Lead Paint Abatement in Brookings

Lead paint showing up in a pre-1978 rental near SDSU, or peeling trim on a Downtown Brookings bungalow? Lead-based paint was standard in home construction until 1978, and Brookings has no shortage of houses and small apartment buildings from that era still turning over to new tenants and owners every fall. If a renovation, repaint, or window replacement is going to disturb painted surfaces, the work needs to follow lead-safe practices before drywall comes down or trim gets pried off.

Why Brookings Properties See Lead Paint Issues

Brookings grew up around South Dakota State University, and a lot of that growth happened well before 1978, especially in Downtown Brookings and the blocks around Sexauer Park, where original wood siding, window casings, and porch trim are common. Student rental turnover means these properties get repainted, re-trimmed, or partially remodeled more often than owner-occupied homes, and each of those projects is a chance to disturb old paint layers without anyone checking what’s underneath first. Newer subdivisions like Pheasant Ridge mostly postdate the 1978 lead ban, but anything built or extensively renovated before then, including additions grafted onto older farmhouses on the edge of town, should be treated as a possible lead paint property until tested.

Our Lead Paint Abatement Process in Brookings

We start with testing, not assumptions. A property near McCrory Gardens with layered repaints over the decades can test positive in some rooms and negative in others, so we sample trim, window components, and painted plaster or drywall separately rather than treating the whole house as one surface. Once we know where lead is present, we set up containment around the work area, use wet methods and HEPA-filtered extraction instead of dry sanding or open-flame paint removal, and bag and label debris for disposal according to EPA RRP lead-safe work practice requirements. For occupied rentals, we coordinate the schedule so tenants aren’t displaced longer than necessary, and we do a visual check plus cleaning verification before we call an area clear.

Reaching Brookings from Sioux Falls

We’re based in Sioux Falls and run crews up I-29 into Brookings County regularly, which keeps scheduling straightforward for both one-off testing visits and multi-day abatement jobs tied to a larger renovation. Whether the job is a single rental near campus or a larger property management portfolio spread between Downtown Brookings and the newer streets out toward Pheasant Ridge, we plan the trip around your renovation timeline rather than asking you to work around ours.

Local note

Brookings winters are hard on old exterior paint. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles crack and lift painted wood trim faster than in milder climates, and that cracking releases lead dust into the soil right at the foundation line, not just inside the house. On older properties near Sexauer Park or anywhere with original wood siding, we usually recommend testing the soil perimeter along with interior surfaces, especially if there’s a vegetable garden or a play area close to the house.

If you’re planning a renovation, repaint, or window replacement on a Brookings property built before 1978, get the paint tested before the first wall comes down. Call Crew Restoration & Construction at (605) 965-2727 to schedule lead paint testing or abatement for your Brookings home or rental.