Radon Testing & Mitigation in Des Moines, IA

Des Moines radon projects typically invoice $150 to $2,500, with a measurement test running $150-$250 and a full active soil depressurization (ASD) mitigation system on Polk County’s dense pre-1980 basement-heavy housing stock 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 radon measurement specialist or mitigation contractor serving East Village, Sherman Hill, Beaverdale, and the rest of Polk County across ZIPs 50309, 50312, 50314, 50315, and 50316.

How the referral works in Des Moines

IARadonMitigation operates a scheduled pay-per-call referral directory. We do not perform radon testing or mitigation work and hold no IDPH credentials. Calls route through our affiliate network to independent IDPH-licensed radon measurement specialists and mitigation contractors regulated under Iowa Code Chapter 136B and 641 IAC Chapter 43, with general liability insurance and current National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) or National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) credentials verified. The contractor schedules an on-site visit, deploys a continuous radon monitor or installs an ASD system, and provides written documentation suitable for a real-estate transfer file. You pay the contractor directly. Iowa is a one-party consent state under Iowa Code § 808B.2.

What our Des Moines network handles

48-to-96-hour short-term radon measurement using continuous radon monitors (CRM) or charcoal canisters under closed-house conditions
Long-term alpha-track radon measurement (90 days or more) for follow-up confirmation of variable short-term results
Active soil depressurization (ASD) system design and installation on full basements, partial basements, crawlspaces, and slab-on-grade homes throughout the Des Moines metro
Sub-membrane depressurization for crawlspace-foundation homes in older Polk County neighborhoods
Radon-resistant new construction (RRNC) verification and fan retrofit for newer East Village and Beaverdale infill builds
Post-mitigation verification testing 24 hours-plus after fan commissioning to confirm radon below 4 pCi/L
Real-estate-transfer testing and disclosure documentation for Des Moines area listings under Iowa Association of Realtors radon-rider conditions
Foundation-crack sealing, sump-cover gasketing, and floor-drain trap inspection as part of mitigation diagnostic
System repairs, fan replacement, and U-tube manometer recalibration on previously-installed ASD systems

Typical cost in Des Moines

A short-term radon measurement runs $150-$250 (often free or low-cost during real-estate transactions through the buyer’s home-inspection package). A long-term alpha-track test is $50-$150. A standard ASD mitigation system on a Des Moines full-basement home runs $1,200-$1,800. Difficult-access foundations (multi-zone, crawlspace-plus-basement, exposed-exterior pipe run) push to $1,800-$2,500. Post-mitigation verification testing is $150-$200. Fan replacement on an aging system is $300-$600 including labor. Cost data aggregated from HomeAdvisor, Angi, and AARST-NRPP regional Midwest contractor surveys.

Real estate and Des Moines homeowners

Iowa real-estate transactions increasingly include a radon contingency or rider, and the Iowa Association of Realtors radon-disclosure addendum is now standard practice in the Des Moines metro listing process. A pre-listing test gives a seller a written number to present alongside the disclosure; a buyer-ordered test typically runs during the inspection contingency window with results in 48-96 hours. If results exceed 4 pCi/L, common negotiated outcomes include a seller-paid ASD installation before closing, a credit at closing for the buyer to install post-closing, or splitting the cost. Standard Iowa homeowners insurance does not cover radon mitigation as a peril; it is treated as a one-time capital improvement.

How to choose a radon contractor in Des Moines

Verify current IDPH radon measurement specialist or mitigation specialist license at idph.iowa.gov before signing a contract
Confirm NRPP or NRSB national-program credentialing and ask for the certification card number
Confirm general liability insurance ($1M minimum) and, for self-installed work, workers’ compensation
Get the mitigation proposal in writing with the suction-point location, pipe routing, fan model number, post-installation verification schedule, and warranty terms
Beware of “we’ll just seal cracks” mitigation — passive sealing alone almost never brings a Polk County home below 4 pCi/L; active soil depressurization with a continuously-running fan is the EPA-recommended standard
Save the installation photos, system label, manometer reading, and post-mitigation test report for the file and for any future Des Moines home sale

Frequently asked questions

How bad is radon really in Des Moines?

Polk County is in EPA Radon Zone 1 along with every other Iowa county — Iowa is the only state where 100% of counties fall in the highest-risk tier. Statewide testing programs run by the Iowa Department of Public Health and county health departments show more than 70% of tested Iowa homes exceed the 4 pCi/L EPA action level. Des Moines's older basement-heavy housing stock in neighborhoods like Sherman Hill, Beaverdale, and the South Side tends to test higher than slab-on-grade newer builds, but slab homes are not exempt — soil gas pushes through expansion joints and utility penetrations. The Iowa Cancer Registry, maintained by the University of Iowa, tracks radon as the leading environmental cause of lung cancer in Iowa non-smokers.

When is the best time of year to test for radon in Des Moines?

EPA's preferred testing window is during 'closed-house conditions' — when windows have been kept closed for at least 12 hours before and during the test. In Des Moines that means October through April for the most representative reading, since summer A/C use also satisfies closed-house conditions but mid-summer thunderstorm pressure changes can shift short-term results. For a real-estate transaction the test runs whenever the contingency window falls; an IDPH-licensed measurement specialist will use a continuous radon monitor that records hourly values and flags any open-house anomalies.

What does an ASD system actually look like once installed in a Des Moines home?

An active soil depressurization (ASD) system on a typical Des Moines full-basement home consists of a 3-inch or 4-inch PVC pipe cored through the basement slab at a suction point chosen to maximize sub-slab airflow, routed up through the basement and either through the rim joist to the exterior wall and up past the roofline, or up through a conditioned chase to the attic and out the roof. A continuously-running radon fan (typically a Radonaway or Festa unit drawing 50-90 watts) mounts in the attic or on the exterior wall above the highest living level. A U-tube manometer on the basement riser shows continuous suction. EPA and IDPH require a system label identifying it as a radon mitigation system and listing the installer.

Will my Des Moines homeowners insurance pay for radon mitigation?

No. Iowa homeowners policies do not cover radon mitigation — it is treated as a one-time capital improvement to the home rather than a covered peril like fire or wind damage. The good news is that a $1,200-$1,800 ASD installation is permanent (fans last 10-15 years and are $300-$600 to replace), adds documented value to the home at sale, and is a known line item that buyers expect to see in Iowa where Zone 1 risk is universal. Some Iowa lenders and home-sale escrow agents have begun accepting an ASD system installation as a buyer credit at closing.

Does Des Moines require radon testing before selling a home?

Iowa law does not mandate a radon test as a precondition of sale, but the Iowa real-estate disclosure form asks the seller to disclose what they know about radon — and a seller who has lived in a home for years without testing increasingly faces buyer-side demands for a contingency test as part of the inspection. The Iowa Association of Realtors has a standard radon-rider addendum that establishes the test, the result threshold, and the remedy. A pre-listing test gives a Des Moines seller control of the timeline; an installed and verified ASD system on the disclosure form removes the contingency entirely and tends to shorten time-on-market.

Service area

Our network covers Des Moines ZIPs 50309, 50312, 50314, 50315, and 50316, serving East Village, Sherman Hill, Beaverdale, the South Side, Drake neighborhood, and the broader Polk County area.

Schedule a Des Moines radon test or mitigation quote

For a real-estate-transfer test, a follow-up after a previous high reading, a never-tested basement home, or an ASD installation quote in Des Moines, dial PHONE to be matched with an IDPH-licensed contractor through the IARadonMitigation network.