This page is general information for Utah homeowners and landlords. It is not legal advice. The agencies named here decide how the rules apply to your property.
Two sets of rules touch a paint job here. One is about lead in old paint. The other is about who has to approve the work: the city, a historic district or your HOA. Lead rules are strict and painting permits are light.
My house was built before 1978. Do I need to worry about lead paint?
Yes, enough to check. Lead paint was banned for homes in the United States in 1978, and houses built before then may have it under newer coats. Much of Salt Lake City, Murray, Midvale and Millcreek was built before that date.
Lead paint that is intact and covered is not the main risk. The danger is dust and chips made when it is sanded, scraped, cut or left to peel. Children and pregnant women are most at risk.
In Utah the rules are run by the state. The Lead-Based Paint Program at the Utah Division of Air Quality, part of the Department of Environmental Quality, enforces work practices for renovation, repair and painting done by paid contractors, under Utah Administrative Code R307-840, R307-841 and R307-842. Utah is one of the states the EPA has authorized to run the Renovation, Repair and Painting rule itself.
How do I know if old paint contains lead?
You cannot tell by looking. A test is the only way to know whether paint contains lead.
- A lead inspection by a certified inspector, who checks painted surfaces through the house. HomeGuide lists this at $300 to $700 nationally.
- A risk assessment, which also looks at dust and soil: $500 to $1,500 nationally.
- A home test kit: $20 to $30. The EPA recognizes certain kits, which Utah's program lists as LeadCheck and D-Lead.
If nothing has been tested, a contractor working on a pre-1978 home has to assume lead is present and work lead-safe.
Can you paint over lead paint or must it be removed?
Lead paint does not have to be removed. Painting over lead paint that is intact and well stuck is a normal and accepted way to keep it sealed.
Ordinary paint is not the same as an encapsulant, which is a thicker coating made and labeled to seal lead. Where old paint is peeling, the loose paint must be taken off with lead-safe methods before anything goes over it. Full removal is a separate, regulated job for a certified abatement firm. HomeGuide lists lead paint removal at $6 to $17 per square foot nationally and encapsulation at $6 to $10.
What certification does a painter need for pre-1978 homes?
A firm paid to disturb paint in a pre-1978 home or child-occupied building must be a certified lead-safe renovation firm, and the work must be led by a certified renovator who has taken the approved training.
In Utah that certification comes through the state Lead-Based Paint Program at the Division of Air Quality, which certifies both people and firms. Small areas of disturbance are exempt under the federal rule, and so are homeowners working on their own home. Ask any painter you are considering for a copy of the firm certificate and the renovator's certificate before work starts on an older house. The contractor must also give you the Renovate Right pamphlet before the job.
Do lead rules change the price?
Yes, somewhat. Lead-safe work costs more than the same job on a newer house, because of plastic sheeting, containment, special vacuums, careful cleaning and record keeping.
No national figure is published for that extra on a paint job. It depends on how much old paint is disturbed. A repaint over sound paint with little scraping adds little. A house peeling to bare wood adds much more. We price it after we see the surfaces.
Who is responsible for lead paint disclosure on a rental?
The landlord is. Under the federal lead disclosure rule, anyone renting or selling most housing built before 1978 must disclose any known lead paint and hazards, hand over any reports, and give the tenant or buyer the pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home.
The lease has to include a lead warning statement, and the landlord keeps the signed form. A property manager acting for the owner shares that duty. A painter does not make the disclosure, but a landlord who hires one for a pre-1978 rental must use a certified firm.
Do I need a permit to paint the outside of my house?
No. Salt Lake City lists painting, papering and similar finish work among the jobs that do not need a building permit. The same is normally true in the other cities in the valley.
A permit can come into it when the job grows: replacing siding, structural repair to a porch or deck, or setting scaffold on a public sidewalk. If your job includes more than paint, check with your city's building department.
Do I need HOA approval to change my exterior color, and can the HOA fine me?
If your home is in an HOA, almost certainly yes. Most HOA covenants require written approval before an exterior color change, and many have a set list of colors. Daybreak in South Jordan, SunCrest in Draper and many newer subdivisions work this way.
Whether the HOA can fine you depends on its governing documents and on Utah law, which sets the steps an association must follow. We are not lawyers. Read your covenants, apply in writing with color samples and keep the approval. We can supply the samples.
Are there paint rules in a historic district?
In Salt Lake City's local historic districts, paint color is not reviewed. The city says all exterior work in a local historic district needs approval before it starts, except paint color and minor maintenance.
There is one firm point. The city's guidance says unpainted historic masonry should stay unpainted, because paint can trap moisture and damage old brick and stone. The local districts include the Avenues, Capitol Hill, Central City, South Temple, University, Yalecrest, Exchange Place and Westmoreland Place. If the job includes repairs, new siding, windows or a porch, talk to the Planning Division first.
Do I need a permit to paint a storefront or commercial building?
Not for the painting. The city's list of work exempt from a building permit does not separate homes from businesses on painting.
Other parts of a storefront job can need approval: a new or changed sign, an awning, a scaffold or lift on the sidewalk, or any exterior change to a building in a local historic district. Painting a wall sign or mural is a sign question, not a paint question. Ask the city before you start.