Buying & Selling · 8 min read
Choosing a Radon Professional
How to evaluate a radon contractor: what diagnostics to expect, what a complete proposal includes, and the questions that separate good work from guesswork.
Radon work looks simple from the outside: a pipe, a fan, and a hole in the floor. The difference between a system that works and one that merely runs lies entirely in measurement and design decisions that are invisible in the finished product.
These are the questions that reveal which kind of work is being proposed.
Questions to ask before hiring
A short list separates measurement-driven work from template installation.
- Will you perform sub-slab communication testing before designing the system?
- How will you determine the number of suction points?
- How will you select the fan, and can you show me the fan curve?
- Is sealing of cracks, joints, and penetrations included?
- Is a post-mitigation test included in the price?
- Where will the pipe be routed, and where will it discharge?
- What happens if the post-mitigation test does not meet the target?
What a complete proposal contains
A thorough proposal describes the diagnostic findings, the number and location of suction points, pipe routing and size, the fan model, the sealing scope, the discharge location, and the verification test.
A proposal that is a single line item and a price is not enough information to compare against anything.
Red flags
Quoting a price over the phone without seeing the house is the most common one. Without knowing the foundation type and sub-slab conditions, a price is a guess.
Others include: no communication testing, no sealing in scope, no post-mitigation test, a discharge planned below the roofline, and a fan chosen because it is the one on the truck.
Guarantees worth having
A performance guarantee, committing to bring the home below the action level or continue working at no additional cost, is meaningfully different from a warranty on the fan alone.
Ask what the guaranteed number is. A commitment to get below 4.0 pCi/L is standard; a commitment to get below 2.0 pCi/L reflects more confidence in the design.
Independence in testing
It is common and generally acceptable for the installer to perform the post-mitigation test. Some homeowners prefer an independent test to remove any appearance of conflict, which is entirely reasonable.
During a real estate transaction, independent testing is often the cleaner choice because the result affects the deal terms.
Documentation to request
At completion, expect a package containing the pre-mitigation test result, diagnostic findings, system description with suction point locations, fan model and install date, initial manometer reading, and the post-mitigation test report.
That package is what makes the next test, the next repair, and the next sale straightforward.
Key takeaways
- Diagnostics before design is the single best indicator of quality.
- A complete proposal describes scope, not just price.
- Phone quotes without a site visit are guesses.
- Insist on verification testing and a documentation package.