Radon Detection (Testing)
Short-term and long-term radon testing that tells you your actual indoor level, not a guess, so you know whether mitigation is even necessary.
See detailsServices
Testing, detection device installation, mitigation system installation and repair — all done in-house by a locally focused team across Polk County.
Send us your details and we get back to you fast with a written quote.
We do not make you wait weeks for a test or an install date.
From Des Moines out to the surrounding suburbs, all in one service area.
Services
Everything from a same-day test to a full sub-slab mitigation system on new construction. If it involves radon, it is what we do all day.
Short-term and long-term radon testing that tells you your actual indoor level, not a guess, so you know whether mitigation is even necessary.
See detailsA permanently installed continuous radon monitor that tracks your indoor air over time, instead of a single snapshot reading.
See detailsSend us a few details about your home and get a written quote back fast, whether you need a test, a full mitigation system, or just want to know what it would cost.
See detailsA full radon mitigation system, typically sub-slab depressurization, designed and installed to bring your indoor level back under the EPA action level.
See detailsThe standard radon mitigation method for basement and slab-on-grade homes: a fan-driven system that pulls soil gas from under the foundation before it enters the house.
See detailsA vapor barrier and sub-membrane depressurization system designed specifically for homes with a crawl space instead of a full basement.
See detailsFan replacement, pipe repair, and system checks for an existing radon mitigation system, whether we installed it or someone else did.
See detailsA follow-up test after mitigation system installation that confirms your actual indoor radon level dropped, not just that the fan is running.
See detailsRadon testing built around real estate timelines, for buyers who want to know before closing and sellers who want the number ahead of listing.
See detailsA passive radon-resistant system installed before the slab pour on new construction, far easier and less expensive than adding one after the home is finished.
See detailsRadon testing and mitigation for offices, schools, retail space and multi-tenant buildings, where HVAC systems and multiple zones make the job more involved than a single-family home.
See detailsHow a mitigation system gets built
Radon mitigation is a system, not a single fix. Each step depends on the one before it, which is why we test first and verify last instead of just installing a fan and calling it done.
A short-term or long-term test tells us your actual radon level, not a guess. We place the device, let it run the full recommended period, and read the result before recommending anything.
If the test comes back at or above the EPA action level, we look at your foundation type, sump location and layout to design a sub-slab depressurization system that actually fits your house instead of a one-size-fits-all setup.
The vent pipe, fan and sealing work go in, routed to be as unobtrusive as possible and finished so the discharge point meets code clearances from windows and grade.
A manometer confirms the system is pulling negative pressure under the slab, and a post-mitigation test confirms your indoor radon level actually dropped, not just that the fan is running.
Service area
We stay inside Polk County and the towns around Des Moines on purpose. A tight radius means we can get back out to a job the week you call instead of the month after.
Des Moines sits on glacial till soil across most of Polk County, which is exactly the geology the EPA flags as Radon Zone 1, and the vast majority of homes here have a basement, the part of the house that sits in direct contact with that soil. In older neighborhoods like Sherman Hill the foundations are original stone and rubble construction from the 1880s, full of the kind of gaps and cracks radon moves through easily.
West Des Moines runs from the century-old bungalows of Historic Valley Junction to the newer construction around Jordan Creek, so the radon picture depends a lot on which side of town you are on. Older basements near Valley Junction were built long before anyone poured concrete with radon control in mind, while the newer slab and basement combinations out toward Jordan Creek at least start with a more consistent pour, even if the soil underneath has not changed.
Ankeny has grown fast, and Prairie Trail is the clearest example, over a thousand acres of new-urbanism construction with a mix of single-family homes, brownstones and villas going in on what used to be open ground. New construction is a good opportunity to get a passive radon system built in from the start rather than added later, but it is not automatic unless someone asks for it during the build.
Urbandale sits at the interchange of I-35, I-80 and Highway 141, and the housing reflects decades of steady growth outward from there. The 1960s ranch homes near the older corridors were built well before radon testing was standard practice, so if a previous owner never tested, there is a real chance nobody ever has.
Johnston sits between Camp Dodge and Saylorville Lake, and the North District in particular mixes midcentury ranch and farmhouse-style homes with newer construction closer to the water. Homes near the lake and creek corridors sit on ground that holds moisture differently than the flatter parts of the county, which is one more reason a real test beats a guess.
Clive is built around the Greenbelt, an eleven-mile trail corridor along Walnut Creek, and the neighborhoods that hug it are mostly mid-century homes from the 1960s and 1970s mixed with newer infill construction. Indian Hills, developed in the 1970s and 1980s, has had decades for foundations to settle and crack in ways that can open new paths for soil gas that were not there when the house was new.
Common questions
Most sub-slab depressurization systems run between roughly 800 and 2,500 dollars installed, depending on your foundation type and how the piping needs to be routed. We measure your home and give you a written, itemized quote before any work begins.
Yes. Send us a few details about your home in Des Moines and the surrounding area and we will get back to you quickly with a written quote, not a number guessed off a photo.
We serve Des Moines and the surrounding communities in Polk County. If you are not sure whether your home falls inside our service area, call (515) 461-7572 and we will let you know.
The EPA action level is 4 pCi/L. If your home tests at or above that, mitigation is recommended. The statewide median indoor level in Iowa is about 8.5 pCi/L, more than double that action level, so testing matters here more than in most states.
A test tells you your radon level. A mitigation system, usually a sub-slab depressurization system, actively reduces that level by venting soil gas from under the foundation before it enters the home. Testing comes first. Mitigation is only needed if the test comes back at or above the EPA action level.
Radon levels are usually highest in colder months when homes are sealed up and airflow slows down, so testing in fall through spring tends to give the most representative reading. That said, a test at any time of year is better than no test at all.
Free on-site estimates across Des Moines and Polk County. We look at the actual wall, measure the elevations and send a written scope — no charge and no sales pitch.