Lead paint, banned in 1978 and is a health hazard. There is no way to identify lead paint without laboratory testing. The identification of lead paint is not part of a home inspection as per the standards of practice set by the state of New Jersey.

If your home was built before 1978 there is a good possibility that there is lead paint in the home.

Note that each painted surface in a building may have many layers of paint and lead paint may not be the top layers but underneath. Therefore chipping, peeling and damaged areas of painted surfaces should be further evaluated and remediated. Remediation is often as simple and properly painting and repairing the area.