How to choose a radon contractor in Colorado
Colorado's state health department says radon is found at elevated levels in one out of every two Colorado homes. Radon is a gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in the soil, and it enters a home from the ground beneath it. The department calls it the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the U.S. and links it to about 500 lung cancer deaths a year in Colorado. You cannot see or smell it, so the first step is always a test.
Start with a test
A short-term test runs 48 to 120 hours, with the house closed for 12 hours before it starts. A long-term test runs from 91 days to a year and gives a better picture across the seasons. Do-it-yourself kits cost about $10 to $50 at home improvement stores, and the state sells discounted kits. If you are buying a home, the state encourages a test during the inspection by a licensed radon measurement professional. For a sale, the test goes in the lowest area that could become living space, such as an unfinished basement.
Installer or tester?
This directory lists two kinds of company. Installers design and put in mitigation systems. Testing-only companies, most of them home inspectors, measure the level but do not install anything; their cards say "Testing only." Installers are shown first on every city page. If your test comes back high, you need an installer.
What a good system looks like
The state says the most effective fix is usually sub-slab depressurization: a fan and pipe that draw radon from under the slab. A crawl space gets a sealed membrane with the same kind of suction under it. Sealing cracks alone is not recommended. A system in Colorado usually costs about $1,000 to $2,000, unless the house has difficult design problems. If your water comes from a private well and your air test is high, test the water too.
Check the license
Colorado requires radon measurement and mitigation professionals to be licensed by DORA's Office of Radon Professionals and certified by NRPP or NRSB. A listing marked "Colorado radon license shown" names a person or license number on its own website that is active on the list DORA publishes. Every other company may be licensed too; ask for the license number and look it up before you sign.
Questions for the first call
- Do you install systems yourself, or only test?
- Who holds the radon mitigation license, and what is the number?
- Where would the fan and pipe go on my house?
- Do you test again after the system is in, and what level do you aim for?
- What does the warranty cover, and for how long?
Renting? Since August 7, 2023, Colorado landlords must give tenants radon information when a lease is signed, and tenants may test their own units. On a low income, ask about the state's Low Income Radon Mitigation Assistance program.