Radon Testing & Detection in Des Moines, IA

You cannot see radon, smell it or taste it, so the only way to know what is actually in the air in your Des Moines home is to test for it. The EPA sets the action level at 4 pCi/L, and in IA the statewide median indoor reading runs around 8.5 pCi/L, more than double that number. That gap is exactly why a real test matters more here than in most states.

Capitol Radon places both short-term and long-term test devices across the Des Moines metro, reads the results, and explains what they actually mean for your house. Quick quotes and quick scheduling mean you are not waiting weeks to find out where you stand.

What a radon test actually measures

A radon test measures the concentration of radon gas in the air you breathe, reported in picocuries per liter, or pCi/L. It is not a pass or fail inspection in the way a home inspection is. It is a number, and that number tells you whether the air in your basement or lowest livable level is at, above, or comfortably below the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L.

Radon levels can swing with the seasons, the weather, and even which doors and windows were open the day of the test, which is part of why we place devices carefully and follow EPA-recommended protocols for placement and duration rather than just leaving one anywhere convenient.

Short-term versus long-term testing

A short-term test runs anywhere from two to seven days and gives you a fast read, which is useful for a real estate transaction or when you just want an answer quickly. A long-term test runs for more than ninety days and gives a more accurate picture of your year-round average, since radon levels do shift with temperature and how sealed up a house is in different seasons.

• Short-term test — two to seven days, fastest turnaround, common for home sales
• Long-term test — ninety days or more, most accurate average, good for a permanent record
• Continuous monitor — an installed device that tracks levels ongoing, covered under detection device installation

Where and how we place the test device

The device goes in the lowest level of the home that gets regular use, generally the basement, with the doors and windows in that area kept in normal closed-house conditions for the test period. Placing it too close to a drafty window or an exterior door can throw off the reading, so we follow the same placement standards used for real estate transactions in Polk County.

What your results mean

A result under 4 pCi/L means your home is currently below the EPA action level, though the EPA notes there is no fully risk-free level and mitigation can still be worth considering at lower readings. A result at or above 4 pCi/L means mitigation is recommended, and that is where a sub-slab depressurization system typically comes in, often reducing levels by up to 99 percent.

Radon Detection (Testing) across Polk County

We run this work throughout Des Moines and the surrounding towns. In places like Des Moines, West Des Moines and Ankeny, no two elevations are exactly the same, so every job gets scoped on site rather than over the phone.

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