Maine Cabin Masters Lawsuit: EPA Lead-Paint Claims and Settlement Terms

The Maine Cabin Masters lawsuit was an EPA civil enforcement action against Kennebec Property Services, LLC, the Manchester, Maine contracting company owned by show host Chase Morrill. It ended in a 2022 settlement in which the company paid a $16,500 civil penalty and agreed to use the show and its podcast to teach viewers about lead-safe renovation.¹

What the EPA Alleged

The agency said that in 2020, Kennebec Property Services carried out five renovations on pre-1978 homes without following the federal Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (the RRP Rule). The properties were in Belgrade, Manchester, Oakland, West Gardiner, and Whitefield.²

According to the EPA, four things went wrong on those jobs:

The company’s renovation-firm certification had lapsed and had not been renewed before the work began.
None of the five projects had a certified renovator assigned to oversee lead-safe practices.
Property owners were not given the EPA’s required lead hazard pamphlet, Renovate Right.
The company did not keep the compliance records the rule requires.¹

The RRP Rule applies to any paid renovation work in housing built before 1978, when lead-based paint was still in common use. Firms must be EPA-certified, assign a certified renovator to each job, hand out the lead hazard pamphlet before starting, follow specific containment and cleanup practices, and keep compliance records for at least three years. Penalties can run up to $37,500 per violation.³

What the Settlement Required

The case was resolved through a Consent Agreement and Final Order, docketed as TSCA-01-2022-0067. Chase Morrill signed on September 14, 2022, the EPA announced the settlement on October 18, and the docket closed on November 3 after payment came in.⁴

The Money

The EPA assessed a total civil penalty of $26,411. Kennebec Property Services had to pay $16,500 within 30 days. The remaining $9,911 was conditionally remitted, meaning it would be forgiven so long as the company met every other term of the agreement. If the company fell short, the EPA reserved the right to issue a non-remittance order collecting that balance, after giving 30 days’ notice and a chance to cure.⁵

Certification Going Forward

The company obtained the RRP firm certification it had been missing and agreed that future work on pre-1978 housing would use certified renovators, follow lead-safe practices, deliver the Renovate Right pamphlet to owners, and be properly documented.²

On-Air and Online Education

The unusual part of the deal put the show itself to work. The CAFO required Kennebec Property Services to include specific dialogue about lead paint, testing, and compliance in at least three Season 11 episodes, and to make “best efforts” to include lead safety information and demonstrations of safe work practices in the other Season 11 episodes that featured pre-1978 housing. Any episode where lead was discussed or discovered had to link to the EPA’s lead safety website in the credits.

On the website side, the company had to post a lead-paint law disclosure in the “Resources” section for every Season 11 episode and beyond, and display its EPA certification or the EPA certified firm logo on the Maine Cabin Masters site within 90 days. It also had to produce an episode of the show’s podcast, From the Woodshed, featuring a discussion of lead paint laws with an EPA lead paint inspector, due by June 1, 2023. The EPA required both a tentative broadcast schedule up front and post-airing documentation confirming the required segments had run.⁵

How This Case Fits a Larger Pattern

The Kennebec Property Services matter was one of several RRP enforcement actions the EPA has brought against contractors tied to television renovation programs. The agency has said such programs have “an obligation to show the public how to renovate old homes safely and lawfully.”⁶

Similar settlements have involved other shows:

Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper settled in June 2018 over violations at 33 Waco, Texas properties, agreeing to a $200,000 package that included a $40,000 civil penalty and a compliance video.⁷
In February 2020, Nicole Curtis’s Detroit Renovations (Rehab Addict) and Tamara Day’s Growing Days (Bargain Mansions), along with four Kansas City-area subcontractors, settled for combined penalties of $59,000, with both hosts agreeing to produce educational content.⁸
Marrs Construction Co. of Arkansas, tied to Fixer to Fabulous, paid $35,000 in January 2024 and agreed to include lead safety education in three future episodes.⁶

The EPA has also identified Two Chicks and a Hammer and Texas Flip N Move as programs whose associated companies settled RRP cases.⁹ Against those settlements, the $16,500 Maine Cabin Masters penalty sits at the lower end.

Where the Case Stands Now

The EPA’s administrative docket shows the case closed on November 3, 2022, with a disposition of “Payment Received.” No follow-up orders or compliance disputes appear.⁴ The settlement does not appear to have affected the show. Maine Cabin Masters has continued into Season 13, with new episodes and public appearances promoted through the company’s website.¹⁰

1
EPA. EPA Announces Settlement With Maine-Based TV Show to Resolve Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule Violations
2
Central Maine. Maine Cabin Masters Settles With EPA Over Alleged Violations of Lead Paint Safety Rules
3
NCHH. Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule
4
EPA Administrative Docket. TSCA-01-2022-0067 Docket
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EPA CAFO. Consent Agreement and Final Order, TSCA-01-2022-0067
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EPA. EPA Settlement Addresses Contractor’s Actions on Renovation TV Show Violating Lead-Based Paint Rules
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JLC Online. EPA Settles With Rehab Addict, Bargain Mansions Stars for Lead Paint Violations
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EPA. EPA Reaches Settlement With Renovators of Rehab Addict and Bargain Mansions Television Shows
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CD Recycler. EPA Settles With Arkansas Contractor and Reality TV Show Over Lead Paint Violations
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Maine Cabin Masters. Maine Cabin Masters Official Website