New Construction

Radon-Resistant New Construction for Home Buyers

New homes can be built to resist radon entry. Most people would think that the cost of adding a way to mitigate radon prior to even testing the home would be an inefficient way to use funds. But the additional cost at the time of construction is minimal.

When installed properly, the basic radon-resistant new construction techniques greatly reduce the lung cancer risk that may occur from radon in the home. More than 3 million homes have been built since 1990 using radon-resistant techniques, based on an annual survey of builders conducted by the Home Innovation Research Labs.

For peace of mind, ask your builder to include a radon reduction system in your new home and test your new home for elevated levels (4 pCi/L or more) of radon gas before you move in. For a builder, it is much less expensive to install a radon-resistant system during construction than to go back and fix a radon problem identified later.

If a new homeowner tests for radon and must mitigate high levels, it could cost the builder or the owner more if you did it after vs if it was completed on the initial installation.