Residential Remodeling (B-2) · Lesson 4 of 5

Lead-Safe Remodeling: The 6 and 20 Square-Foot Test

"Lead-Safe Remodeling: The 6 and 20 Square-Foot Test" is lesson 4 of 5 in the Residential Remodeling (B-2) Learning Hub. It opens with "Two Lead Rules Apply to a Remodel" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. Two Lead Rules Apply to a Remodel
  2. The Minor-Repair Test: 6 Square Feet Per Room, 20 Outside
  3. Banned Practices and Cal/OSHA Trigger Tasks
  4. Notify, Contain, Verify, and Keep Records
  5. Protect the Crew Under 8 CCR 1532.1

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 6 steps, from "Hall bath" through "Dining room".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Lead-Safe Remodeling: The 6 and 20 Square-Foot Test" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Banned Practices and Cal/OSHA Trigger Tasks".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Notify, Contain, Verify, and Keep Records".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Protect the Crew Under 8 CCR 1532.1".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Lead-Safe Remodeling: The 6 / 20 Square-Foot Test KITCHEN (interior, per room) REGULATED Cabinet removal 4 + trim sanding 3 = 7 sq ft 7 is more than 6 sq ft in one room HALL BATH (interior, per room) EXEMPT Faucet and valve work, scrape 5 sq ft 5 is 6 or less; no window, no demolition DINING ROOM (interior) REGULATED Replace 1 window Window replacement is regulated at any size EXTERIOR (whole house) REGULATED Scrape 14 + eave trim 8 = 22 sq ft 22 is more than 20 sq ft outside EPA RRP RULES (2026) 1962 house = target housing Exempt only if ALL are true: 6 sq ft or less per room inside 20 sq ft or less outside no window replacement or demolition no banned practice (below) Banned: open flame, unshrouded sanders, heat gun over 1,100°F Plastic: 6 ft inside, 10 ft outside Pamphlet: 60 days or less before work Verify: wipe cloth vs. cleaning card Keep records 3 years Firm: EPA certified; certified renovator Crew: 8 CCR 1532.1 (scrape L1, sand L2) 3 OF 4 TASKS ARE REGULATED RENOVATION EPA-certified firm and renovator, containment, cleaning verification; crew protection under 8 CCR 1532.1 Source: EPA Steps to Lead-Safe RRP 2026 (pp. 6-7, 11-14, 18, 25-26, 33); EPA Renovator Manual 2026; 8 CCR 1532.1(d)(2) CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: Two Lead Rules Apply to a Remodel

Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint, which EPA's renovator course defines as paint with 1.0 mg/cm2 or more of lead, or more than 0.5 percent lead by weight (EPA Certified Renovator Student Manual 2026, PDF p. 16). The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule applies to firms paid to disturb paint in pre-1978 homes, including in California, and requires the firm to be EPA-certified with a certified renovator on each job (EPA Steps to Lead-Safe RRP 2026, p. 6). Separately, Cal/OSHA 8 CCR 1532.1 protects your own crew: it sets a permissible exposure limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter and an action level of 2, as 8-hour averages (1532.1(b), (c)(1)).

Step 2: The Minor-Repair Test: 6 Square Feet Per Room, 20 Outside

EPA exempts minor repair and maintenance of 6 square feet or less of painted surface per interior room, or 20 square feet or less per exterior project, from the work-practice requirements, but not if the job involves window replacement, demolition or a prohibited practice (EPA Steps 2026, pp. 7 and 32). Add up every task in a room: 4 sq ft of cabinet-removal damage plus 3 sq ft of trim sanding is 7 sq ft in that room, which is over the line. The whole surface of a removed component counts, and work within a 30-day period counts as the same job (Renovator Student Manual 2026, PDF p. 29).

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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