Lead paint removal in NYC — safe, legal, and permanent.
Removing lead paint in New York City isn't a scrape-and-repaint job — the law regulates who can do the work, how it's done, and how you prove it's clean afterward. Envirex is an EPA-certified firm that handles the removal, the containment, and the proof, across all five boroughs.
When lead paint removal is required — and when it's just smart.
Some removal work is forced: an HPD lead violation with a 21-day clock, a Health Department order after a child's elevated blood lead test, or a pre-1960 apartment turnover. Other removal is proactive — owners getting ahead of a renovation, a sale, or the next inspection cycle. Either way the standards are the same: certified crews, controlled work practices, and clearance testing at the end.
If you're not sure whether the paint in your building is lead at all, start with lead testing — an XRF inspection answers the question surface by surface, without opening walls.
Why you can't just scrape it off.
Dry scraping and dry sanding of lead paint are prohibited methods in NYC — they turn a stable hazard into airborne dust that settles into floors, radiators and window wells and stays there. Federal rules add another layer: renovation or repair that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing generally requires an EPA-certified firm following lead-safe work practices. In pre-1960 rental housing, the bar is higher again.
Practically, that means the questions to ask any contractor are: who holds the EPA certification, what containment goes up, where does the waste go, and who does the clearance test. If the answers are vague, keep looking.
Removal is one tool — sometimes the right fix is different.
True removal — stripping the lead paint off the surface with HEPA-controlled wet methods — is the most thorough approach, and the right one when the original surface has to stay. But on a window that's due for replacement anyway, swapping the component is cleaner and often cheaper. On a sound wall, an enclosure or a bonded encapsulant can eliminate the hazard with far less disruption. A serious lead abatement scope mixes methods surface by surface; our deeper guide to choosing between encapsulation, replacement and removal walks through the tradeoffs.
How an Envirex removal job runs.
A senior project manager walks the property, recommends the right method for each surface, and gives you a fixed price and timeline. Crews set up HEPA negative-air containment, do the work to EPA practices with photo and waste documentation, and tenants usually stay in place. When the work is done, an independent third-party firm — never us — performs dust-wipe clearance, an accredited lab confirms the results against current EPA thresholds, and you get the report that satisfies HPD, a lender, an insurer or a court.
If your removal is driven by a violation, we also handle the paperwork side — see HPD lead violation closure for how the certification of correction gets filed.
Common questions about lead paint removal in NYC.
Can I remove lead paint myself? In most cases, no — NYC prohibits the unsafe methods amateurs reach for, and disturbing lead paint in pre-1978 housing generally requires certified firms. For rentals, don't risk it.
Removal vs. abatement — what's the difference? Removal is one method of abatement. Abatement is the umbrella: removal, component replacement, enclosure, or encapsulation — chosen per surface.
How do I know it's actually gone? Independent clearance. A third party samples the dust, an accredited lab checks it against EPA thresholds, and the passing report is your proof.
Ready to schedule an inspection or quote a project?
Tell us about your property and what you need. We'll return a clear, written quote — no obligation, no pressure.