Asbestos & Lead Requirements | Vermont Department of Health CLOSE Translations for you Asbestos & Lead Requirements In this section: Look Up Licensed Asbestos and Lead Contractors Licenses, Certificates & Permits Contractors & Other Building Professionals Child Care Providers & Schools Municipal Officials Property Owners & Landlords Real Estate Professionals Renters Inspection, Repair & Cleaning (IRC) Practices Training for RRPM & IRC Practices Renovation, Repair, Painting & Maintenance (RRPM) Regulations Asbestos and Lead in Buildings, Homes and Other Structures Some buildings contain hazardous materials. Asbestos and lead are common building materials that can cause harmful health effects. Because of this, there are laws in place to protect the health of Vermonters. In this section, you will find information on the asbestos and lead regulatory requirements when doing this type of work on buildings or other structures: Maintenance Repairs Renovation Demolition Cleaning up after a fire, flooding or storm damage Important Links File or Look Up an IRC Practices Statement Look Up a Licensed Asbestos or Lead Company or Individual Apply for Asbestos and Lead Licenses, Certificates and Permits Submit an Asbestos or Lead Complaint Learn About Home Renovations and Your Health Asbestos Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been used in building construction materials for insulation and as a fire retardant. Other manufactured goods that may contain asbestos include building materials (for example, roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and asbestos cement products), friction products (for example, automobile clutch, brake and transmission parts), heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets and coatings. Some vermiculite or talc products may contain asbestos. If these materials are disturbed or damaged in any way — such as when renovating or demolishing a building — asbestos fibers can be released into the air and breathed in. Exposure to asbestos fibers increases the risk of developing health effects — such as lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. How can asbestos exposure be prevented? Asbestos exposure can be prevented, as long as building owners, homeowners, property owners and contractors know how to reduce or eliminate exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, and what danger signs to look for. Call your health care provider if you think you or a family member has been exposed to asbestos, even if you or they do not feel sick. Resources Below are links to resources and more information on asbestos from the Health Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Resource Description Asbestos Information (EPA) Information on what asbestos is, how to protect your family, asbestos in school buildings, requirements for building owners and managers, asbestos at cleanup sites, and asbestos professionals Asbestos and Your Health (ATSDR) Information on asbestos exposure and reducing exposure, health effects of asbestos, ATSDR’s asbestos work, and links to more resources on asbestos Handling Asbestos Containing Materials During Renovations, Demolitions and Fire Clean Up Information on the health risks of asbestos, where it can be found and planning for renovations, demolition or fire damage clean up. Protect Your Family from Asbestos-Contaminated Vermiculite Insulation (EPA) Information on how to protect yourself and your family if you suspect that you might have vermiculite insulation from Libby, Montana Vermont Regulations for Asbestos Control Information on V.S.A. Title 18, Chapter 26. Lead Lead is a highly toxic metal that has been commonly used in many household, industrial and automobile products — such as paint, solder, batteries, brass, car radiators, bullets, pottery, etc. Too much lead in the body, or lead poisoning, can cause serious and permanent health problems. Children and pregnant people are at special risk. Lead-based paint is assumed by law to be present in pre-1978 buildings in Vermont. You can have lead poisoning without noticing any symptoms. Even if you feel fine, lead can start building up in your body and may damage your kidneys, brain, and your digestive, reproductive and blood systems. In children, lead can slow down growth, impair development and learning, and can cause behavior problems. In people who are pregnant, lead can increase the risk of miscarriage and cause babies to be born too early, too small, or with learning or behavior problems. How can lead exposure be prevented? Lead poisoning can be prevented when homeowners, tenants and contractors know how to reduce or eliminate exposure to lead dust, deteriorated (chipping or peeling) lead-based paint, lead-contaminated soil as well as what danger signs to look for. Call your health care provider if you think you or a family member has been exposed to lead, even if you do not feel sick. Learn more about lead hazards and lead poisoning Are there exemptions from the Vermont lead law? Under Vermont law, it is assumed that lead-based paint – including any paint, coating, stain or seal – is present in all housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978. Vermont does not allow hardware store lead test kits to verify if lead is absent . The only way to verify whether a building or part of a building is lead-free is: Hire a Vermont-licensed Lead Inspector or Lead Inspector-Risk Assessor who will: Perform an inspection using an XRF machine or collect paint chip samples following U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) protocols. Send any paint chip samples to a Vermont-licensed laboratory for analysis. Submit a building or component exemption application to the Health Department. The Health Department will review the application, and if approved will issue a full building exemption or building component exemption from the lead regulations. You will get a letter from the Health Department stating that the building is fully or partially exempt from the lead regulations. If the building is partially exempt, the letter will list the exempt building components. Keep the letter to show that your building is exempt from the lead regulations If dust clearance testing is done after RRPM activities, it must be conducted by a Vermont-licensed Lead Inspector or Lead Inspector-Risk Assessor. Find a Lead Inspector or Lead Inspector-Risk Assessor Resources Below are links to resources and more information on lead from the Health Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Resource Description Lead Hazards and Lead Poisoning Information about sources of lead—paint, drinking water, soil, hobbies and crafts, products and imported goods, on the job, and in vintage, antique, and salvaged materials—lead-safe cleaning, and information for refugees and New Americans ToxFAQs™ for Lead (ATSDR) A fact sheet that answers the most frequently asked health questions about lead Lead Information (EPA) Information on lead, safety, the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program, and the Abatement and Evaluation Program Safety and Health Topics: Lead (OSHA) Information for workers on OSHA standards, health effects, evaluating exposure and controls, and enforcement Vermont Regulations for Lead Control Information on the lead rule effective 7/1/2024. Asbestos and Lead Regulatory Program Mailing Address: VT Dept of Health Environmental Health Asbestos & Lead Regulatory Program 280 State Drive Waterbury, VT 05671-8350 Email: [email protected] Phone: 802-863-7220 or 800-439-8550 (toll-free in Vermont) Licenses, Certificates & Permits How to Apply for Asbestos and Lead Licenses, Certificates and Permits You can apply for... Look Up Licensed Asbestos and Lead Contractors How to Look Up Vermont Licensed or Certified Asbestos and Lead Contractors Choose whether you... Renovation, Repair, Painting & Maintenance (RRPM) Regulations The information on this page is for all housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978. Training for RRPM & IRC Practices Find out what training you need for a Lead-Safe RRPM Supervisor or Landlord license, UCCO... Inspection, Repair & Cleaning (IRC) Practices The Vermont Lead Poisoning Prevention Law requires owners of rental housing and child care facilities... Property Owners & Landlords Find information on Vermont asbestos and lead regulations for homeowners, rental property owners, property managers... Renters Find information on Vermont asbestos and lead regulations for renters. Real Estate Professionals Find information on Vermont asbestos and lead regulations for real estate professionals. Child Care Providers & Schools Find information on Vermont asbestos and lead regulations for child care providers and schools. Municipal Officials Find information on Vermont asbestos and lead regulations for town health officers, city or town... Contractors & Other Building Professionals Find information on Vermont asbestos and lead regulations for contractors, architects or engineers, asbestos professionals... Subscribe to Asbestos & Lead Requirements March 23, 2026