If your house was built before the 1980s, assume it has lead paint somewhere in its layers. Until 1965 many New Zealand house paints had high lead levels, especially before 1945, and later coats usually went straight over the top. The lead is harmless while it stays under sound paint. It becomes a hazard when the paint is sanded, scraped, blasted or burned, because the dust and fumes can poison the people doing the work, the family, and pets. Young children are most at risk. The good news is that a heritage home with lead paint can be repainted safely. The paint is tested, then either sealed under new coats or stripped, using wet methods, full containment and careful clean-up. Two related pages go deeper: how to test your home for lead paint and what lead paint removal costs.
Which homes have lead paint?
Health New Zealand advises presuming that any building from the 1980s or earlier has been painted with lead-based paint. The 2013 government guidelines say paintwork from before 1970 is almost certainly lead-based, and from before 1980 may be. That covers most of Auckland's villas, bungalows, state houses and weatherboard homes. Lead is often in the bottom layers, under newer lead-free paint.
What the guidelines and BRANZ record about lead in New Zealand paint:
- White lead was widely used as a white pigment until the mid-1960s, and BRANZ notes white lead in paint was banned in 1979.
- Lead chromate, a yellow pigment, was in house paint until the late 1970s.
- Red lead primer was used on wood until the 1980s.
- Lead is still in some special-purpose paints today, which are labelled.
Doors, window frames and other woodwork inside can contain lead too, not just the outside walls. A 2026 report from Environmental Health Intelligence New Zealand found that nearly half of the lead absorption cases notified between 2014 and 2024 involved homes built before 1940.
Why is lead paint dangerous?
Lead paint is dangerous when it turns into dust, chips or fumes, which are breathed in or swallowed. Lead builds up in the body over time. Health New Zealand warns that people can get lead poisoning when lead paint is removed without care, and that children are especially at risk. According to Resene, children can suffer brain damage over time even without obvious symptoms, and lead can cross the placenta.
The symptoms in adults and children can be vague: stomach pains, trouble sleeping, constipation, loss of appetite, or none at all. Pets can show symptoms before people do. If a pet is diagnosed with lead poisoning, Resene advises having everyone in the household checked by a doctor. If you think a child has swallowed paint flakes or been exposed to dust, ask your doctor about a blood lead test.
Can you paint over lead paint?
Yes, if the lead paint is sound and well stuck. The government guidelines say that covering lead paint with a lead-free coat keeps the risk negligible, as long as the new coat stays intact. The surface still has to be prepared, and preparing it means disturbing some lead, so the same precautions apply. Over time the new paint wears and must be maintained.
The guidelines set out two ways to deal with it:
| Approach | What it involves | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Overcoating (sealing) | Wash, wet-sand or scrape loose paint, prime, two new coats | Lead paint that is mostly sound |
| Full stripping | Remove all paint back to bare timber, then a new paint system | Flaking, failing paint, or when you want the hazard gone |
The guidelines state that full removal is the only way to remove the hazard for good. Lead can stay in the timber even after stripping. Replacing badly painted doors or windows during a renovation is another option.
How is lead paint stripped safely?
Lead paint is stripped with wet methods and full containment. That means wet sanding, hand scraping with a tungsten blade so the paint comes off in larger flakes, or chemical stripping. Everything below the work is covered with polythene sheeting to catch every flake. Dust is cleaned up daily with a HEPA vacuum, then surfaces are wiped with a damp cloth that is thrown away with the debris.
The steps the government guidelines describe:
- Assume the paint is lead-based unless a test shows it isn't.
- Protect the family. Keep children and pets well away. On bigger jobs, the household may need to move out while the work is done.
- Contain. Close windows, doors and vents. Lay disposable polythene sheeting under the work, and tie a sheet under the scaffolding. Don't work in strong wind.
- Remove the paint with wet sanding, tungsten scrapers or chemical stripper. If water blasting is used outside, the waste water has to be filtered so paint flakes don't reach the stormwater.
- Clean daily with a HEPA vacuum, then a damp cloth with detergent.
- Bag the debris and cloths in sealed polythene bags.
- Clean up the garden. Where flakes have reached the soil, the contamination may mean the top layer has to be removed.
What should never be done to lead paint?
Never dry-sand lead paint with a power sander, dry abrasive blast it, or burn it off with a blow torch, unless strict controls are in place. These spread fine dust and fumes over the house, the garden and the neighbours. Never burn or bury lead paint debris, or use painted timber as firewood. A standard household vacuum cleaner doesn't trap lead dust, so it shouldn't be used.
BRANZ also advises against water blasting lead paint, because it scatters the particles. Health New Zealand says that if water blasting is used outdoors, every flake must be collected and kept from spreading to neighbouring properties. Health New Zealand does not recommend abrasive blasting on any building built or painted before 1970.
How do you protect children and pets during the work?
Keep children and pets right away from the work area until the clean-up is finished, and make sure they can't eat or play with paint chips. Inside, close off the room. Outside, keep them off the groundsheet and out of the garden beds under the walls. Wash hands before eating, and wash work clothes separately. The guidelines say some households move out for bigger jobs.
Practical steps:
- Agree with your painter which areas are closed off each day.
- Keep toys, pet bowls and washing away from the work.
- Cover vegetable gardens and sandpits.
- After the job, check the ground under the walls for flakes.
Health New Zealand says vegetables grown in soil affected by lead paint are safe to eat if they are washed thoroughly.
How is lead paint waste disposed of in Auckland?
Lead paint debris goes into sealed polythene bags. The government guidelines say small amounts can go out with household rubbish or straight to the tip, and to check with the council for larger amounts. Auckland Council treats lead-based paint as a hazardous item that can't go in your bins, and lists Waitākere Resource Recovery Park, Waiuku Zero Waste and Silverdale Transfer Station as drop-off sites.
Ask your painter how they will dispose of the waste from your job, and confirm it with Auckland Council if the amount is large.
Does your home have heritage controls?
Some heritage homes in Auckland are protected, and that can affect work on the outside. Auckland Council protects a place when it is scheduled in the Auckland Unitary Plan, or covered by a heritage order. The Unitary Plan also has special character overlays over some residential and business areas.
You can check your address on the council's GeoMaps viewer, or call the council helpline on 09 301 0101. The council's heritage schedules are separate from Heritage New Zealand's list, so check both if you're unsure. Do this before you book the work, so your painter can plan for any rules that apply.
Frequently asked questions
Should I be worried if I sanded lead paint?
If you sanded it once in a well-aired space, the risk is lower, but clean up properly: wet-wipe surfaces, use a HEPA vacuum rather than a household one, and wash clothes separately. If children or pregnant family members were near the dust, or you feel unwell, talk to your doctor about a blood lead test. Then switch to wet methods before you continue.
Can I sand lead paint?
Only by hand, with wet sanding, and with precautions. The government guidelines recommend dipping the sandpaper in water or spraying the surface first, catching everything on a groundsheet and wearing a properly fitted respirator. Power sanding without dust extraction is not recommended. Resene says dry sanding lead paint generally isn't something to do yourself, because the safety equipment is hard to get right.
When did lead paint stop being used in New Zealand?
There was no single date. White lead pigments were used in house paint until the mid-1960s, and BRANZ records that white lead was banned in 1979. Yellow lead chromate stayed in some paint until the late 1970s, and red lead primer was used on wood until the 1980s. That is why buildings from the 1980s or earlier are presumed to have lead paint.
Is lead paint removal a job for a professional?
For a whole house, usually yes. Stripping lead paint safely needs containment, HEPA vacuums, respirators, scaffolding and a way to dispose of the waste. The government guidelines make the contractor responsible for protecting workers and the public during paint removal. Ask any painter how they will test, contain, clean up and dispose of lead paint before you accept a quote.