Chula Vista Lead Paint Removal brings lead paint testing and inspection, lead abatement, lead paint removal and encapsulation to Imperial Beach houses and apartment buildings built before 1978. We recommend starting with a CDPH-certified inspection, because the result shows whether paint should be removed, sealed or simply worked around under lead-safe rules.
Imperial Beach’s housing is younger than National City’s but still old by California standards. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey dates 66.9% of the city’s 10,299 homes to before 1980 and 47.9% to before 1970, yet only 9.0% to before 1950, so the stock is mostly from the 1950s through the 1970s. It is also a renters’ city: 68.7% of occupied homes are rented.
Peeling paint stripped from the eaves of a stucco house
Example project
Home
1950s single-story stucco house in Imperial Beach
Original request
Get the peeling paint off the eaves at the front corner for good
Testing
Lead paint on the fascia, rake boards and rafter ends; the stucco tests clear
Surfaces
Both sides of the front corner, about 100 sq ft of wood
Notice
State notice posted and sent at least five days ahead; neighbors told in writing
Estimated cost
$1,700
In this example, the owners of a 1950s stucco house in Imperial Beach watch paint peel off the eaves at the front corner, where the salt air and sun hit hardest. A test shows lead paint on the fascia, rake boards and rafter ends, but not on the stucco.
A single-story Imperial Beach house from the 1950s or 1960s may have painted stucco walls with wood fascia, eaves and window trim, and the federal ban on selling lead-based paint for homes came only in 1978. Check the wood trim closely. Testing tells you which coats contain lead before anyone sands the trim or re-coats the stucco. Exterior lead paint removal explains the methods.
Apartments and rentals
With most homes rented, apartment owners face lead questions at every lease. Federal rules require the lead disclosure for pre-1978 units, and paid repainting between tenants is EPA renovation work. The city’s tenancy code also names lead paint abatement as a kind of substantial remodel, covered below. See rental property lead paint work for the landlord side.
Inspection and testing
A paid inspection, risk assessment or clearance in Imperial Beach is done by a CDPH-certified Inspector/Assessor (or a Project Monitor for clearance). For a small apartment building, a risk assessment can show which units have hazards now, so repairs can be ranked. Our page on lead paint inspection and testing covers the report.
Removal and abatement
Permanent abatement is done by a CDPH-certified Supervisor and Workers, with Form 8551 posted at the work area and delivered to CDPH at least five days ahead, and neighbors in adjacent dwellings told in writing. On attached or closely spaced buildings that notice reaches more households, so plan the schedule around it.
Encapsulation
Sound paint on interior walls of a 1960s apartment may be sealed or covered rather than stripped. California counts a seal designed to last 20 years or more as abatement; a shorter-term coat is an interim control with containment and notice still required. Lead paint encapsulation explains where the line falls.
Imperial Beach permits and older homes
The city says that most repairs or alterations require a building permit, applied for online through its Citizen Self-Service portal. Its exemptions handout lists painting, papering, tiling and similar finish work as permit-free, but does not list window replacement, so check with the building division before swapping windows. Imperial Beach has no local historic register or historic district; its Mills Act program covers only properties on the National or California Register, and the city has adopted the 2025 California Historical Building Code for qualifying buildings.
Painting versus alterations
A permit-exempt repaint is not exempt from lead rules. If the house was built before 1978 and the paint has not been documented as lead-free, scraping and sanding before repainting is EPA renovation work, and Title 17 containment applies to any lead activity. No permit does not mean no rules.
Tenant rules and lead abatement
Imperial Beach Municipal Code 9.90.030, part of the city’s just-cause tenancy rules, defines a substantial remodel to include abatement of hazardous materials, including lead-based paint. It was the only result when we searched the city code for “lead-based”. If you are planning abatement in an occupied rental, read that section, and get legal advice on tenancy questions; we handle the lead work, not the lease.
Imperial Beach is one of six cities in the County of San Diego’s Urban County, so county housing staff run its federal block grant funds, and the County Home Repair Program serves the city. We have not confirmed how that program handles lead testing, so ask the county directly about eligibility. For a child with an elevated blood lead level, the county’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program offers home inspections and case management.
Because most Imperial Beach homes are rented, lead work here can mean working around people who live in the building. Abatement and renovation handle that differently. EPA guidance puts the burden on an abatement firm to keep residents out of the home until the job is done, so a unit is emptied or the work is timed for a turnover. Renovation under the EPA rule lets residents stay, though the sealed work area stays off limits to them.
Title 17 adds the notice steps for abatement: Form 8551 posted at the work-area entrances and delivered to CDPH at least five days ahead, and written notice to the residents of the unit and of adjacent dwellings. In a small complex, that can be every household sharing a wall or a stairway. Plan a date, tell tenants early, and keep copies of what you sent.
Afterward, permanent abatement needs a clearance inspection before people move back, and the result belongs in the unit’s records. If the unit tests lead-free throughout, the inspection report can also exempt it from the federal disclosure at future leases.
We found no local lead paint ordinance; a search of the city code for “lead-based” returned only the tenancy definition of a substantial remodel. State Title 17 rules, the State Housing Law and federal EPA rules apply. The City of San Diego’s lead ordinance does not.
Do Imperial Beach landlords have to disclose lead paint?
They do if the building dates from before 1978. With every new lease or renewal, tenants receive the EPA lead pamphlet, a Lead Warning Statement and whatever the owner knows about lead paint or past reports. Short leases of 100 days or less, units with no bedroom, and units an inspector has certified lead-free are among the exceptions.
Do I need a permit to repaint my house in Imperial Beach?
No building permit is needed for painting. If the house predates 1978, the prep work still has to follow lead-safe rules: an EPA-certified firm for paid work, containment, and cleanup with no visible dust or debris left behind.
Is it worth testing a 1970s apartment?
If it was built before 1978, yes. A negative inspection exempts the unit from the federal disclosure rule and from lead-safe work requirements on the surfaces tested. A positive one tells you exactly where to focus.
How far is Imperial Beach from Chula Vista?
About 10 miles by road, depending on where in each city you start. Send the address and we will confirm whether we can take the job.
Up the bay, our National City page covers 1880s Victorian houses, the city historic list and its 30-day permit review.
Request a free lead paint removal quote
Send the address and year built, the number of units, whether they are occupied, and which surfaces need attention. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
