Ontario · Home health · checked September 28, 2026

Lead paint testing in Pickering

Health Canada says a home built before 1960 probably has lead paint somewhere. That's 6% of Pickering's houses (built before 1961, per the 2021 Census), plus exterior paint on many of the 53% built from 1961 to 1990.

Ask a question → The lead paint guide
A gloved hand swabbing layers of cracked old paint on a wooden window sill

Houses built before 1961

6%

Built 1961–1990

53%

Swab kits

$15–$40

Lab accreditation

AIHA ELLAP

How Pickering is built

Pickering's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Pickering's 29,245 houses. Before 1961: 7%, 1961–1990: 53%, 1991–2000: 19%, 2001 or later: 21%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 7%
  • 1961–1990 53%
  • 1991–2000 19%
  • 2001 or later 21%
Each house stands for one in ten of Pickering's 29,245 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row and duplex), drawn by when it was built. The glow shows the usual pattern: older houses tend to be leakier and less insulated. Snowfall scales with heating degree-days. Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (table 98-10-0233-01), NRCan HOT2000 climate data.

Which Pickering homes are at risk

Of Pickering's 29,245 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 6% were built before 1961 and 60% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census.

  • Built before 1960: probably has lead-based paint (Health Canada).
  • Built 1960–1990: exterior paint may contain lead, and interior paint may contain smaller amounts.
  • Built after 1990: consumer paints were virtually lead-free by then.

How to test

  • Swab kits ($15–$40) give a quick screen of the surfaces you plan to disturb.
  • For certainty, send paint chips to a lab accredited under AIHA's ELLAP program, or hire a firm with an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer.
  • Test before sanding, stripping or replacing old windows and trim.

Our lead paint guide.

If it's positive

Don't dry-sand, use a heat gun or power-wash it. Contain the work area, mist surfaces, clean with a HEPA vacuum, and keep children and pregnant people away until cleanup is done. No province has a lead-paint rule aimed at homeowners, but contractors in B.C. and Yukon must include lead in pre-renovation or demolition hazard inspections.

Lead paint testing in Pickering: common questions

Does my Pickering house have lead paint?

If it was built before 1960, probably; 1960–1990, possibly on the exterior. Test the surfaces you plan to disturb.

Are lead test swabs reliable?

They are a useful screen. For renovation decisions, confirm with a lab analysis of paint chips or an XRF reading.

What does lead paint testing cost?

Swab kits run about $15–$40; lab analysis and XRF testing cost more and are quoted by the firm.

Lead paint testing near Pickering

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Sources

Checked September 28, 2026. Census figures are for the municipality (Ontario); climate data is NRCan's HOT2000 station Toronto Buttonville (21 km away).

Ask about lead paint testing in Pickering

Tell us your postal code and what you’re dealing with. We’ll reply with the right kind of certified professional or lab for your area, and which programs apply.

Email us what you’re planning, your postal code and the type of building (a house, a duplex or triplex, or a larger multi-unit building) — we’ll reply with registered service organizations for your area and which rebates apply.

Email dave@clickshift.ca

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