Lead-based paint · Local Law 1
A presumed lead violation is an assumption. Evidence is how you defeat it.
Under Local Law 1, HPD can presume lead-based paint in your pre-1960 building without testing a single surface. PES documents what is actually there — and that documentation is what gets violations dismissed and exemptions granted.
Facing an open HPD lead violation? Cure periods are short. Call (718) 231-8399 now.
- NY ELAP accredited laboratoryNew York State Dept. of Health Environmental Laboratory Approval Program
- EPA licensed inspectorsLead inspection and sampling performed by EPA licensed personnel
- NYC-certified inspectionsLead, asbestos and indoor air quality work performed to NYC agency standards
- In-house chain of custodySampling, analysis and reporting under one accredited roof
Certificate numbers are published as issued by each accrediting body.
The stat that matters
90%
Our equipment helps overturn 90% of HPD presumed lead violations.
Source: PES internal casework record of presumed lead-based paint violations contested with XRF inspection evidence and NY ELAP lab reporting. Figure is self-reported by PES, not a published HPD statistic; the underlying inspection reports are available on request.
A presumption is only as strong as the absence of data. XRF testing produces a defensible surface-by-surface record, and our NY ELAP-accredited laboratory turns supporting samples into reports that stand up in a violation contest.

- 90%
- of HPD presumed lead violations overturned with PES inspection evidence
- In-house
- NY ELAP-accredited laboratory — no third-party lab queue
- 20+ yrs
- serving NYC owners and managing agents from the Bronx
The 90% figure is PES internal casework, self-reported — not a published HPD statistic. Underlying inspection reports available on request.
Two liability paths
Contest the violation, or exempt the building.
HPD violation defense
When HPD issues a lead-based paint violation on presumption, PES inspects the cited surfaces and produces the testing record used to contest it. An overturned violation removes the cure obligation, the penalty exposure and the record that plaintiffs' attorneys look for later.
Local Law 1 exemption
If your building's surfaces test lead-free, an exemption filing takes the building out of the annual presumption cycle — ending recurring inspection obligations and the standing violation risk that comes with them.
What the engagement looks like
Inspection to filing.
- 1
Scheduling & scope
We take the building address, the cited violation (if any) and the deadline, then schedule access around tenants and managing-agent availability.
- 2
On-site XRF inspection
Surface-by-surface testing of the units and common areas at issue, with dust wipe or paint chip sampling where the situation calls for laboratory confirmation.
- 3
In-house laboratory analysis
Samples are analyzed in our own NY ELAP-accredited lab — no third-party queue between your deadline and your results.
- 4
Report issued
You receive documentation formatted for the audience that will read it: HPD, your attorney, or your managing agent's compliance file.
- 5
Exemption or defense filing
Clear results support an exemption path; adverse or contested findings support the violation defense record.
Facing an HPD violation? Call now.
Violation cure periods run whether or not testing is scheduled. The earlier we inspect, the more options you have.
Asset needed: A redacted before/after example of an overturned HPD violation, or a short attorney/managing-agent quote, would make the 90% figure far more persuasive on this page.
Talk to PES
Get the lead question answered before HPD answers it for you.
Call for immediate scheduling on open violations, or send your building details and a coordinator will call you back.
Professional Environmental Services · Bronx, NY · Serving the Tri-State area since 1991
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