Certified lead inspectors in New Jersey: how to verify any contractor

August 27, 2026

Rental lead-safe inspections in New Jersey are performed by certified lead evaluation contractors. The NJ DCA publishes the official list: 185 firms on the August 11, 2026 revision, each with a certificate number and an expiration date. Checking a contractor takes about a minute.

What the official DCA list shows

The List of Certified Lead Evaluation Contractors is a PDF the Department of Community Affairs revises regularly. Each row carries the firm's certificate number, address and municipality, a contact name and phone, and the certificate expiration date. Firms based in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania all appear: what qualifies a contractor is the certification, not the address.

Only 3 of the 185 are based in Hudson County

On the August 11, 2026 revision, just three listed firms have a Hudson County address: one in Jersey City, one in North Bergen and one in Secaucus. That is not a shortage. Any certified contractor may inspect here, and most firms serving the county are based elsewhere in the state. It does mean calendars fill up, which is why 48-hour scheduling is worth asking about before anything else.

Four checks before you book

1. Find the firm on the current list. Open the PDF fresh from nj.gov rather than a copy from search results: the list is revised, and a cached copy can be stale.

2. Check the expiration column. Certifications expire on the date in the last column. Make sure it is later than your inspection date.

3. Match the certificate number. The number next to the firm on the list should match the number on the paperwork your inspector issues. A certificate without a matching number is the red flag.

4. Check your town first. Some municipalities retain their own contractor and set the rules of choice: Bayonne and Harrison both do, and Kearny waives its town inspection fee entirely when you hire your own DCA-certified contractor. The requirements table covers all twelve towns.

Common questions

Is a licensed home inspector allowed to issue the lead-safe certificate?

No. Under the lead-safe law the inspection is performed by the municipality or by a certified lead evaluation contractor you hire. A general home-inspector license is a different credential, and it does not appear on the DCA list.

Can a contractor based outside Hudson County inspect my building?

Yes. The DCA certification applies statewide, and most of the 185 listed firms are based outside the county. Base and service area are different things.

Where does the $20 state fee fit in?

Every certificate filing includes the $20 state fee on top of whatever the contractor or the town charges. The cost guide breaks down the totals per town.

Want a certified contractor without the homework?

We match Hudson County landlords with NJ DCA-certified lead evaluation contractors, with inspections booked within 48 hours.

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