Archive for category Remodeling / Renovation

Latest EPA Proposed Changes to “Renovate Right” Rules — Deadline to Provide Feedback July 6th

Jun 22

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in AASEW, Lead-Based Paint, Legislation, Remodeling / Renovation | No Comments

ALERT! The latest EPA proposal will require dust sampling and lab testing clearance on many small jobs.  The EPA estimates $160 per room in testing cost.  In WI testing can only be done by state certified risk assessors and the cost is about $240 per room.  So a  repair to a damaged door jamb could cost ten times as much as it does today, and many times more than that if you were a do it yourselfer.

From the Federal Register (Link Below) #2 and #4 are the “gotchas.”

Dust wipe testing must be performed after all renovations involving:

     -  Use of a heat gun at temperatures below 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit

     -  Removal or replacement of window or door frames

     -  Scraping 60 ft [2] or more of painted surfaces

     -  Removing more than 40 ft [2] of trim, molding, cabinets, or other fixtures.

Link to the proposed rule in the Federal Register

The 60 day comment period ends July 6th, 2010

Read the comments submitted by the Apartment Association of Southeastern WI and links to the EPA comment page at:

http://www.renovatorrules.com/

Make sure you post some feedback.  This is one of the biggest changes to affect our industry and these changes are huge and will put many contractors (and landlords) out of business.  Fines for violating these new laws can be as much as $32,500 per each violation.

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Wisconsin’s New Lead-Safe Renovation Rule is Upon Us – April 22, 2010 – Get Trained

Mar 1

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in Lead-Based Paint, Remodeling / Renovation | 5 Comments

From a March 1, 2010 post by Tim Ballering on the AASEW Advisors listserv:

Beginning April 22nd you will be required to be trained and have WI
DHFS or EPA certification even to work on your own pre 1978 rental
housing.

Yes the rule will be very expensive to comply with (See the articles
below). Yes it is another — to put it in terms the government uses –
unfunded mandate.  But it is now the law and it will eventually be
painfully expensive not to comply. (Big fines, lawsuits etc.)

The good news, if there is such a thing in this context, is the AASEW has a
tentative agreement with another state certified trainer to provide
this training for less than $200 per person.

We need a head count of how many owners and their crew members would
be interested in taking advantage of this.  That number will set the
final pricing.  If we hustle the training would be prior to 4/22/10 so
that no one is out of compliance.

This rule will affect you if you replace windows, disturb 6 square feet of paint on the interior or 20 square feet of paint on the exterior of any pre-1978 rental housing.  Essentailly this will affect all of us that own rentals.

If you would be interested in attendng — please post a comment below along with the number of people you would be sending and I will pass the info on to Tim.

Thanks

T

————-Recent News on EPA Rules —————–

http://bit.ly/bWjTs8

“The price for homeowners could be hiked by $500 to $1,000 per room,
McComas said.”

———-

http://bit.ly/9mHQMN

“It’s going to price a lot of these jobs right out of the market,” he
said.”I think it’s going to put me out of business.”

———–

http://bit.ly/bTXEoh

The new federal lead safety rules that take effect this spring are
coming just as work gears up on federal stimulus projects that may be
affected by the new regulations.

———–

http://bit.ly/a9uZnL

“You’re talking about at least a few thousand dollars extra,” said
DiBernardo. Gehrig estimated the extra labor might add 25 percent to
a siding job.

———–

http://bit.ly/b8hnjr

New regulations aimed at protecting homeowners from lead based paint
could make your renovation costs skyrocket.

Upcoming AASEW Meetings, Topics & Speakers

Dec 23

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in AASEW, Lead-Based Paint, Remodeling / Renovation, Seminars | No Comments

The Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. (AASEW) has some very interesting speakers and topics for its upcoming monthly membership meetings in 2010.  All meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of the month at 7 pm at the Best Western Midway Hotel which is located at 1005 S. Moorland Road in Brookfield.  There is no cost to attend the meetings.  If you are not yet a member of AASEW, attending one of our monthly membership meetings is a great way to see what the organization is all about and learn how membership can benefit you as a landlord, property manager or vendor.

Our January 18th meeting will feature Attorney Robert Muten of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C.  Atty. Muten will speak on the issue of employees vs. independent contractors.  Whether a person is an employee of your business or an independant contractor will affect all of us at some point in our lives if the issue has not already confronted you.  I have done research on this very interesting topic for clients in the past and the determination as to whether you are an employee or an independant contractor is very fact-specific.  You will not want to miss this very informative meeting with Atty. Muten.

Steven Antholt of the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services will speak at the February 15th AASEW meeting.  He will discuss the new Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program.  This new program will affect everyone that owns or works on rental property and who “disturbs” more than 6 feet of interior space or 20 feet of exterior space, and/or is replacing any doors or windows in pre-1978 housing.  This new law requires individuals to get specific training prior to its enactment date and to comply with a myriad of rules and regulations.  The fines for ignoring this new law will be stiff — so it would be in all of our best interests to be in attendence at this meeting.

On March 15th, Stacy Hegg, Property Manager for Wellston Apartments, will discuss best practices in rental property management and provide us with some management tips that we can use when managing our own properties.  I have had the pleasure of co-presenting a seminar with Stacy a few months ago and found her to be a dynamic, knowledgeable, and enjoyable speaker.  Come learn how to better manage your rentals from an expert in the industry.

I hope to see all of you at these future meetings.

I would like to wish everyone a healthy, safe, and happy holiday season.  I apologize for the lack of substantive blog articles this past week but I have been very busy dealing with all of the crowds while trying to finish my last minute holiday shopping  :  )

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NEW RULES FOR LEAD-SAFE REMODELING GO INTO EFFECT IN 2010

May 22

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in AASEW, Lead-Based Paint, Remodeling / Renovation | No Comments

New rules for remodeling of houses built before 1978 go into effect in April of 2010.  As of April 22, 2010 any person or business that disturbs more than 6 square feet of interior surface that may contain lead-based paint or more than 20 square feet of exterior surface that may contain lead-based paint will be subject to the EPA’s 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. Read the rest of this entry »

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