House painting in Philadelphia: lead laws, historic rules and city checks
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What should Philadelphians know before hiring a painter?
Philadelphia has the oldest housing of the five counties, city laws that tie lead testing to rentals, and a Historical Commission that reviews some painting on registered buildings. A painter who works here should know all three. This guide sets out what each one means for you.
How old is the city's housing?
Old enough that lead paint is the default assumption. The Census Bureau estimates that 39.9 percent of the city's 748,270 housing units, about four in ten, were first built in 1939 or earlier, against 25.0 percent statewide. Every one of those homes predates 1978, so a painter paid to scrape or sand them falls under the federal lead rule, which covers painting preparation in pre-1978 housing unless certified testing has documented that the paint is not lead-based.
Much of that stock is the row house, which the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia calls the city's defining vernacular architecture, with brick its standard material. Row houses share party walls, and the encyclopedia notes that in tightly packed blocks one building's problems could spread to its neighbors. The federal rule addresses that for exterior work: when the work is within 10 feet of the property line, the work practice rules require the firm to put up vertical containment or take equivalent precautions so dust does not reach the house next door.
What do the city's lead laws require of landlords?
The Census Bureau puts the share of occupied homes that are rented at 48.2 percent, nearly half. For landlords, the city's Lead Paint Disclosure and Certification Law requires owners of rental properties built before 1978 to test and certify them as lead-safe or lead-free, with a certification prepared by a dust wipe technician, before signing a new or renewed lease and before getting or renewing a rental license.
The city tells landlords to hire an EPA-approved lead dust wipe sampling technician or a certified lead abatement firm for that certification. If you are a landlord repainting between tenants, the EPA says an owner who rents out a pre-1978 home should become lead-safe certified or hire a certified contractor before any work that disturbs paint.
What if you rent, or your child has a high lead level?
The city's Lead and Healthy Homes Program tells tenants to report peeling and chipping paint to the landlord for prompt repair in a lead-safe manner, and to call 311 for an inspection by the Department of Licenses and Inspections if the landlord does not act. Concerns about dust from construction can also go to 311.
When a child's blood lead level is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter or higher, the healthcare provider notifies the program, which sends a health educator and a licensed lead inspector who tests every painted surface, free of charge. Help with removal depends on income, family size and the scale of the problem. The program is at 7801 Essington Ave., on (215) 685-2788.
When does painting need city approval?
A building permit is usually not needed: the city says that unless a property is on the Philadelphia Historic Register, you often need no permit for painting, papering and similar finishes.
Registered properties are different. The Historical Commission reviews masonry painting and any painting, coating, staining or sealing of surfaces other than wood and metal trim. In a city of brick fronts, that means painting the brick of a listed house needs review, while scraping and repainting its wood trim is standard maintenance that does not. Review is free and the staff can be reached at preservation@phila.gov.
How do you check a painter in Philadelphia?
A painter who works only on existing one- or two-family homes registers with the state as a home improvement contractor. The city tells property owners to make sure contractors have the proper licenses and registrations, a good reputation and any required permits, and its contractor lookup shows active licenses and licensing violations. What Pennsylvania requires covers the state side.
What do you do with leftover paint in Philadelphia?
The city's household hazardous waste events accept oil, latex and water-based paint, along with solvents, spray paint and varnish. They need no registration, run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and are open to residents of all five counties; the last of the seven 2026 dates was November 7. The city also says latex paint is not hazardous and, once dried or solidified with an absorbent such as kitty litter, can go in regular trash. Oil-based paint and solvents should never go in the trash.
Painters serving the city are on the Philadelphia painters page.
Sources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Row Houses, Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia
- Lead paint laws and regulations, City of Philadelphia
- Lead and Healthy Homes resources for landlords, City of Philadelphia
- Lead and Healthy Homes Program, City of Philadelphia
- Get approval for work to a historic property, City of Philadelphia
- Get a Building Permit, City of Philadelphia
- Find a licensed contractor and contractor information, City of Philadelphia
- Drop off household hazardous waste, City of Philadelphia
- 2026 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Dates, City of Philadelphia
- Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: Contractors, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- 40 CFR 745.85 -- Work practice standards., Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- Reduce the Risk of Lead Exposure at Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency