sends residents outside its criteria to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), which keeps a list of “licensed lead inspectors available for hire in your area.”

DHSS runs searchable directories of licensed lead inspectors, risk assessors and abatement supervisors. Check the license before you hire.

Missouri also sets a rule on testing. DHSS says paint chip sampling must be done by a licensed lead-based paint inspector or risk assessor. A licensed inspector often uses an XRF analyzer, a handheld device that reads lead in paint without cutting into it.

How likely is lead paint in a St. Louis County home?

Likely enough to test any older home. DHSS estimates that about 60% of Missouri homes built from 1960 to 1978 contain lead-based paint. That rises to 80% for 1940 to 1959 and up to 90% for homes built before 1949.

St. Louis County has many older homes. The Census Bureau’s 2024 estimate counts 447,542 housing units in the county. About 301,975 were built before 1980, which is roughly 67.5%. About 225,726 (50.4%) were built before 1970. The Census groups homes by decade, so it cannot split out 1978 exactly.

DHSS bands and Census decades do not line up exactly. Treat the table as a guide to scale, not a count of homes with lead. For the full picture, read our guide to lead paint in pre-1978 homes and our lead paint facts page.

When do I need a private inspection or an abatement contractor?

Use the County if you meet its criteria. Hire a licensed inspector if you do not, or if you need testing before a renovation. Hire a licensed contractor when the plan is to remove, replace, enclose or encapsulate lead paint.

DHSS is clear on the last step. Anyone doing “any abatement strategies (removal, replacement, enclosure and encapsulation) must still be licensed by Department of Health and Senior Services.” That is lead abatement, and it is different from lead-safe renovation under the EPA’s RRP rule. Our post on the Missouri lead abatement license explains the difference.

1. Ask whether you qualify for the County’s free inspection.
2. If not, hire a licensed inspector or risk assessor from the DHSS list.
3. Keep children away from chipping or damaged paint until you have results.
4. If abatement is needed, hire a licensed lead abatement contractor and verify the license with DHSS.

Next step

Learn how our lead abatement service works, or see our St. Louis County service area. Call (314) 865-2662 or use the form at /contact to talk through your test results. As of October 2026, check the County’s Healthy Homes page for current eligibility.