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Radon inspection
How a professional radon test works, what it proves and whether it is worth it.
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National Radon Action Month
January is when EPA tells people to test. Bring the county record to the test.
Short answer
January is National Radon Action Month, and the first thing EPA asks for during the month is to test your home; EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested. The Radon Action Brief is the county page you hand the inspector before the monitor goes down: area data for the place, never a reading of the building.
Next step: pick the right test for your home. Which test to use
Key takeaways
- EPA says January is National Radon Action Month.
- EPA's list of five things to do during the month starts with: test your home.
- EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon.
- The Radon Action Brief is area data for your county. Only a test measures the building.
Key figures · 1 min read
January is when EPA says test
EPA's page for the month says you can't see, smell or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. It calls radon the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America, and says it claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year.
Agency estimate
21,000
Americans whose lives radon claims each year, as EPA's National Radon Action Month page puts it
Read moreA quote, 1 min
“Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk and testing radon levels in your home can help prevent unnecessary exposure.”
Overview · 1 min read
EPA and the Surgeon General: test the building
EPA's page for the month says EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools and other buildings for radon. On January 13, 2005, EPA's Health Risk of Radon page records, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a national health advisory on radon and urged Americans to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be breathing.
Read moreA paragraph and a note, 1 min
The advisory's words, as EPA's Citizen's Guide prints them: indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and breathing it over prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families all over the country; it's important to know that this threat is completely preventable; and radon can be detected with a simple test and fixed through well-established venting techniques.
Overview · 1 min read
The brief you hand the inspector
The Radon Action Brief is the county page you hand the inspector before the monitor goes down: the published radon data for the place, your state's rule, and the questions to settle, in one dated file. It describes the area, so it says what to expect and what to ask. The test is what measures the building.
What it holds
A list, a paragraph and a table, 1 min
- Cover: the place, your role, the report ID and date
- The area data: Predicted, Measured and Calculated, each labeled, beside the neighbors and the state
- Every source, with its date
- A cover letter for your role
- Your state's disclosure rule
- Questions to ask
- How to read a measurement report
- How to test this week
- One-page cost sheet
- Nearby listed professionals
- A printable test log
Why before the test: EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide lists what a buyer and seller can settle before a test in a sale, and the brief's questions follow it.
| Item | In EPA's words |
|---|---|
| Where | Where the test will be located |
| Who tests | Who should conduct the test |
| Which test | What type of test to do |
| When | When to do the test |
| The fix | When radon mitigation measures will be taken, and who will pay for them |
Show all 5 rows
In a picture · 1 min read
Test this January
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| Test | How long it runs | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term test | Stays in the home from 2 to 90 days, depending on the device, and for a minimum of 48 hours. | A faster screening result. Because radon levels vary from day to day and season to season, it is less likely than a long-term test to tell you the year-round average. |
| Long-term test | Stays in the home for more than 90 days. | It is more likely than a short-term test to tell you the home's year-round average radon level. |
| Continuous monitor | Logs readings for the whole test, run as a short-term or a long-term test under the same durations in EPA guidance. | Logs a graph over time, so you can see trends and spot anomalies rather than a single number. |
Show the whole figure
Read moreTwo paragraphs and a table, 1 min
State programs point to winter. Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection says the best time to test is during the colder months, when homes and buildings are closed and radon is most likely to be trapped and build up to higher levels. Minnesota's Department of Health says Minnesota homes are closed up or heated most of the year, which can result in higher levels of radon.
| State | Notice | What the state said |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | Department of Environmental Protection release, January 2, 2024 | Free radon test kits throughout the Commonwealth from the American Lung Association, while supplies last |
| North Carolina | Division of Public Health notice, December 30, 2025 | A free radon test kit as of Jan. 1, while supplies last, limited to one kit per home |
Offers change from year to year: ask your state radon program, or see free and low-cost kits by state. The Radon Action Month checklist puts the five steps in order.
In a picture · 1 min read
After the result
EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4
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- Below 2 pCi/L (below 74 Bq/m³)Below both of EPA's guidance levels.
- 2 to 4 pCi/L (74 Bq/m³ to 148 Bq/m³)EPA recommends considering a fix when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L.
- At or above 4 pCi/L (148 Bq/m³ and up)EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher.
Read moreA paragraph, 1 min
The Citizen's Guide says radon reduction systems work, that some can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99%, and that you should also test your home again after it is fixed. Read your number with the radon level interpreter, and see how radon is fixed.
Questions · 1 min read
Questions about the month
When is National Radon Action Month?
January. EPA says January is National Radon Action Month.
What does EPA ask people to do in January?
Its list of five things starts with: test your home. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon.
Is the Radon Action Brief a radon test?
No. It is area data for the county, not a test of the building. Homes with elevated levels have been found in all three of EPA's radon zones, so only a test tells you about your building.
Why hand the brief over before the test?
So the test starts with the questions settled. EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide lists them: where the test will be located, who should conduct it, what type of test to do, when to do it, and when radon mitigation measures will be taken, and who will pay for them.
How long does a radon test take?
EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide says all radon tests should be taken for a minimum of 48 hours. Short-term tests remain in your home for two days to 90 days, depending on the device.
Radon Action Brief
National Radon Action MonthPre-sale
The county page you hand the inspector before the monitor goes down.
- Your area's radon record, explained. EPA's zone and any CDC tests.
- Your plan to test this week. Which test, where it goes, how long.
- Fix costs and pros near you. Costs, EPA's checklist, listed pros.
Save 64%Sale price: $8.99Price after the sale: $25Ends Jan 31Then $25Sale ends January 31, then $25
Test
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