Pre-1978 housing, HUD-assisted properties, and child-occupied facilities carry federal and Texas obligations for lead-based paint, and renovation work in those buildings triggers OSHA's lead-in-construction standard for your crews. TSEC identifies where lead paint is, whether it is a hazard, what the abatement or interim-control scope should be, and whether the space is clear when the work is done.
Inspections and risk assessments
A lead-based paint inspection answers where lead paint is present, component by component, using field-portable XRF analysis with same-visit results and laboratory paint-chip confirmation where readings are inconclusive. A risk assessment goes further: it evaluates the condition of painted surfaces, collects dust-wipe and soil samples, identifies existing hazards, and recommends interim controls or abatement. Both are performed to the HUD Guidelines (2012 edition) and 40 CFR 745, and both are written to the standard HUD's 24 CFR Part 35 requires for assisted housing, rehabilitation, and acquisition.
Which one do you need? Disclosures, HUD program files, and abatement planning call for an inspection. A tenant complaint, an elevated blood-lead referral, or a HUD rehabilitation over the applicable threshold calls for a risk assessment. Some projects need both; we'll tell you which applies before we quote.
Abatement specifications and EPA/HUD clearance dust sampling
When abatement or interim controls are required, TSEC prepares the specification — components, methods, occupant protection, containment, and cleaning — so the certified abatement firm and the property manager agree on scope before work begins. At completion we perform clearance: a visual for deteriorated paint and visible dust and debris, followed by dust-wipe sampling of floors, window sills, and window troughs analyzed by an NLLAP-recognized laboratory and compared to the current EPA and HUD dust-lead clearance levels. Clearance reports are formatted for HUD program files and for the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) documentation your contractor must keep.
TCLP laboratory coordination and waste characterization
- Lead-painted debris is not automatically hazardous waste — it must be characterized before disposal
- TSEC coordinates Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) testing under 40 CFR 261.24, sampling the actual waste stream rather than a lookalike
- The result shows whether the material exceeds the 5.0 mg/L regulatory limit for lead — deciding between municipal landfill and hazardous-waste handling
- Documentation you can hand the landfill or a regulator when they ask how the determination was made
OSHA compliance support
OSHA's lead-in-construction standard (29 CFR 1926.62) generally applies once construction workers disturb lead-containing paint, regardless of the building's occupancy; the specific obligations depend on measured or assumed exposure levels. TSEC supports contractors with negative-exposure assessments, personal air monitoring, work-practice recommendations, and the documentation needed to justify reduced protective measures once exposure data supports it.
Who this is for
Landlords and multifamily owners with pre-1978 units; housing authorities and HUD grantees; school districts and child-care operators; contractors working in occupied pre-1978 buildings; buyers, sellers, and lenders.
Timeline and pricing
XRF inspections deliver component-level readings on site; the written report follows within a few business days. Dust, soil, paint-chip, and TCLP samples go to accredited laboratories with rush turnaround available. Written quote the same business day.
Regulatory sources
Requirements vary with building classification, ownership, scope of work, and local permitting. The statements on this page are general; confirm the requirement for your specific project before scheduling work. Primary sources:
- Texas DSHS Asbestos Programs Branch — Texas Asbestos Health Protection Rules (25 TAC Ch. 296)
- Texas TDLR Mold Assessment & Remediation — 16 TAC Ch. 78
- EPA — Asbestos (NESHAP, AHERA)
- EPA — Lead (RRP, 40 CFR 745) and HUD Office of Lead Hazard Control
- OSHA — Asbestos and OSHA — Lead