EPA-Proposed New Lead Paint Work Rule -
[Cached Version]
Last Visited: 3/3/2006
These details have some remodelers familiar with the situation up in arms, mainly over added time and cost. ,Replacing one window ,under the proposed guidelines, would double, maybe triple, your labor cost,, says Bob Hanbury, president of House of Hanbury Builders in Newington, Conn.
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After a lengthy application process, the insurance companies returned to Hanbury with policies that had premiums of 40 to 45 cents on the dollar.
Although he doesn't expect insurance costs to stay quite that high, Hanbury is fearful that the cost will be prohibitive. ,I still think it will be a lot more expensive than workers' comp,, he says. ,Maybe 50% more.,
In the e-mail, the EPA did acknowledge the potential insurance problem.However, it said only that it was ,hopeful that , insurers ,would, evaluate the potential risk associated with this work and develop affordable insurance products for the industry.,
Hanbury is also concerned that the fear of making an error will scare off some remodelers.Noting the extensive rule book for lead abatement contractors and anticipating something similar for remodelers, Hanbury says, ,If anything goes wrong, you're the bad guy.