[Tommy plumber]

Hi Bill, haven't spoken with you in a while.

It's a great idea to put into your quote words to the effect of, "All work to be done per Virginia plumbing & building codes."
And that means replacing lead water services. Lead should be replaced and at a minimum this will remove any future liability from you. And at best, it gives you peace of mind that you made the home safer for families and children who reside there in the future.

I could just hear some slick city lawyer now, "The plumber KNEW that lead pipes were installed and he did nothing to rectify this hazardous and dangerous situation."

 

[Tommy plumber]

What if a house I’m working on has existing lead solder ? Am I going to get sued ?

Oh No’s 😐

If the plumbing code allows it and the inspector approves it then it’s legal.

Connecting to existing plumbing is different than installing it. Consult your attorney.

Not so fast Terry. Would YOU bet your life on that?....

Local, state and the Federal gov't. get sued all the time.
A buddy of mine is a painting contractor. He had to go to Orlando to paint an older southern-style mansion. He determined that the old home had lead paint on its exterior. So he walked away from the job. He said he would have to use all types of protective measures to sand and prepare the surface for re-painting. I think that he said that the materials scraped and sanded had to be bagged and discarded. It is of course considered toxic and/or hazardous waste. He didn't want his name attached to that.
I'm sure others paint over lead paint all the time. I can't really speak intelligently on that topic.

But with an army of attorneys well-versed in the law, lots of business owners want nothing to do with lead.