1. Is your business an RRP certified firm with the EPA and/or with any other delegated state or tribal authority?
To set a baseline for the survey, Remodeling’s first question was obvious, and had a surprisingly good response. Despite recent estimates by The Connor Institute that only 10% of remodelers who need certification have completed the required coursework, an impressive 61% of Remodeling readers said their companies are RRP certified, with another 13% in the process of completing the certification. A quarter of respondents (24%) said they are not certified, and a further 3% do not work on homes prior to 1978, and are not affected by the rule.
McCadden says he agrees with the Connor Institute’s estimate, suggesting that Reader Panelists outstrip that number because “the survey respondents include remodelers who are typically more informed and plugged-in to industry.” The low industry-at-large estimate of 10% compliance, he says, can be attributed to several factors: contractors are typically slow adopters; based on past experiences, they don’t believe the EPA will follow through on enforcement; and in this economy, many contractors are afraid additional costs will cost them new work (see Q3). Of these, “I think the biggest reason for the low numbers is the lack of real enforcement, at least so far,” McCadden adds. “When enforcement picks up and renovators as well as consumers start learning about the enforcement, the number of compliant firms will get much higher. Many contractors are asking for this to happen.”
