What Is a Radon Test? A Virginia Buyer's Guide

What is a radon test, and should I get one when I buy a home in Virginia?
Radon is a radioactive gas you cannot see, smell or taste. A radon test measures how much of it is in a home's air. It is an optional inspection, and the Virginia Department of Health says testing the air is the way to know.

The Mike Webb Team (Mike and Claudia Webb, RE/MAX Allegiance) helps homeowners in Arlington, Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC get their homes ready to sell and sold.

The Virginia Department of Health calls radon a colorless, odorless, flavorless, radioactive gas. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in bedrock, rises through the ground, and can collect in basements, crawl spaces and ground-floor levels. Source: Virginia Department of Health, Radon.

Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air, written pCi/L. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends fixing a home when the level is 4 pCi/L or more. It also says there is no known safe level of radon, and that you may want to consider fixing a home with a level between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Source: EPA, What is EPA's Action Level for Radon.

A short-term test usually runs a few days. The Virginia Department of Health says to test the lowest livable level of the home, because radon is usually highest there, and to avoid unusually severe storms during the test. A professional test usually costs between $100 and $200, depending on the device.

When you are buying or selling, the state says you may hire a trained professional. Virginia requires professional radon testers and mitigators to be certified by the National Radon Safety Board or the National Radon Proficiency Program. Many low-cost do-it-yourself kits are also sold, and the state says all test devices must be approved by one of those two groups. Source: Virginia Department of Health, Radon Testing.

A radon system can pull the gas from under the home and vent it above the roof. The state lists a typical system under a slab at $800 to $1,200, and your cost will depend on the home. A high result can be handled like other inspection findings, so read What to Ask the Seller to Fix After Inspection.

Ask your inspector whether radon testing is included or has to be ordered separately, and tell us early. We will help you plan the timing in your contract. Our Home Inspection Guide for Arlington, VA Buyers and How to Choose a Home Inspector in Virginia can help.

If the result is low, am I done forever?
Not always. The EPA says you may want to test again in the future, and to retest if you start using a lower level of the home. Source: EPA, How often should I test or retest.

Can I use a store-bought kit?
Many are sold, but when you are buying a home the state suggests a trained professional.

Will the seller fix a high result?
That depends on your contract and what the seller agrees to. We will help you ask.

Call or text Claudia at 703-350-3884 or visit claudiawebb.com.

The Mike Webb Team, RE/MAX Allegiance. Arlington, Virginia. Equal Housing Opportunity.