Looking for a lead inspector to comply with Toledo Lead Ordinance?

2 Important factors you need to know before you hire a Toledo Lead Inspector and comply with the Toledo Lead Ordinance.

With the Toledo Lead Ordinance compliance deadline approaching (6/30/18) for phase 1, there are several factors you need to consider while shopping around for an inspector.

1. Experience: With a total of 104 Toledo lead inspectors, unfortunately, there are many that have not done any inspections. Some have done more inspections than others, however, how can you filter out the best from the rest?

Always ask for references. Some might provide you with a couple while others are willing to provide a lot more. The more references that can be given, the more he/she has done inspections.

Some of the inspectors are risk assessors. They have taken more classes than the rest. However, are they the best for general lead inspections?

Risk assessors usually are more expensive. The major difference is that risk assessors have been trained differently than others. Their training is targeted to hunt and investigate the source of lead contaminated areas. For example, they might open closet doors, look under beds or open drawers to look for visible dust. On the other hand, lead techs have been trained by LCHD. Their purpose is a general inspection of visible dust only.

When I got my first property certified, I had to hire a risk assessor due to the existence of only a couple of lead techs without any field experience. During the visual inspection, the risk assessor opened the closet door to the furnace area and I had to stop him. We had a disagreement, but my training and knowledge of the ordinance made sure that closets weren't opened.

Another very important factor is to ask whether the inspector is EPA RRP certified (Renovate, Repair and Paint). It's a special EPA training certificate which deals with how to isolate, contain lead safe areas during renovation and offer lead dust cleaning service and advice. This is very important as certified RRPs are able to discuss, train and explain how to clean lead dust in "DETAIL" effectively. Non-RRP certified are not qualified and they should not be offering such service.

Yes, "DETAIL" which is what's all about. Always ask for an EPA RRP certified lead inspector.

RRP Certified firms are giving a green EPA badge with an EPA Serial number as shown below.

2. Price: most of us naturally shop for the lowest/best price but is it always the case? Prices could vary $25-$150 each inspection.

What are you really paying for such a difference?

Prices on the lower end most likely are generally those who have not done a lot of inspections.

Some inspectors charge an up front higher fee that might include unlimited dust samples and re-samples of failed wipes. But is this necessary? No.

Others might charge a very low initial fee to get the booking. At the same time, any repeat failed samples could be very expensive.

Another question to ask is how the report is prepared? Is it printed and mailed? Or, emailed as a PDF or a similar attachment?

A printed only report demands more time to submit. You have to either mail it to LCHD, or scan it and then uploaded online to LCHD website during the registration.

On the other hand, a report prepared by a PDF file or similar is emailed so you can easily save it to a computer. You can then upload it to LCHD in seconds without leaving your desk. Some inspectors offer such a service for a fee while others include it in their price.

I hope I have addressed the most important points to help you choose your lead inspector. Feel free to contact me, if you have any further questions.