Radon Testing for Home Sales and Inspections in York, PA

A radon test is one of the easiest parts of a home inspection to get right and one of the easiest to get wrong. The test has to run long enough, under the right conditions, and finish before your contingency deadline. Here is what buyers, sellers and agents in York County need to know about a radon test for a home sale.

Radon testing during a home inspection

Radon is not part of a standard home inspection unless you ask for it, so most buyers add it as a separate test. More than half of the basement tests reported to the Pennsylvania DEP from York County came in at or above the EPA action level, which is why it is worth adding here. Pennsylvania requires anyone paid to test a home for radon to be certified by the Department of Environmental Protection. See York County radon levels by ZIP code.

How the test works

• A continuous radon monitor goes in the lowest level of the home that is used or could be used as living space.
• The test runs at least 48 hours, as the EPA recommends for a real estate test.
• Windows and outside doors stay closed, except for normal coming and going, starting 12 hours before the test and during it. The EPA calls this closed house conditions.
• The monitor records hourly readings and can flag movement or a power loss, so the result holds up for both the buyer and the seller.
• You get a written report with the average result and the hourly chart.

For buyers

Ask for the radon test when you schedule the home inspection, and write a radon contingency into the agreement of sale so you have time to act on the result. If the seller already tested, ask when, where in the house, and whether the test followed closed house conditions. A new test makes sense if the old one is several years old or the house has been renovated since.

For sellers

Testing before you list removes a surprise from the inspection. Pennsylvania's seller disclosure asks about radon testing and any radon system, so you will need to share what you know. If your home tests high, fixing it before you list usually costs less and causes less stress than negotiating it under a deadline. See typical radon mitigation costs.

For real estate agents

One call or one form gets your client's test in front of a certified tester who serves the town. Share the inspection deadline and the access details, and the written report goes to whoever your client chooses.

If the result is 4.0 or higher

The EPA recommends fixing any home at 4.0 pCi/L or higher. Buyers and sellers usually handle it in one of two ways. The seller has a mitigation system installed before closing, or the two sides agree on a credit and the buyer has it done after moving in. Either way, a follow up test after the system is running confirms the level came down. Radon mitigation in York, PA explains how that works.

Check a result you already have

Timing around your closing date

A real estate test needs at least 48 hours of testing plus the 12 hours of closed house conditions before it, so build in a few days. Tell us your inspection deadline when you call or in the form, and the test can be scheduled to finish in time.

Common questions about radon and home sales

Does Pennsylvania require a radon test to sell a house?

No law requires a test to sell. Sellers do have to disclose what they know about radon on the seller disclosure, and many buyers ask for a test during the inspection period.

Should a buyer get their own radon inspection?

Usually, yes. A buyer radon inspection during your inspection period gives you a current result from a test you arranged, under conditions you can trust, before your contingency runs out.

Can the seller test their own house?

Yes, and testing before listing is a good idea. Many buyers still want a test done by a certified tester during their own inspection period, since they need to trust the result.

How long does a radon test take for a home sale?

The test itself runs at least 48 hours, after 12 hours of closed house conditions. The written report follows when the monitor is picked up.

Will a high radon result kill the deal?

Rarely. Radon is one of the most fixable problems a house can have, and most systems are installed in a day. Since 2016, the middle York County follow up test after mitigation was 1.0 pCi/L, according to PA DEP records.