Radon test cost guide

If radon levels are too high inside your home, this could pose a risk to your health. So, you’ll want to make sure your radon exposure is minimal. To help you get there, we’ve broken down the typical radon test cost, as well as how much you should budget to reduce your radon levels if necessary.

What is radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas that surrounds us all the time. It’s basically caused by the radioactive decay of small amounts of uranium that’s found in rocks and soil.

Although the levels of radon that we breathe outdoors are very low, they can be higher inside your home. This is especially the case in high-risk parts of the country. Radon levels are measured in becquerels per cubic metre of air (Bq-m3). As long as the level inside your home is below 100 Bq-3, there won’t be much cause for concern (the average in UK homes is 20 Bq m-3). However, if the amount of radon in your home is higher, your risk will increase.

How much does a radon inspection cost?

There are two steps to getting your home inspected for radon.

1. Radon Risk Report

You can carry out an address search to find out if your address is in a high-risk area, known as a Radon Risk Report. This costs just £3.90 if you order the search through UKradon.

2. Radon test

If your home is in a high-risk area, it’s best to get a radon test carried out so that you can check how high radon levels are in your home and whether they’re safe. A radon test is pretty easy to carry out. Most tests are sent to you by post, requiring you to leave detectors in your home for a few months before posting them back to a laboratory for analysis.

If you order your test through UKradon, this will cost you £52.80. You can get tests from other sources but just make sure that you use a laboratory that’s been validated by PHE. It’s also worth noting that some tests claim to give you accurate results instantly, using portable measuring equipment. However, radon levels can fluctuate a lot throughout the day, so it’s best to avoid tests that take place over fewer than four days.

Radon removal cost

If your radon levels are higher than they should be, you’ll need to have work done to reduce them. Your total radon removal cost will depend on the size of your home, how high the levels of radon are and whether your floors are solid or suspended (as this will affect what remedial options you have).

Radon removal methods include:

Radon sump

There are two kinds of radon sumps: active (with a fan fitted) and passive (without a fan). Active sumps are the most effective method of reducing radon levels indoors and they usually only take a day or two to install.

Most radon sump systems cost around £800. However, this can climb to £2,000.

Positive ventilation

Positive ventilation is when a small fan blows fresh air into your home, often from your roof space. Normally, this will take less than a day to install, making it one of the easiest options available.

You’ll be looking at approximately £550 to get one of these systems installed, although in some cases it could cost up to £1,000.

Under-floor ventilation

Under-floor ventilation is all about ventilating the space underneath a suspended ground floor. There are two types available.

• Natural: This is where the ventilation is achieved without a fan, usually by inserting vents that go through to the outside.
• Active: This is where a fan is installed to increase air circulation. It’s normally used when natural ventilation won’t reduce the radon level enough.

Natural under-floor ventilation is fairly easy to achieve. It will usually only cost around £200 (although it could cost up to £600). Active under-floor ventilation is a bit more pricey, coming in at closer to £700 (or up to £1,500 in some cases).

Radon remediation cost summary

• The first step is to find out whether your address is in a high-risk area of the country.
• A radon test can tell you what the radon levels are in your home.
• There are a range of remediation options available if you need to reduce your radon levels.