Does a house built before 1978 have lead paint?

Not necessarily, and the odds depend heavily on the decade. HUD's 2018–19 national survey found lead-based paint in 85% of homes built before 1940, 61% built 1940–1959 and 24% built 1960–1977.

Can a house built after 1978 have lead paint?

It's uncommon. HUD found lead in about 6.5% of homes built 1978 or later, and about 4 in 10 of those had lead only in ceramic tile glaze, not paint. Most of the rest were homes built soon after the ban, when leftover older paint was still in use.

Guide · history

When was lead paint banned?

Q: When was lead paint banned?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned paint containing more than 0.06% lead for homes and other consumer uses in a rule published September 1, 1977. It applied to paint manufactured after February 27, 1978. Congress lowered the limit to 0.009% (90 parts per million) effective August 14, 2009.

The short answer is 1978: paint made for homes after February 27, 1978 could not contain more than 0.06% lead. The longer answer matters more, because lead was leaving house paint for decades before that, which is why a 1925 house and a 1975 house are very different risks.

The timeline

Before the 1940sLead was a main ingredient of house paint. “White lead” (lead carbonate) was the standard white pigment, and oil paints could be largely lead by weight. HUD's survey found lead-based paint in 85% of homes built before 1940.

1955The paint industry adopted a voluntary standard limiting lead in interior paints to 1% of the nonvolatile solids. (As described in HUD's 1990 report to Congress on lead-based paint abatement.)

January 13, 1971The Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act defined lead-based paint as more than 1% lead by weight and led to its ban in housing built or rehabilitated with federal assistance.

Early 1970sUnder the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, household paint containing more than 0.5% lead was banned nationwide. Planned cuts to 0.06% were stayed in 1972, 1973 and 1974.

November 9, 1973Congress amended the 1971 Act to set 0.5% through 1974 and 0.06% after that, unless the Consumer Product Safety Commission found a higher level safe.

1974CPSC told Congress it considered 0.5% safe, so 0.5% stayed the limit.

June 23, 1976Congress amended the Act again (Pub. L. 94-317): 0.06% for paint made after June 22, 1977, unless CPSC found a higher level safe.

December 1976CPSC found the evidence did not show any level above 0.06% to be safe, so 0.06% took effect for paint made after June 22, 1977.

September 1, 1977CPSC published its ban (16 CFR 1303): paint and surface coatings for consumer use containing more than 0.06% lead “are banned hazardous products”, along with toys and furniture coated with it.

February 27, 1978The ban applied to products manufactured after this date. This is the “1978” in today’s federal disclosure and renovation rules, which cover homes built before 1978.

August 14, 2009Under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the limit fell from 0.06% to 0.009% (90 parts per million).

What the ban didn't do

The ban stopped new lead paint from being sold. It didn't remove any. Most lead paint in American homes today is still on the walls, trim and windows, usually under newer coats. HUD estimates 34.6 million homes still have lead-based paint somewhere, 30.9 million of them built before 1978.

Because the limit tightened over decades, a home's era decides its odds:

Before 1940100 homes tested

85%

1940–1959154 homes tested

61%

1960–1977225 homes tested

24%

1978 and later224 homes tested

6%

Share of homes with lead-based paint anywhere, by year built. HUD American Healthy Homes Survey II, tested 2018–2019. The whisker is the survey's 95% range; the dark underline is the share with a lead hazard at the time of testing.

Why “before 1978” and not “before 1980”?

The law uses 1978 because of the ban date. The Census Bureau, which counts homes by the year they were built, groups 1970–1979 together, so no Census table can tell you how many homes were built before 1978. That's why this site shows “built before 1980” beside its estimates, and treats 8 of the 1970s' 10 years as pre-ban.

Common questions

Is all paint from before 1978 lead paint?

No. Lead was far more common in paint from before 1960. HUD found it in about a quarter of homes built 1960–1977, against 85% of homes built before 1940.

Was lead paint banned for all uses?

No. The 1978 ban covers paint for consumer use: homes, toys and furniture. Some industrial, agricultural and marine coatings and artists' paints fall outside it.

What if I don't know when my house was built?

Check your county assessor's or tax record, a past listing, or your closing papers. Until you know, treat it as pre-1978.

Sources: 42 Fed. Reg. 44199 (Sept. 1, 1977); 16 CFR 1303; Pub. L. 91-695, 93-151, 94-317 and 110-314 §101(f); HUD, Comprehensive and Workable Plan for the Abatement of Lead-Based Paint in Privately Owned Housing (1990); American Healthy Homes Survey II: Lead Findings (HUD, October 2021).

Check an address

How likely is lead paint where you live?

We estimate it for every neighbourhood from the decade its homes were built.

More guides

Lead paint disclosureWhat sellers and landlords of pre-1978 homes must tell you, the 10-day inspection right, and who’s exempt.How to test for lead paintInspection vs risk assessment vs test kits: what each can and can’t tell you, and what EPA actually recognizes.What does lead paint look like?You can’t tell by looking. What alligatoring means, where lead paint usually is, and what to do about chips.