Buying or selling a home

Vermont law does not require a radon test as part of a real estate transaction.^[1] The EPA still recommends testing when you buy or sell a home, and fixing it if the level is 4 pCi/L or higher.^[2]

Quick tests for a sale

For real estate transactions, the Health Department Lab, private labs and building supply stores sell short-term test kits. Short-term testing may be done in the basement if the buyer plans to use it as living space.^[1]

The EPA lists three acceptable short-term options for a real estate test:^[2]

1. Two passive short-term tests at the same time, in the same place, for at least 48 hours. Fix the home if the average is 4 pCi/L or more.
2. One passive short-term test for at least 48 hours, followed immediately by a second identical test in the same place. Fix the home if the average is 4 pCi/L or more.
3. A continuous monitor for at least 48 hours. Fix the home if the average is 4 pCi/L or more.

Any real estate radon test should include steps to prevent or detect interference with the test device, such as tamper-proof seals, a non-interference agreement signed by the occupant, or a monitor that records unusual swings.^[2]

If you're buying

• Ask the seller for any radon test results, and for information about any radon reduction system.^[2]
• Before accepting a seller's test, find out who did it, where in the home it was taken, and whether the home has changed since.^[2]
• If the home hasn't been tested, consider contract terms covering where, who, what type and when to test, how results and costs are shared, and who pays for any mitigation.^[2]
• Make sure the test is in the lowest level you'll use as living space, finished or not.^[2]

If you're selling

• The EPA recommends testing before putting your home on the market and, if needed, lowering the radon level. Keep your results and records of any fixes; they can be a selling point.^[2]
• A buyer may ask for a new test, for example if your last test is more than two years old, you've renovated since, or they plan to use a lower level than you tested.^[2]

New construction

For a new home, the EPA suggests asking whether radon-resistant features were used and whether the home has been tested.^[2] In Vermont, building radon resistant is estimated at $250 to $750, compared with $1,500 to $2,500 to fix a problem later.^[3]

Neighborhood data isn't a substitute

The EPA warns against using test results from other homes in the neighborhood to estimate your home's level; homes next to each other can differ.^[2] Town data can show how common high results are locally, but only a test tells you about a specific house.