What Is Radon? How to Check a Home for This Silent and Deadly Threat

Article courtesy of Realtor.com measurement services manager for Cascade Radon in Vancouver, WA.

Costs for a professional radon test can range from $75 to $250. If you’re buying a home, it should be part of your home inspection (but be sure to ask). Snead recommends hiring a home inspector who’s certified by the National Radon Proficiency Program or National Radon Safety Board, two independent boards.

Here’s how the test works: The inspector will leave a small device known as a radon detector in your home for at least 48 hours and up to several days or months. Why so long? Since radon levels in a home can fluctuate day by day, longer tests reap more accurate results. However, Snead says that all the various types of tests are valid, at least as a baseline, and that your inspector can determine which type is best for your property.

Homeowners can also use a DIY radon testing kit, available at big-box stores for under $20. You put the testing device at the lowest level of your house for the prescribed time frame—at least 48 hours—then return the kit to a lab for analysis.

Found radon? What to do

If your test shows a radon level of 4 picocuries per liter, or pCi/L, or higher, you’ll want to take steps to reduce it.

“Radon mitigation systems have developed to the point that virtually any home can be fixed,” says Snead.

The most common remedy for elevated radon is active soil depressurization, which collects the radon from beneath the building before it can enter.

“The system draws the radon-laden gas from beneath the foundation and exhausts it outside of the building, far enough away from windows and other openings that it will not re-enter,” Snead explains.

The cost will vary depending on permitting costs and the size of the home, but it should run less than $4,000, says Linde. It’s a hefty chunk of change, but it’s well worth the safety (and peace of mind) it can bring.

“Often people will simply try to seal cracks or other holes in the foundation, but this has not been shown to significantly lower the levels within the home,” Linde warns.

More information on radon testing and mitigation can be found in the EPA’s Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction. For more information on radon and specific safety requirements in your state, you can reach out to your state radon contact.