Lead Testing for
Multi-Family Buildings

NYC Lead Laws That Apply

• Pre-1960 buildings: XRF testing under Local Law 31 (deadline passed — comply now)
• Pre-1960 buildings: Annual inspections if children under 6 reside (Local Law 1)
• Pre-1978 buildings: Testing required if lead paint is known to exist
• All pre-1960 buildings: Dust wipe clearance after renovation (Local Law 111)

Common Property Types

Case Study

A 6-unit brownstone in Park Slope (built 1895) completed XRF testing for all units in one day. Owner scheduled back-to-back appointments, resulting in volume discount ($1,350 total vs. $1,800 individual pricing). Results filed with HPD same week.

Our Recommendations

• Verify your building's construction date via DOB records
• If pre-1960, schedule XRF testing immediately
• If pre-1978, consult with inspector to determine if testing is required
• Keep records of all renovation work for Local Law 111 compliance
• Budget for potential remediation if lead hazards are found

Common Area Testing Requirements for Multi-Family Buildings

Under Local Law 31, common areas in pre-1960 multi-family buildings must be XRF tested just as thoroughly as individual units. This includes all hallways on every floor, stairwells from the basement to the roof, the main lobby, mail room, laundry room, boiler room, bicycle storage areas, and any shared outdoor spaces with painted surfaces. Many landlords underestimate the scope of common area testing — a single floor hallway may require 30–60 XRF readings to properly document all painted components.

For larger multi-family buildings, common area testing often represents 15–25% of the total XRF reading count for the building. Our inspectors follow a systematic room-by-room approach to ensure no painted surface component is missed, producing documentation that meets HPD's standards for Local Law 31 record submission.

Bulk Pricing & Scheduling for Large Multi-Family Buildings

Testing a multi-family building of 20, 50, or 100+ units requires careful coordination. Our team uses a phased floor-by-floor approach that minimizes disruption to tenants while maximizing testing efficiency. We typically test 8–12 units per day in a standard apartment building, meaning a 48-unit building can be fully tested in under a week with a single inspector team.

Volume pricing applies to buildings with 10 or more units being tested in the same mobilization. The more units tested in a single visit, the lower the per-unit cost — savings that can be significant for larger buildings. Owners and property managers should gather all units for testing at once rather than testing them separately over time, as each separate mobilization incurs its own travel and setup costs.

Compliance Documentation for Multi-Family Building Owners

Proper documentation is as important as the testing itself. After XRF testing is complete, owners must maintain records that show which units were tested, the date of testing, the name and certification number of the inspector, and the results for every component tested. For Local Law 31 compliance, results must be submitted to HPD using the HPD Lead Safe NYC Portal.

We provide a complete compliance package with every building-wide testing engagement: unit-by-unit XRF reports, a building summary spreadsheet, inspector certification documentation, and a submission-ready file formatted for the HPD portal. Property managers and owners report that having organized documentation also dramatically simplifies future annual inspections, turnover testing, and any HPD audits or violation responses.