Radon-Resistant New Construction for Home Buyers

On this page:

• Radon and Your Home
• Building New Homes with Radon-Resistant Features

Radon and Your Home

• Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas found in soil and rock. It seeps into homes through cracks in the foundation, walls and joints.
• All homes should be tested for radon.
• Among non-smokers, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.
• Lung cancer due to radon exposure claims about 21,000 U.S. lives annually, based on EPA estimates.
  • More information about radon exposure and lung cancer.
• In many cases lung cancer can be prevented; this is especially true for radon-related lung cancer.
• Using common materials and straightforward techniques, builders can construct new homes that are resistant to radon entry.

Consider these facts:

1. Radon-resistant new construction (RRNC) typically costs a builder between $250 and $750.
2. RRNC could cost less than $250 if the builder already uses some of the same techniques for moisture control.
3. 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.
4. If a new homeowner tests for radon and has to mitigate high levels, it could cost the builder or the owner more than an initial installation.

Building New Homes with Radon-Resistant Features

• New homes can be built to resist radon entry. 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.
• Some builders use the same construction techniques for better moisture control.
• 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 (150 becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m³)) or more) of radon gas before you move in.
• For guidance and standards on building new homes with radon-reducing features, please visit our publications page.
• Homes certified or labeled by the following can have RRNC techniques:
  • EPA's Indoor AirPlus (IAP)
  • The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
  • USGBC Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified or labeled homes can have RRNC techniques.