New Jersey certified lead contractors & lead-safe resources
Everything you need under New Jersey's lead-safe law (P.L. 2021, c.182) in one place: every contractor the Department of Community Affairs currently certifies for lead evaluation (inspection & certification) and lead abatement (hazard removal) — searchable by town or ZIP and sorted by distance — plus each municipality's required inspection method and the official state forms, regulations, and guidance.
Sources: NJ DCA certified contractor lists — evaluation revised August 11, 2026 (185 companies) · abatement revised July 15, 2026 (92 companies) · compiled as a free public reference, not an endorsement of any company.
Find a certified contractor near you
277 companies statewide
Evaluation contractors inspect a unit (visual inspection or dust-wipe sampling) and issue the lead-safe certification. Abatement contractors permanently remove or enclose lead hazards when they're found. They hold separate DCA certifications — pick the type you need below.
or
Type
License
Full list, alphabetical
Which inspection method does your town require?
All 564 municipalities
The law assigns each municipality one of two inspection methods, based on local childhood blood-lead statistics: visual inspection where under 3% of tested children have elevated blood lead, and the stricter dust-wipe sampling where it's 3% or more. Look up your town:
The primary sources — the law's regulations, the state's own contractor lists this page is built from, the certification form landlords file, and the assistance programs that can help pay for remediation.
The questions people type in on the way here — every one answered below:
“NJ certified lead inspector list”“Lead paint inspector near me”“Lead abatement companies in NJ”“What happens if my rental fails a lead inspection?”“Lead-safe vs lead-free certificate”“Visual inspection or dust wipe — which does my town use?”
Who can perform a lead-based paint inspection in New Jersey?
Only contractors certified by the NJ Department of Community Affairs as lead evaluation contractors can perform the inspections required under P.L. 2021, c.182 and issue the lead-safe certification. Some municipalities also offer inspections through their own certified staff — your building department can tell you if that option exists locally. Every currently certified company is listed in the directory above.
What's the difference between a lead evaluation contractor and a lead abatement contractor?
Evaluation contractors test and certify: they perform the visual inspection or dust-wipe sampling and issue the lead-safe certification when a unit passes. Abatement contractors do the remediation work: permanently removing or enclosing lead-based paint hazards when they're found. They're separate DCA certifications — a company can hold both, but most hold one. Use the Type toggle in the directory above to switch between the two lists.
What happens if my rental unit fails the lead inspection?
If lead-based paint hazards are identified, the owner must have them remediated — through lead-safe work practices or, for permanent removal, a certified abatement contractor — and then pass a follow-up inspection before the lead-safe certification can be issued. The state's rental dwellings guidance (PDF) walks through the process, and assistance programs listed above may help eligible owners with remediation costs.
What's the difference between a lead-safe certification and a lead-free certificate?
A lead-safe certification means the unit passed its most recent inspection (no deteriorated paint or dust hazards found) — it's valid for three years, so the inspection cycle continues. A lead-free certificate means the dwelling has been shown to have no lead-based paint at all; once issued, the unit is exempt from the periodic inspection requirement entirely.
Which rentals need a lead inspection, and how often?
Most rental units built before 1978 must be inspected at tenant turnover or at least every three years, whichever comes first. Common exemptions: buildings constructed in 1978 or later, units with a lead-free certificate, and seasonal rentals occupied less than six months a year. The full rules are in N.J.A.C. 5:28A (PDF).
Is my town visual inspection or dust-wipe sampling?
Use the municipality search on this page — 513 towns currently allow visual inspection and 51 require dust-wipe sampling. Assignments follow childhood blood-lead statistics and can change as the Department of Health updates them; the official municipal listing (PDF) is always authoritative.
Where do I file the lead-safe certification?
With the municipality — usually the building department. The official fillable form (PDF) is linked above, and the town-by-town lookup has each municipality's building department phone number and mailing address.
Compiled by Permit & Parcel
This directory is transcribed from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs' official certified contractor lists — evaluation revised August 11, 2026; abatement revised July 15, 2026 — for public convenience. RS/PB = Residential Structures and Public Buildings; CB/SS = Commercial Buildings and Steel Structures. Companies certify and recertify on a rolling basis — always confirm current certification status directly with a contractor or the DCA (leadlaw21pl182@dca.nj.gov) before hiring. Inspection-method assignments verified against the official state listing; the DCA sources linked above are authoritative. Distance shown is a straight line, not a drive time. Spot an error or an outdated listing? We'd appreciate a note at hello@oprasearch.app.