In New York state you must have a lead paint certification for testing for lead paint in homes

There are many inspectors who offer lead based paint inspection here on Long Island and the NYC area, but you should be aware that you must be EPA certified to test for lead based paint in the home.

When I attended the class, I was surprised at the amount of material that was covered, and the test was not easy either. Many people do not pass the test the first time around. You also need to take a refresher course every three years to keep current.

Your local paint store and the big home centers usually carry the swab test sticks, but these are not considered an accurate test, and the EPA does not allow these as a valid test.

The process is quite lengthy as well if you are to do a complete job. Paint samples must be removed from the home and bagged, labeled, and a layout of the home is made. This is destructive to the surface of what is being sampled because you must remove all layers down to the substrate material (the original surface that was painted). You must keep good records as well as the EPA could always come knocking.

There is another way to test for lead based paint. There is what is called and XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) gun. These guns are quite expensive (good ones are $20,000), but there is no destructiveness to its use. The bigger lead abatement companies will usually have this gun, and most home inspectors are not going to buy such an expensive piece of equipment. I do not have one either.

So make sure you ask if your NY state licensed inspector is EPA certified - they should have a card in their wallet with the EPA certification documentation. - Ray