Handyman basing quote on lead paint concerns
Hey there BP experts!
I closed on my first rental prop (4-unit student housing) in October and I'm totally new to working with contractors.
The property is old, built in 1911. It has some rodent issues and I want to get the unfinished basement sealed off. There are tons of holes in the siding that contacts the ground. I got a quote from a handyman to do this and he is saying that because of the age of the property, he will need to take special care to follow EPA guidelines for lead paint. I have no evidence (nor does he, as far as I know) that there actually is lead paint.
With that being said, he quoted to seal off the basement area to rodent entry & to repair the siding as needed (without painting) it would be their cost of materials +20% markup and a labor rate of $130.00 per man-hour.
Does this sound reasonable? I am in the Willamette Valley in Oregon (Albany/Corvallis area).
Thanks for any help you can provide!