I get questions all the time from Realtors, loan officers, and prospective home owners about chipping paint. Does a defective paint surface need to be cured for FHA to guarentee a loan? Does FHA have different standards for properties built before and after 1978 (when lead-base paint was discontinued for residential use)? Watch the video below to find out.
I hope this video was helpful and served to begin to shed some light on HUD’s standard for a defective paint surface. Keep me posted if you have any questions. Feel free to email, call 916.595.3735 or comment below.
Great review of FHA procedures for lead based paint. This can be confusing for everyone. Thanks for shedding light on it.
Where do I get a copy of the handbook about curing defective paint surfaces? Realtors ask me all the time and it would be easier to send them a PDF file.
Thanks Tom and Ben. Regarding the link, I believe I put the link to a pdf in the following article. https://sacramentoappraisalblog.com/2009/06/26/what-are-fha-guidelines-for-removing-lead-base-paint-question-from-search-engine/
Thanks Ryan, I’ve never seen that guidebook before. And judging from the photos it looks about 20 years old.
Realtors are going to really hate me now when I show them this guide. 99% of the time they choose the cheap method, dry scraping and slopping paint over it. I knew that wasn’t right but didn’t have any guide to say otherwise.
I tend to just say “consult the long guidebook” and that “when I come back out, the surface needs to be completed sealed and there should be absolutely no paint chips or even paint dust on the ground.
What about chipping and peeling paint on outbuildings which are not attached to the dwelling? What about paint on fences attached or not attached to the dwelling?
Hi Vince. Thanks for reaching out. If there is chipping paint, it should be cured. FHA would mandate all structures on the site to be free of defective paint. You might get an appraiser not in tune with this standard or willing to ignore it for whatever reason, but it really shouldn’t be ignored per their requirements. I actually just wrote a post on fences. Rather than rehashing that, I thought I might just send a link. Keep me posted with any questions. sacramentoappraisalblog.com/2016/08/08/does-a-fence-need-to-be-painted-to-meet-fha-standards/
Best wishes.