Lead Paint Remediation & Lead Abatement Services

What is lead abatement, and how is it different from lead-safe renovation (RRP)?

Lead abatement is work meant to permanently address lead-based paint hazards. Lead-safe renovation, called RRP, is a set of work practices for jobs that disturb paint but are not abatement. EPA says the two “may sometimes look similar, but they are two separate programs that require different certifications.”

The difference decides who can bid your job. Here it is side by side, as of October 2026:

	Lead abatement	RRP (renovation, repair and painting)
Purpose	Permanently address lead-based paint hazards	Use lead-safe work practices during repair, remodel or painting that disturbs paint
Who regulates it	Missouri DHSS licenses abatement contractors and workers. EPA sets federal certification rules	EPA. Missouri DHSS points to EPA for RRP
Who does the work	Licensed lead abatement contractor and licensed individuals	EPA lead-safe certified firm and certified renovators
Typical jobs	Removal, replacement, enclosure or encapsulation of lead paint; work tied to an elevated blood lead investigation	Window replacement, remodel, repainting in pre-1978 homes
Covers	Pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities	Pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities

Missouri DHSS puts the line this way: the RRP rules “have not altered federal or state regulations on lead abatement.” Anyone performing abatement strategies must still be licensed by DHSS and give the department any required notice.

RRP applies when paid work disturbs more than six square feet of interior painted surface or twenty square feet of exterior painted surface in a pre-1978 home or child-occupied facility, according to DHSS. Read the glossary entry on the RRP rule for the short version, and the entry on lead abatement for the term itself.

Why does Missouri require a licensed lead abatement contractor?

Missouri requires it to keep lead work in the hands of trained, inspected people. DHSS licenses lead abatement supervisors, workers, inspectors, risk assessors, project designers and the contractor firms that employ them. It also runs random inspections of contractors to check work practice standards.

Federal rules point the same way. EPA requires individuals and firms who perform lead-based paint inspections, risk assessments and abatement in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities to be certified and follow specific work practices.

For a property owner, the practical rule is simple. Before you sign for lead abatement, ask the contractor for its DHSS lead abatement contractor license and the license of the supervisor who will be on site. Then verify it with the department. Our post on the Missouri lead abatement license explains how.

Do not hire an RRP-only contractor for abatement work, and do not assume an abatement contractor will also handle your remodel. Ask for the right credential for the job you have.

Which homes and buildings are most likely to have lead paint?

Older ones. DHSS says any housing built before 1978 may be considered suspect, and that nationally pre-1950 housing is most likely to contain lead-based paint. EPA says about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint.

DHSS gives Missouri estimates by decade:

Home built	Share estimated to contain lead-based paint in Missouri (DHSS)
Before 1949	As high as 90%
1940 to 1959	80%
1960 to 1978	60%

The DHSS ranges overlap in the 1940s, so treat each as an estimate for that era. They are not a test of any single home. Only an inspection tells you what is in yours.

The pre-1978 line also covers child-occupied facilities such as childcare centers and preschools. AES says multi-family buildings raise the stakes because one problem can affect many families, and that industrial activity can leave lead in buildings, soil and water.

Our guide to lead paint in pre-1978 homes goes room by room, and the lead paint facts page covers the basics. See the glossary entry on lead-based paint.

How is lead paint tested?

A licensed lead inspector or risk assessor tests for it. EPA describes an inspection as a surface-by-surface investigation for lead-based paint, and a risk assessment as an on-site investigation of lead hazards in paint, dust and soil, with suggested ways to control them. In Missouri, paint chip sampling must be done by a licensed inspector or risk assessor.

The two services answer different questions:

Service	Question it answers	What it covers
Lead inspection	Is there lead-based paint, and where?	Surface-by-surface check of painted components
Risk assessment	Is there a lead hazard right now?	Paint, dust and soil, with ways to control hazards

Inspectors can use a portable XRF analyzer on painted surfaces or collect paint chips for a lab. Because Missouri limits who can take paint chip samples, an EPA-certified renovator who is not also a licensed inspector or risk assessor cannot use that method.

Test before you plan a remodel, and certainly before you sand, scrape or heat old paint. Those jobs make dust. AES says removing lead paint improperly “can increase dust resulting in greater health risks.”

How does a lead abatement project work?

A lead abatement project follows a plan written for your building: test, plan, contain, treat, clean, verify. The treatment depends on the condition and location of the paint. DHSS lists the abatement strategies as removal, replacement, enclosure and encapsulation.

A typical order of work:

1. Inspection or risk assessment. A licensed professional finds the lead and the hazards.
2. Written plan. The plan names components to treat and the method for each. Ask to see it.
3. Notice. DHSS says abatement contractors must provide any required notification to the department.
4. Set up. The crew seals the work area, protects floors and keeps the family out. See containment.
5. Treat. The crew removes or replaces components, or encloses or seals them.
6. Clean. The crew uses HEPA vacuums and wet cleaning on hard surfaces.
7. Check. Dust tests confirm the area is safe to reoccupy.
8. Waste. Debris and cleaning waste leave under the rules that apply.

AES lists lead paint remediation among its services and says it serves St. Louis, St. Charles, Missouri and Columbia, Missouri. Because the license question matters for abatement work, ask AES at the quote stage how a given scope will be handled. See what to expect from AES and the gallery for project photos.

How do I keep my family safe during the work?

Keep children, pregnant women and pets out of the work area until the contractor confirms it is clean. Do not sleep, eat or play in a room being treated. Ask the contractor for a written plan that shows the work area, the route to carry debris out and when you can return.

Steps that help:

• Decide where the family will stay before work starts, and for how long.
• Keep toys, bedding and food out of the work area. Cover or move furniture.
• Ask whether the crew will seal vents and use a HEPA vacuum at the end.
• Do not go back in until the crew tells you the cleanup check is done.
• Wash hands and children’s toys after any contact with dust or paint chips.
• If a child has an elevated blood lead level, tell the contractor and your health provider.

AES lists steps you can take to cut dust between projects: wipe flat surfaces such as window sills with a damp paper towel, mop smooth floors with a damp mop, vacuum carpets and upholstery, and pick up loose paint chips with care. AES also warns that these steps only limit exposure and that improper removal can make things worse.

If you own your home and plan to do the work, remember that the EPA exemption for homeowners does not apply if you rent part of the home, run a childcare center in it or flip houses for profit. Our guide to lead paint in pre-1978 homes covers safe habits for DIY projects.

What does the City of St. Louis offer for lead inspections?

The City of St. Louis Lead Inspection and Hazard Control Division performs inspections free of charge on residential City properties where children under six or a pregnant woman reside. If you rent or own in the City and that describes your household, ask for the City inspection first.

Use the City inspection as a starting point:

1. Check the City’s Lead Inspection and Hazard Control page to see if your household qualifies.
2. Request the inspection through the City.
3. If hazards are found, ask the City what help is available and what notices apply.
4. Plan the repair or abatement with a properly licensed contractor.
5. Keep a copy of every report.

The City program covers properties inside the City. If you live in St. Louis County, St. Charles, Missouri or Columbia, Missouri, other agencies may run their own programs, or you may hire a DHSS-licensed inspector directly. Ask your local health department what it offers.

How do I choose a lead abatement contractor?

Choose a firm that can show a current DHSS lead abatement contractor license, uses licensed supervisors and workers, and gives you a written scope based on an inspection or risk assessment. If a contractor says RRP certification alone covers abatement, walk away.

A short checklist:

1. Ask for the DHSS lead abatement contractor license and verify it.
2. Ask for the license of the supervisor who will be on your job.
3. Ask which test results the scope is based on.
4. Ask which strategy applies to each component: removal, replacement, enclosure or encapsulation.
5. Ask how the crew will protect your family and keep dust inside the work area.
6. Ask how the crew will verify the cleanup and what happens to the waste.
7. Get the scope and price in writing.

For a renovation that does not count as abatement, ask for an EPA lead-safe certified firm instead.

Next step

Start with testing so your plan matches what is in the walls. Call AES at (314) 865-2662 or use the form at /contact to ask how AES would handle your lead paint job, and see the environmental remediation services page for the rest of the work AES does.