Lead-Based Paint Testing in Albuquerque

Replacing windows in a pre-1978 home? The painted surfaces get tested before any work starts.

Pre-1978 homesTested before work startsFolds into the estimate visitFree, in-home estimate
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Lead-based paint testing

Pre-1978 home? Test before the trim comes off.

Albuquerque’s best neighborhoods are full of homes older than 1978 — Nob Hill bungalows, North Valley adobes, South Valley family houses that have been in the same hands for a long, long time. Homes from that era can have lead-based paint on and around the window openings, and window replacement is exactly the kind of work that disturbs those painted surfaces: trim pried off, frames cut out, sanding and sealing around the opening.

That’s why lead-based paint testing is available before any work starts. The painted surfaces around your openings get tested first, so you know exactly what you’re dealing with — before a pry bar touches the trim, not after.

When testing makes sense

  • Your home was built before 1978 — the year lead paint was banned for residential use
  • Original or layered paint around window trim, sills, and frames
  • Peeling, chipping, or chalking paint near openings — the surfaces replacement work disturbs
  • Kids in the house — the group lead exposure matters most for

It’s a simple add-on to the free, in-home estimate: mention the home’s age when you call, and testing gets folded into the visit.

A gloved technician pressing a test swab against the peeling painted wood trim of an old double-hung window, clipboard on the sill
Testing painted trim on an older window. Illustrative example.
Why it matters

Know first. Then plan the work.

Testing isn’t about scaring anyone off a project — it’s about doing the project right. Knowing whether lead-based paint is present around your openings shapes how the work gets planned and handled, and it takes the question off the table before demolition instead of raising it in the middle of the job.

The rest of the project runs like any other: a free, in-home estimate, windows built to your measured openings — locally manufactured Energy Quest vinyl or premium Jeld-Wen options — professional installation, and a limited lifetime warranty on the windows.

A typical job

The problem: A 1962 Nob Hill bungalow with original wood windows — layered paint on every casing, two young kids in the house, and a family wanting the drafts fixed without cutting corners.

What was done: Lead-based paint testing on the window surrounds came first; the results were in hand before the estimate was finalized, and the replacement plan was built around them.

The result: The family got new double-pane windows with the question answered up front — no mid-project surprises, no guessing about what the pry bar was about to disturb.

Keep reading

Related services.

Window ReplacementThe project testing usually precedes — measured and installed right. Full-Frame InstallationThe work that disturbs the most paint — test first on pre-1978 homes. All ServicesEverything ABQ Window Pros handles, in one place.
Questions

Lead-Based Paint Testing FAQ

Why does lead paint matter for window replacement?

Window replacement disturbs the painted surfaces around the opening — trim comes off, frames come out, edges get sanded and sealed. In homes built before 1978, those layers can contain lead-based paint, so testing first tells you what the work is about to disturb.

How do I know if my home has lead-based paint?

Age is the first clue: homes built before 1978 can have it, and the only way to know for sure is to test. Lead-based paint testing is available before any window work starts — mention your home’s age when you call (505) 555-0103.

Is the testing done before the estimate or after?

Before any work starts — it folds into the free, in-home estimate visit, so the results shape the plan rather than interrupting it.

My paint is in good condition - do I still need testing?

Intact paint is lower-risk day to day, but replacement work disturbs it regardless — that’s the moment that matters. If the house predates 1978, testing before the trim comes off is the prudent order of operations.

What happens if the test finds lead?

You’ll know before demolition starts, and the work gets planned around it — that’s the point of testing first. What never happens is finding out mid-job with the openings already open.

Does testing delay the window project?

No meaningful delay — it’s handled up front alongside the estimate, so the project timeline is built with the answer already in hand.

Which Albuquerque homes should test?

Anything built before 1978 — which covers most of Nob Hill, the University area, the North and South Valley, and the older Northeast Heights. Newer builds (most of Rio Rancho, for instance) predate the concern entirely.

Is the rest of the window project the same?

Yes — free, in-home estimate, windows built to your measured openings, professional installation, and a limited lifetime warranty on the windows. Testing just answers the paint question first.

Ready for windows that actually seal?

Describe what you’ve got and get a free, in-home estimate. No pressure, no obligation.

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