Cal. Civ. Code § DHS 163.15
Lead-based paint hazard standards.
Operative Text
DHS 163.15 Lead-based paint hazard standards. (1) Dust-lead hazard. A dust-lead hazard is present when one of the following applies: (a) Lead hazard screen. For dust wipe samples taken during a lead hazard screen, the arithmetic mean of laboratory results is equal to or greater than the following: 1. Ten micrograms per square foot (10 μg/ft2) on a floor. 2. Fifty micrograms per square foot (50 μg/ft2) on an interior windowsill. (b) Risk assessment. For dust wipe samples taken during a risk assessment, the arithmetic mean of laboratory results is equal to or greater than the following: 1. Ten micrograms per square foot (10 μg/ft2) on a floor. 2. One hundred micrograms per square foot (100 μg/ft2) on an interior windowsill. (2) Soil-lead hazard. A soil–lead hazard is present when the laboratory result for a bare soil sample is equal to or greater than any of the following: (a) Four hundred parts per million (400 ppm) for the soil-lead concentration from a composite sample of bare soil in a play area. (b) One thousand two hundred parts per million (1,200 ppm) for the arithmetic mean lead concentration from one or more composite samples of bare soil from the rest of the yard. (3) Lead-based paint hazard. A lead-based paint hazard is present when any of the following applies: (a) A friction surface is subject to abrasion and the dust-lead levels on the nearest horizontal surface underneath the friction surface are equal to or greater than the dust-lead hazard levels under sub. (1). (b) A chewable lead-based painted surface bears evidence of teeth marks. (c) There is any damaged or deteriorated lead-based paint on an impact surface that is caused by impact from a related building component. (d) There is any other deteriorated lead-based paint in any dwelling or child-occupied facility or on the exterior of any dwelling or child-occupied facility.
Wisconsin Administrative Code § DHS 163.15 establishes the numeric thresholds at which dust, soil, and paint conditions involving lead are officially classified as hazards. Dust-lead hazards are triggered when laboratory averages from wipe samples meet or exceed specific micrograms-per-square-foot levels on floors and windowsills, with slightly different cutoffs depending on whether a lead hazard screen or a full risk assessment was conducted. Soil-lead hazards arise when bare soil samples reach defined parts-per-million concentrations, varying by whether the soil is in a play area or the broader yard. Lead-based paint hazards cover a range of physical conditions, including deteriorated paint, chewed surfaces, and friction or impact surfaces that generate lead dust at hazardous levels.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers overseeing dwellings or child-occupied facilities in Wisconsin generally maintain awareness of the specific numerical thresholds set out in § DHS 163.15, since crossing those thresholds triggers formal hazard classifications with associated remediation obligations. Compliant operators typically ensure that any dust wipe sampling, soil sampling, or paint condition assessments are conducted by qualified professionals who can compare results against the floor, windowsill, and soil concentration standards defined in this section. Operators also routinely inspect for the physical paint conditions described in § DHS 163.15(3)—such as deteriorated, chewed, or impact-damaged lead-based paint—because those conditions constitute hazards regardless of whether sampling has been performed.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § DHS 163.15, tenants living in Wisconsin dwellings have the benefit of clearly defined standards that determine when lead conditions in their home legally constitute a hazard, covering dust on floors and windowsills, lead in bare soil, and various deteriorated paint conditions. If a tenant suspects that conditions in their unit meet or exceed these thresholds—for example, peeling paint, soil in a play area, or dusty windowsills in an older home—they may consider requesting a lead hazard screen or risk assessment and asking for the laboratory results to be compared against the standards in this section. Tenants can explore options such as contacting a local tenant-rights organization, reaching out to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, or raising a potential § DHS 163.15 violation through available housing complaint channels.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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