The Lead-Safe Advantage Kit
Everything here is ready to copy, paste and print. When you copy or print, you can fill in the details in [brackets], and your company details are saved for next time.
Start here: position your certification
Homeowners comparing bids rarely know what Lead-Safe certification means. Most will never ask. The firms that win with it are the ones that explain it early, plainly and with confidence.
Lead with it, do not bury it
Mention your certification in the first conversation, on the estimate and on your website. A logo in the footer is easy to miss; one sentence from you is not.
Talk about process, not fear
Homeowners respond to a contractor who sounds organized. "Here is how we set up and clean up on older homes" lands better than any warning.
Give them better questions
When a homeowner is comparing bids from several contractors, the comparison sheet in this kit gives them questions that make your training and process visible.
Explain the price before they ask
Setup, containment and cleanup take time. Say so in the estimate so a lower bid reads as a different scope, not a better deal.
Keep the paperwork the same on every job
The pamphlet, the signed acknowledgment and your project records belong with every pre-1978 job. When they are handled the same way each time, nothing is missing when you need it.
Your first step: add the Lead-Safe section below to your next estimate. It takes about a minute, and every homeowner who reads it learns something about your company that a cheaper bid does not tell them. Go to the proposal insert
Homeowner comparison sheet
Hand this to every homeowner with a pre-1978 home, ideally with your estimate. It gives them good questions to ask every contractor they are considering, and your answers will already be yes.
Hiring a contractor for a pre-1978 home? Ask these questions first.
- Is your company a Lead-Safe Certified Firm?Firms that renovate pre-1978 homes are expected to hold firm certification from EPA or an authorized state program.
- Will a certified renovator be assigned to my project?A trained renovator should be responsible for how the work is set up, carried out and cleaned up.
- How will you contain dust and protect the rest of my home?Ask what will be covered, sealed off and cleaned, and how the work area will be separated from where your family lives.
- How will you clean up and check the work area when you finish?A good answer describes specific steps, not just "we clean up after ourselves."
- What information will you give me before work begins?You should receive written lead-safety information before renovation starts.
- What paperwork will I sign, and will I get copies?A professional contractor explains every document and keeps organized records for your project.
- Is lead-safe setup and cleanup included in this price?If two bids differ, ask whether both include the same preparation and cleanup.
Our answers: [Company name] is a Lead-Safe Certified Firm (certification #[Certification number]). We are happy to walk you through every step of our process before work begins.
Proposal and estimate insert
Paste one of these into your estimate template, right after your scope of work.
Full sectionFor estimates on any pre-1978 home.
Lead-Safe Work Practices [Company name] is a Lead-Safe Certified Firm (certification #[Certification number]). Because your home was built before 1978, our team will follow lead-safe work practices on this project, overseen by a certified renovator. What that means for you: - Before work begins, we will give you lead-safety information and walk you through our process. - We set up the work area to contain dust, protecting floors, furniture and the rest of your home. - We clean the work area thoroughly when the work is complete. - We keep organized records for your project. The setup, containment and cleanup for this work are included in this estimate. If you are comparing bids, we encourage you to ask every contractor how they will handle these steps.
Short versionFor a one-page estimate or a line-item note.
Lead-safe work practices included. [Company name] is a Lead-Safe Certified Firm (#[Certification number]). Our certified renovator oversees setup, dust containment and cleanup on every pre-1978 home. Ask us to walk you through the process.
Line item
Lead-safe preparation, containment and final cleaning (pre-1978 home)
Website copy
A ready-made section for your site. Add it to your About page or give it a page of its own.
Website section
Lead-Safe Certified for Older Homes Many of the homes we work on were built before 1978. [Company name] is a Lead-Safe Certified Firm, and our crews are led by certified renovators trained in lead-safe work practices. On every pre-1978 project, we: - Explain our process and provide lead-safety information before work begins - Set up the work area to contain dust and protect the rest of your home - Clean thoroughly when the work is done - Keep organized records for your project You should not have to wonder how a contractor will treat your home. Ask us anything about how we work. Request an estimate: [Phone]
Short "About us" line
[Company name] is a Lead-Safe Certified Firm. On older homes, our certified renovators follow lead-safe practices from setup to final cleanup.
Google Business Profile description addition
Lead-Safe Certified Firm. We follow lead-safe work practices on pre-1978 homes, with a certified renovator overseeing setup, containment and cleanup.
Sales conversation scripts
How to bring up certification in a walkthrough without making the homeowner nervous. Keep it short, keep it calm, and connect it to how you run every job.
During the walkthroughWhen you confirm the home was built before 1978.
"Since the house was built before 1978, we'll run this job with our lead-safe process. That's standard for us on older homes. We're a Lead-Safe Certified Firm, and one of our certified renovators will oversee it. Practically, it means we seal off the work area, protect your floors and furniture, and do a thorough cleanup at the end. Before we start I'll give you some information to read and walk you through what to expect."
If they ask "Is there lead in my house?"
"I can't tell that by looking, and many homes this age were painted with lead-based paint at some point. That's exactly why we treat every older home the same careful way. Our process is built for it, so you don't have to worry about how the work is handled."
When another bid is cheaper
"That's a fair question, and I'd compare carefully. Our price includes setting up the work area, containing dust and a full cleanup, overseen by a certified renovator. When you look at the other bids, ask whether they include the same steps and whether the company is a Lead-Safe Certified Firm. If they do and they're cheaper, that's useful to know. If they don't, the bids aren't for the same job."
When they ask why there is paperwork
"Before we start, we give you a lead-safety pamphlet and ask you to sign that you received it. It takes a minute. We keep it with the records for your project, so everything about the job is documented in one place."
Closing
"Whoever you choose, make sure they can explain how they'll protect your home. We're happy to put ours in writing, and it's already in the estimate."
Estimate follow-up email and text
Send two or three days after the estimate, while the homeowner is still comparing.
Follow-up email
Subject: Your estimate for [Project] at [Project address] Hi [Customer first name], Thanks again for having me out to look at [Project]. I wanted to follow up on the estimate and answer anything that came up. Because your home was built before 1978, our price includes lead-safe setup, dust containment and a full cleanup, overseen by one of our certified renovators. [Company name] is a Lead-Safe Certified Firm. If you are comparing bids, I have attached a short list of questions worth asking any contractor working on an older home. I think it will help you compare more than just the price. Happy to walk through any of it by phone. We can usually start [When you can start]. [Your name] [Company name] | [Phone]
Follow-up text
Hi [Customer first name], it's [Your name] from [Company name]. Just checking in on the estimate for [Project]. It includes our lead-safe setup and cleanup for your older home. If you're comparing bids, happy to send a short list of questions to ask every contractor. Any questions?
After they choose you
Hi [Customer first name], thanks for choosing [Company name]! Before we start on [Start date], I'll send over the lead-safety information and a short acknowledgment to sign. It only takes a minute. Let me know if you have any questions about the process.
Where to put your Lead-Safe Certified Firm logo
When your firm was certified, EPA emailed you a personalized Lead-Safe Certified Firm logo that includes your certification number. That logo, and only that logo, is the one to use. This kit does not include a copy of it.
Where it works best
- Proposals and estimates. Beside the Lead-Safe section, so the logo and the explanation appear together.
- Website. In your header or on the Lead-Safe section, not only in the footer.
- Vehicles and yard signs. Where neighbors see it while you work on an older home nearby.
- Invoices, brochures and uniforms. Anywhere your company name already appears.
- Email signature. A small version under your contact details.
Keep it right
- Use the personalized logo EPA sent your firm, with your certification number on it.
- Use it only while your firm is currently certified.
- Do not alter, recolor, stretch or crop it.
- Keep it at least one inch wide.
- Do not use it in a way that suggests EPA endorses your company, products or services.
- Do not let subcontractors or other firms use your logo.
Read EPA's Lead-Safe Certified Firm logo use guidelines. Can't find your logo? It was in your certification approval email and your CDX inbox.
Customer FAQ
Plain-language answers to the questions homeowners ask most. Use them on your website, in proposals or in conversation.
Why do you follow lead-safe practices on my home?
Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Renovation can disturb paint and create dust, so on older homes we use work practices designed to contain that dust and clean it up thoroughly.
Does this mean my home has lead paint?
Not necessarily. We follow the same careful process on every older home so you do not have to wonder.
Will it make the job more expensive?
Lead-safe setup and cleanup add some time on certain projects. We include it in the estimate up front so there are no surprises. If you are comparing bids, ask whether each one includes the same steps.
Why do you need my signature before starting?
Before work begins, we give you a lead-safety information pamphlet and ask you to sign that you received it. We keep it with the records for your project.
What should I do while the work is happening?
Stay out of the marked work area and keep children and pets away from it. We will tell you which rooms are affected and for how long.
Where can I learn more?
EPA publishes a homeowner guide called "The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right." We are happy to give you a copy or send you the link.
After you win the job: the records
Every pre-1978 job leaves records you need to keep and be able to find later. For most firms that means folders, inboxes and a good memory.
Less paperwork. More time to focus on what matters most.
The Lead-Safe Job Tracker keeps every job's Lead-Safe records online in one place. No folders to keep up, nothing to keep track of and nothing to dig for when someone asks.
Every job in one place
Records for every Lead-Safe job live together online. Pull up any job in seconds, even years from now, if someone comes asking.
No more piles of paper
No stacks of forms, no folders, no trying to remember where something was saved. Everything is online and stays with the job.
Know when a job is clear to start
See at a glance which jobs are ready and which are still waiting, and get a heads-up the moment one is clear to start.
Sign in person or from anywhere
Hand the homeowner your phone or tablet to sign on the spot, or send it by email or text. Either way, it's saved with the job.
Follow-ups happen on their own
If a homeowner hasn't signed yet, it reminds them for you. No more texts asking whether they got the email.
A copy in your inbox, too
Completed records are also emailed to you, so you always have your own copy.
Powered by
A ready-made app on eagersheet, the platform for apps built around how a business works. There's nothing to build: it's set up for Lead-Safe jobs from the start.
Social and Google Business posts
Short posts you can rotate through over a few weeks. Pair each with a photo from one of your own jobs.
Post 1: what certification means
Post 2: behind the scenesPair with a photo of your containment setup.
Post 3: comparing bids
Post 4: Google Business update
Post 5: the cleanupPair with a finished-room photo.
Post 6: customer question