Painting and Decorating (C-33) · Lesson 2 of 6

Lead-Safe Painting: When the EPA RRP Rule Applies

"Lead-Safe Painting: When the EPA RRP Rule Applies" is lesson 2 of 6 in the Painting and Decorating (C-33) Learning Hub. It opens with "Which Jobs Are Covered" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. Which Jobs Are Covered
  2. The Minor Repair Exception: 6 and 20 Square Feet
  3. Prohibited Work Practices
  4. Containment
  5. Clean, Then Verify

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 6 steps, from "Is the house covered?" through "Set containment for the covered work".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Lead-Safe Painting: When the EPA RRP Rule Applies" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Prohibited Work Practices".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Containment".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Clean, Then Verify".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Lead-Safe Painting: Does This Job Trigger RRP?Homes built before 1978: count the painted surface you disturbINTERIOR: MEASURED ROOM BY ROOMBEDROOM 1Baseboard 14 ft x 5 in= 5.8 sq ft+ casing 1.5 sq ft7.3 sq ftover 6: RRP appliesBEDROOM 2Door casing4.5 sq ft4.5 sq ft6 or less: exemptRooms are never added togetherMINOR REPAIR TESTInterior: 6 sq ft or less per roomExterior: 20 sq ft or lessNo window replacement or demolitionNo prohibited work practices usedFascia: 30 ft x 6 in = 15 sq ft15 is under 20, but a 1,200 F heat gunis prohibited and voids the exemptionPROHIBITEDOpen-flame burning or torchHeat gun above 1,100 FSander or grinder with noHEPA shroud and vacuumCONTAINMENTInterior: sheeting taped down,6 ft or more past the workExterior: ground sheeting10 ft or more past the workCLEANING CHECKWipe sills, floors, counterswith a wet disposable clothCloth must be cleaner thanthe verification cardResult: Bedroom 1 and the heat-gun fascia fall under RRP; Bedroom 2 does notSource: EPA Steps to Lead-Safe RRP (2026) pp. 7, 18, 25-26; EPA Renovator Manual (2026)CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: Which Jobs Are Covered

The federal Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule, which applies in California jobs, covers renovation work done for compensation in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978. Prep counts: scraping, sanding and removing paint before a repaint disturb painted surface. The firm must be EPA certified and the work directed by a certified renovator. The rule assumes any house built before 1978 contains lead-based paint unless a certified inspector or risk assessor, or a certified renovator using an EPA-recognized test kit or paint-chip lab analysis, determines the surfaces are lead-free (EPA Renovator Student Manual 2026, PDF pp. 47, 49, 64).

Step 2: The Minor Repair Exception: 6 and 20 Square Feet

EPA's Steps to Lead-Safe booklet (2026, p. 7) 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. The exemption is lost for window replacement, demolition, or any prohibited practice. The Student Manual (PDF p. 29) adds two counting rules: the entire surface area of a removed component counts as disturbed, and work other than emergency renovations done within a 30-day period is the same job. Rooms are measured one at a time.

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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