Renovating an Older Finger Lakes Home: Asbestos, Lead Paint and Old Wiring Rules in New York

Last reviewed: October 25, 2026. General information only, not legal, medical, or engineering advice. Asbestos rules here come from the New York State Department of Labor (Industrial Code Rule 56) and lead-paint rules from the U.S. EPA. Confirm requirements with those agencies and your local code enforcement office before work begins.

Much of the housing around the Finger Lakes is old: village homes from the 1800s, farmhouses added onto for a century, lake cottages built after World War II and winterized in stages. Those houses are a big part of the region’s appeal, and they come with three hidden hazards that tend to surface the moment you start a renovation: asbestos in insulation, flooring, siding, and pipe wrap; lead in old paint; and outdated wiring such as knob-and-tube.

None of these is a reason to walk away from an older house. Each one does come with its own rulebook in New York, and the rules decide who is allowed to do the work, what has to happen before demolition starts, and in what order a project runs. This regional guide explains the New York and federal rules in plain language, where the exemptions for homeowners begin and end, and how to line up the right licensed people. It is part of our Older Homes section. For lake-by-lake detail, see the local guides linked at the end.

The three hazards and who regulates them

Asbestos: what New York requires before you renovate

Where it hides in older homes

The Department of Labor’s homeowner fact sheet, Publication P229 (January 2026), lists materials that should be presumed to contain asbestos unless testing shows otherwise, including white pipe wrap on old heating pipes, 9-inch-by-9-inch floor tiles, transite (cement) siding, and vermiculite insulation. The U.S. EPA adds that you cannot tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it, that material in good condition is often best left alone, and that sampling should be done by a trained professional rather than by the homeowner (EPA asbestos guidance).

Vermiculite deserves a special note. EPA reports that a mine near Libby, Montana supplied more than 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the United States from 1919 to 1990, much of it as Zonolite attic insulation, and that ore was contaminated with asbestos. EPA’s vermiculite guidance is to assume it may contain asbestos, leave it undisturbed, and hire a trained, accredited professional if remodeling will disturb it.

The pre-renovation asbestos survey

Section 56-5.1 of Industrial Code Rule 56 requires an asbestos survey before a building is demolished, renovated, remodeled, or repaired. The survey must be done by a DOL-licensed asbestos contractor using certified inspectors, it has to cover the part of the building the work will affect, and a copy goes to the local government office that issues the permit for the job. Two parts of that rule matter most for homeowners:

• Buildings started on or after January 1, 1974 are exempt from the Rule 56 survey requirement. The Department of Labor’s guidance notes that federal rules and an owner’s general duty of care still apply, and that asbestos products were installed after 1974, so a newer house is not automatically asbestos-free.
• Owners of one- and two-family homes who hire a contractor but do not direct or control the work are excepted from the owner’s duty to arrange the survey. That does not exempt the contractors on the job from their own obligations under state and federal rules.

In practice, many older-home projects start with a licensed asbestos inspection of the rooms being opened up, then abatement by a licensed contractor if anything is found, then the general contractor’s work.

The homeowner exemption, and its limits

New York lets a homeowner remove asbestos from their own house without a license in a narrow set of cases. According to P229, all three of these must be true:

• The building is a single-family dwelling.
• It is occupied, or intended to be occupied, by the homeowner. A structure slated for demolition does not count.
• The work is performed solely by the homeowner. If you hire anyone, even a handyman, the exemption ends.

P229 adds that corporations, contractors, and flippers who plan to sell or rent the house are not “owners” for this purpose, and that vacation homes and second homes qualify only if they are not used as full-time or part-time rentals, which matters for Finger Lakes owners who rent a cottage in summer. The exemption covers the owner-occupied dwelling, not detached garages or outbuildings. Even when you qualify, the Department of Labor recommends hiring a licensed asbestos inspector to sample suspect materials and a licensed abatement contractor to remove them; its online search tool lists licensed firms by area.

Disposal

Once asbestos waste leaves the house it is no longer the Department of Labor’s jurisdiction. P229 points homeowners to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the landfill they plan to use, and DEC’s asbestos page tells homeowners that after removal they should contact their solid waste hauler for pickup, or bring small amounts, double-bagged and wetted, to a landfill or transfer facility that accepts asbestos waste. Call the facility first for its handling requirements; your county solid waste office can tell you which local sites take it.

Lead paint: rules for pre-1978 homes

Lead-based paint for homes was banned in 1978, and EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule applies to paid work in homes built before then. Firms that disturb painted surfaces in those homes must be EPA-certified and must use certified renovators who follow lead-safe work practices: containing the work area, avoiding high-dust methods such as open-flame burning and power sanding without dust collection, and cleaning and verifying afterward. Before work starts, the contractor must give you EPA’s Renovate Right pamphlet.

• Small jobs. EPA’s rule excludes minor repair and maintenance that disturbs 6 square feet or less of painted surface per room inside, or 20 square feet or less outside. Window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are never treated as minor.
• Your own work. The RRP Rule covers firms paid to do renovation, not owners working on their own homes, but the dust hazard is the same. Keep children and pregnant family members away from the work area and clean up with wet methods and a HEPA vacuum.
• Buying or renting. Under EPA’s lead disclosure rule, sellers and landlords of most pre-1978 housing must disclose known lead-based paint and hazards and give buyers and renters the Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home pamphlet before a contract or lease is signed. Buyers are generally offered a chance to have a lead inspection or risk assessment done before they are bound by the contract. Vacation rentals of 100 days or less with no renewal option are among the exceptions.

For health questions, including testing children for lead, start with the NYS Department of Health lead program or your county health department. Lead can also come from old water service lines and solder; Living on Keuka covers that in its guide to lead pipes and water testing, and our private well testing guide explains certified labs.

Knob-and-tube and other old wiring

Knob-and-tube wiring, common in homes wired before about the 1940s, was designed to shed heat into open air. It has no ground conductor, and over time its insulation can become brittle or be spliced into by later owners. The practical problems show up during renovation: some insurers ask about it, and insulation contractors working through NYSERDA’s Comfort Home program are not allowed to install insulation in contact with it. Under the current program manual, live knob-and-tube in an attic can make the attic package ineligible, and knob-and-tube in walls rules out wall insulation.

Electrical work is handled locally in New York. Your town, village, or city code enforcement office can tell you what needs a permit and how electrical inspections are arranged where you live. Living on Keuka’s old wiring guide walks through fuse panels, service upgrades, and inspections in detail.

A sensible order of work

• Before you buy: read the lead disclosure, ask about past asbestos removal and wiring upgrades, and get a home inspection. A standard inspection notes suspect materials but does not test them.
• Before you open walls, ceilings, or floors: book a licensed asbestos inspection of the affected areas if the house was started before 1974, and send the survey to your permit office if a permit is needed.
• Abatement first: a licensed asbestos contractor removes or encapsulates anything the project will disturb.
• Electrical next: replace live knob-and-tube before insulation or new drywall goes in.
• Then the general work, with an EPA Lead-Safe Certified firm for any painted surfaces in a pre-1978 house.
• Insulation and air sealing last, once wiring and moisture problems are solved. See Living on Keuka’s insulation, air sealing, and energy assessment guide for NYSERDA programs.

Hiring checklist

Ask every contractor for certificates of liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and get the scope in writing, including who handles anything unexpected that turns up when walls are opened.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• NYS Department of Labor: Asbestos Abatement Homeowner Exemption, P229 (PDF)
• NYS Department of Labor: Industrial Code Rule 56 (PDF)
• NYS Department of Labor: Asbestos Control Bureau
• NYS Department of Labor: licensed asbestos contractor search
• NYSDEC: asbestos waste
• U.S. EPA: Protect your family from exposures to asbestos
• U.S. EPA: Asbestos-contaminated vermiculite insulation
• U.S. EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rules
• U.S. EPA: Renovate Right pamphlet
• U.S. EPA: Lead-based paint disclosure rule
• NYS Department of Health: Lead

Related on Practical Finger Lakes: Private well testing · New York septic rules basics · Flood zones and flood insurance · Winter driving and road access

Across the network: Living on Keuka: older homes around Keuka Lake · Living on Keuka: insulation and energy assessments · Living on Seneca: buying a home checklist · Living on Canandaigua: converting a cottage to year-round · Hornell Living: buying an older home checklist

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