Radon Testing

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it may be a problem in your home. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, you’re at high risk for developing lung cancer. Some scientific studies of radon exposure indicate that children may be more sensitive to radon. This may be due to their higher respiration rate and their rapidly dividing cells, which may be more vulnerable to radiation damage.

Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L), a measurement of radioactivity. In the United States, the average indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L. The average outdoor level is about 0.4 pCi/L. The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend fixing homes with radon levels at or above 4 pCi/L. EPA also recommends that people think about fixing their homes for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L.

Homes with high levels of radon have been found in every state, including Alabama. In fact, radon levels can vary greatly from home to home - even levels next door can be very different. Therefore we recommend that all homes be tested for radon.

In Alabama, 15 counties have been identified as having the highest potential for elevated radon levels. They are Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Coosa, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Shelby and Talladega. Please view the map below to see where the highest levels of radon have been measured in Alabama.

Image of map was pulled from the Alabama Department of Health website.

To perform a radon inspection we will need access to the property to place our test equipment at least 48 hours before retrieving our samples. During this 48 hours, it is crucial that the equipment not be tampered with as this could skew the results. If this will be a stand-alone inspection, we charge $300. If this will be an add-on for a scheduled residential inspection, the cost will be $250. In this case, we would place our equipment a minimum of 48 hours before the scheduled inspection and gather test results the day of our inspection. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to call!