Service
Either/Or Inspection
Our Lead-Free attempt with a built-in Lead-Safe safety net. We start the inspection intending to qualify your property as Lead-Free. If we find lead anywhere, we stop, transition into a Lead-Safe inspection — and you pay no additional charge. You walk away with a useful certificate either way.
How the Either/Or Inspection works
Most pre-1978 properties might be Lead-Free, but you don’t know until you test. The traditional approach is to gamble: pay the higher price for a comprehensive Lead-Free inspection and hope your property passes. If it doesn’t, you’re back to square one and still need a Lead-Safe inspection. The Either/Or model removes that gamble.
Step 1 — We begin with the Lead-Free goal
Our EPA-licensed inspector arrives at your property and begins a comprehensive XRF analysis of every painted surface, with the intent of qualifying the property as Lead-Free. This is the same comprehensive methodology used in a standalone Lead-Free inspection.
Step 2 — If we find lead, we stop
As soon as the XRF analyzer detects lead-based paint on any tested surface, we stop the Lead-Free assessment. There’s no point in continuing — the property can’t be certified Lead-Free once lead is found.
Step 3 — We transition to Lead-Safe
Instead of leaving you without a useful result, we immediately shift gears and complete a Lead-Safe inspection: visual assessment of the remaining surfaces plus dust-wipe sampling to determine whether the lead present is creating a hazard. This transition happens at no additional charge.
Step 4 — You leave with one of two certificates
- Lead-Free certificate if no lead-based paint was detected anywhere — valid indefinitely as long as paint isn’t disturbed
- Lead-Safe certificate if lead was found but no current hazards exist — valid 3 years in NJ, 4 years in Philadelphia
Why this matters: With a traditional Lead-Free inspection, if your property fails you’ve spent the higher price and still need to schedule a Lead-Safe inspection separately. With Either/Or, you can shoot for Lead-Free without that downside risk — you’ll always end up with the certificate appropriate to your property.
Who the Either/Or Inspection is best for
- Landlords who think their property might be Lead-Free but aren’t sure — this lets you test the hypothesis without losing money if you’re wrong
- Long-term property owners who would benefit from Lead-Free if achievable, but need Lead-Safe certification regardless
- Sellers preparing pre-1978 properties for market — a Lead-Free certificate is a significant selling point, but Lead-Safe is the floor you’ll need anyway
- Multi-unit building owners with newer paint or documented full repaints who suspect lead might no longer be present
- Anyone deciding between Lead-Safe and Lead-Free who wants the upside of Lead-Free without the downside of paying for it and not getting it
How it compares to Lead-Safe and Lead Paint Inspections
Three of our services overlap in methodology but serve different purposes:
- Lead-Safe Inspection — for landlords on a rental certification cycle who just need to confirm no current hazards exist. Faster, lower-cost. Renewed every 3–4 years. Learn more →
- Either/Or Inspection (this page) — for landlords who want to try for Lead-Free but with the safety net of falling back to Lead-Safe at no extra cost
- Lead Paint Inspections — for non-rental situations: pre-purchase, child exposure concern, pre-renovation testing. Produces a detailed report rather than a certificate. Learn more →
Realistic expectations
We want to be straight with you: most pre-1978 properties contain at least some lead-based paint somewhere — often on an original window casing, door jamb, or trim piece that escaped subsequent paint cycles. Most Either/Or inspections end up transitioning to Lead-Safe.
That’s not a failure of the model — that’s exactly why it exists. The point of Either/Or isn’t to guarantee Lead-Free certification (no one can guarantee that). The point is to give you a fair shot at Lead-Free without making you eat the cost if the property doesn’t pass. You always walk away with a useful, jurisdiction-accepted certificate.
Properties most likely to qualify for full Lead-Free certification:
- Built shortly before 1978 (often after lead-paint manufacturing began winding down)
- Fully gutted and repainted with documented modern paint
- New construction over an old foundation with all original interior surfaces removed
Get a quote
Either/Or inspection scope and pricing depend on property type, size, and the number of unique paint layers to test. Because the same inspector handles either outcome with no upcharge for the transition, you get the upside of Lead-Free with the cost certainty of a single quote.
Call (215) 284-0086 or fill out our quote form and we’ll get back to you within one business hour with a fixed quote for your property.
Frequently asked questions
Wait — really no additional charge if you find lead?
Correct. The quote we give you covers the full inspection regardless of which path it takes. If we find lead and transition to a Lead-Safe assessment, you pay the same quoted price. This is part of how we differentiate our service — we don’t think landlords should pay a penalty for hoping their property is Lead-Free.
Why not just always do a Lead-Safe inspection?
If you’re certain you don’t want Lead-Free, that’s a fine choice and we offer it as a standalone service. The Either/Or model is for landlords who would prefer a Lead-Free certificate (indefinite validity, strongest selling point, ends the inspection cycle) but don’t want to pay the higher Lead-Free price if their property won’t qualify. With Either/Or you get the chance without the risk.
How long does an Either/Or Inspection take on-site?
Variable, depending on when (or whether) we find lead. If the property is fully Lead-Free, the inspection is comprehensive XRF and typically runs 2–4 hours. If we find lead early, we transition to Lead-Safe and the visit may be shorter (1–2 hours total). Reports and certificates are delivered 48–72 hours after the inspection in either case.
What if I want to know how the inspection went even if you find lead?
The report will document exactly which surface(s) the lead was found on, the readings detected, and any conditions that affect the Lead-Safe assessment. If you want to attempt Lead-Free certification later (after remediating those specific surfaces), the report tells you what needs to change.
If I get a Lead-Safe certificate from Either/Or, can I upgrade to Lead-Free later?
Yes. The Either/Or inspection identifies exactly which surfaces have lead-based paint. After those surfaces are remediated or fully encapsulated by an EPA-certified RRP firm, we can return to re-test just those surfaces. If they’re clean, the property is upgraded to Lead-Free.
Which certificate satisfies the NJ Lead Paint Inspection Law and Philadelphia rental requirements?
Both. Lead-Free permanently satisfies the rental certification requirement. Lead-Safe satisfies it for the standard cycle (3 years in NJ, 4 years in Philadelphia). Either way, you finish the Either/Or inspection in compliance.
Want a shot at Lead-Free without the downside?
The Either/Or model is uniquely ours — one inspection, two possible certificates, one quoted price. Walk away with the right certificate for your property, every time.