Radon Testing & Mitigation in Ames, IA

Ames radon projects typically invoice $150 to $2,500, with measurement tests at $150-$250 and full ASD mitigation on Story County’s distinctive mix of Iowa State University student-rental basement housing, faculty homes, and post-war Campustown construction running $1,200-$2,500. IARadonMitigation is an Iowa scheduled-testing and ASD-mitigation referral directory — call PHONE to be matched with an IDPH-licensed contractor serving Campustown, Northridge, Ridgewood, and the rest of Story County across ZIPs 50010, 50011, and 50014.

How the referral works in Ames

IARadonMitigation operates a scheduled pay-per-call referral directory. We do not perform testing or mitigation. Calls route to independent IDPH-licensed contractors regulated under Iowa Code Chapter 136B with NRPP or NRSB credentialing verified. Iowa is a one-party consent state under Iowa Code § 808B.2.

What our Ames network handles

48-to-96-hour short-term radon testing under closed-house conditions
Long-term alpha-track confirmation testing
ASD installation on Campustown pre-1980 basement-rental housing where students often sleep on the lower level
Faculty-home testing in Northridge and Ridgewood
Multi-unit rental-property testing for Ames property managers and Iowa State affiliated rental businesses
RRNC verification on newer Northridge and Somerset subdivisions
Sub-membrane depressurization for older Campustown crawlspace homes
Post-mitigation verification testing
Real-estate-transfer testing for Ames listings
Iowa State Extension and Story County health department outreach test coordination
Fan replacement on existing ASD systems

Typical cost in Ames

A short-term radon test runs $150-$250. Long-term alpha-track is $50-$150. Standard ASD installation runs $1,200-$1,800. Multi-zone or stone-foundation Campustown homes push to $1,800-$2,500. RRNC passive-to-active conversion is $500-$900. Post-mitigation verification is $150-$200. Cost data from HomeAdvisor, Angi, and AARST-NRPP regional surveys.

Real estate and Ames homeowners

Ames has a large rental-investor market driven by Iowa State University student demand, and many lower-level student bedrooms in Campustown rentals have never been tested. The Iowa Association of Realtors radon rider applies to Ames residential listings. Iowa State University Extension (uextension.iastate.edu) and the Iowa Department of Public Health Radon Program periodically run low-cost test-kit distribution events in Ames; these are good screening tools but not substitutes for an IDPH-licensed measurement specialist’s continuous radon monitor when mitigation contracting is on the line. Standard Iowa homeowners insurance does not cover mitigation.

How to choose a radon contractor in Ames

Verify IDPH license at idph.iowa.gov
Confirm NRPP or NRSB credentialing
Confirm general liability and workers’ comp
Get the proposal in writing with suction point, pipe routing, fan model, verification schedule, warranty
For rental-property work, ask about multi-unit pricing and whether the contractor can test multiple Campustown rentals in a single mobilization
Save installation photos, manometer reading, and post-mitigation report

Frequently asked questions

I have a student bedroom in my Campustown basement rental. Is testing legally required?

Iowa landlord-tenant law (Iowa Code Chapter 562A) does not currently require radon testing on residential rental property, but EPA strongly recommends testing every lowest-livable-level unit — and a Campustown basement bedroom is exactly that. Several Ames property managers proactively test and mitigate as a tenant-relations matter and to head off any future health-claim or disclosure exposure. The Iowa Cancer Registry and Iowa State University public-health researchers have published on radon-attributable lung-cancer risk in young adults exposed during long college residency, which makes the rental-bedroom testing case particularly relevant in Ames.

Does Iowa State University offer radon testing to faculty or staff?

Iowa State University Extension operates statewide outreach including periodic low-cost test-kit distribution to Iowa residents (including Story County faculty and staff). The University itself tests University-owned housing per institutional health-and-safety policy. For privately-owned faculty homes in Northridge, Ridgewood, or Somerset, testing falls under the same Iowa Code Chapter 136B real-estate-disclosure framework as any other Story County home; an IDPH-licensed measurement specialist provides the documentation suitable for disclosure or mitigation contracting.

Are short-term radon test kits from Iowa State Extension good enough to act on?

They are excellent screening tools but not the final word. Charcoal canister and alpha-track kits distributed through Iowa State University Extension or Story County Public Health give a reliable first read at low cost, and a result below 2 pCi/L is generally trustworthy. A result between 2 and 4 pCi/L deserves a confirmatory test; a result at or above 4 pCi/L should always be confirmed with a continuous radon monitor under closed-house conditions by an IDPH-licensed measurement specialist before mitigation contracting begins. The CRM provides hourly readings and an audit trail that survives any future disclosure dispute.

Are Ames pre-1980 Campustown homes higher-radon than newer Northridge homes?

Pre-1980 homes are not inherently higher-radon by geology — Story County is in EPA Zone 1 throughout — but older homes typically have less-well-sealed slab penetrations, dirt or stone-rubble basement floors in some Campustown rentals, and unsealed sump pits that all elevate sub-slab gas entry. Newer Northridge homes built with RRNC passive piping and tighter slab construction often test lower pre-mitigation simply because the construction is tighter. Both kinds of housing benefit from testing; mitigation cost on older Campustown stock can be modestly higher because of sealing labor.

How does the Iowa Cancer Registry use Ames radon data?

The Iowa Cancer Registry, maintained by the University of Iowa State Health Registry of Iowa with epidemiological collaboration from Iowa State University, links radon-exposure data with lung-cancer incidence to track environmental-cause-attributable cancer in Iowa. Story County is one of the registry's monitored counties. Aggregated, de-identified Ames testing data contributes to the statewide picture; individual test results from an IDPH-licensed measurement specialist do not flow to the registry without explicit consent through a research-program enrollment. The public health value of testing is both individual (reduces personal exposure) and population-level (improves data quality).

Service area

Our network covers Ames ZIPs 50010, 50011, and 50014, serving Campustown, Northridge, Ridgewood, Somerset, the Iowa State University campus area, and the broader Story County area.

Schedule an Ames radon test or mitigation quote

For a real-estate-transfer test, student-rental testing, faculty-home test, or full ASD installation in Ames, dial PHONE to be matched with an IDPH-licensed contractor through the IARadonMitigation network.