House painting in Montgomery County, PA: lead help, older homes and paint disposal
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What should Montgomery County homeowners know before hiring a painter?
Montgomery is the largest of the four suburban counties around Philadelphia by housing, and about one home in six there was first built before 1940. For families with young children in older homes, the county runs a program that repairs lead hazards at no cost to eligible owners. Its waste collections, like those of its neighbors, refuse latex paint.
How old are Montgomery County homes?
The Census Bureau estimates the county has 350,351 housing units, and the county itself counts 353K+ housing units across 62 townships, boroughs and municipalities. Of the Census total, 16.0 percent were first built in 1939 or earlier and 8.1 percent since 2010.
The 1939 figure is a floor, not the full count of homes that matter for paint. The federal lead rule applies to housing built before 1978, and the Census pages do not give that share for the county. A house first built before 1940 is necessarily in it; so may be much of what came after.
Is there help with lead paint in Montgomery County?
Yes, for some households. The county's Lead Hazard Control Program received $1.8 million in October 2024 from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Under it, a certified inspector tests the home and a certified lead abatement contractor repairs the lead hazards found, at no cost to the owner.
To qualify, according to the county, you must own or rent in the county; a child under 6 must live with you or visit regularly, or a pregnant woman must live with you; the home must have been built before 1978; and income must be under the limits, which start at $68,750 for one person. The phone number is 610-278-5117.
Two points about what the program does. The county says it makes a home lead-safe, not lead-free, and a Healthy Homes inspection can add work such as stair repairs and railings. Separately, the county's general home repairs program is closed: its page says it is not accepting new applications and that the one-time Whole Home Repairs grant will not reopen.
Why does lead-safe matter more than a fresh coat?
Because a fresh coat does not fix a lead hazard. The Environmental Protection Agency says just painting over lead paint hazards with regular paint will not permanently address them. In a pre-1978 home, a painter who scrapes or sands the old surface for pay must be an EPA-certified firm following lead-safe practices, unless certified testing has shown the paint is not lead-based.
How do you check a painter in Montgomery County?
No county consumer office page was found for Montgomery, so the checks run through the state. Search the Attorney General's contractor search, which filters by county, and follow how to choose a painter.
The county has seen what happens without those checks. In 2025 the Attorney General reported that a Montgomery County judge had sentenced a contractor to three to six years in state prison for failing to complete home improvement work for victims who lost more than $156,000. The office says he took payments up front while giving another contractor's license information and had no registration of his own. What Pennsylvania requires explains the deposit limits that apply to painting contracts.
What do you do with leftover paint in Montgomery County?
The county has no dedicated drop-off site for household hazardous waste. It holds outdoor events from spring to fall, six in 2026, each needing advance registration with one ticket per vehicle. They take household chemicals only, with no latex paint accepted, and businesses and contractors are turned away. Residents of the other four southeastern counties may attend too.
For latex paint, the state Department of Environmental Protection allows trash disposal once the water has evaporated and no free liquid remains.
Painters serving the county are listed on the Montgomery County painters page.
Sources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Montgomery County by the Numbers, Montgomery County
- Lead Hazard Control Program, Montgomery County
- Home Repairs Program, Montgomery County
- Lead Abatement, Inspection and Risk Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: Contractors, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program, Montgomery County
- Household Hazardous Waste, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Pottstown-Based Home Improvement Contractor Jailed at Least 3 Years for Taking More than $156K for Jobs he did not Complete, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General