Radon testing and mitigation in Fargo

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us where the house is and what's going on: no test yet, a high result, a sale on a deadline, or a fan that went quiet.

2. We connect you

   We hand your request to an independent radon company that covers your part of the Fargo-Moorhead metro.

3. They call you back

   The company talks with you, looks at the house and gives you its own quote for the test or system.

Who do we help?

Owners, buyers, sellers and landlords of houses in Fargo, West Fargo and Horace on the North Dakota side, and Moorhead on the Minnesota side. Any home with a basement, crawl space or slab touching the ground can draw radon in. You can't see it, smell it or taste it, so the only way to know your level is to measure it.

How common is radon in Fargo and Moorhead?

Very common, on both banks of the Red River.

• North Dakota: The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) reports that 63 percent of North Dakota homes have radon above the EPA action level of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). North Dakota is one of only two states with every county, Cass included, in the EPA's Zone 1, the highest-potential group.
• Minnesota: The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says more than two in five Minnesota homes have radon at levels that pose a significant health risk, and the state average is more than three times the national average.
• The health stakes: The EPA estimates radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths a year in the U.S. It's the leading cause of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.

Those are statewide numbers. Two houses on the same Fargo block can test very differently, which is why every house needs its own test.

Why does radon get into houses here?

Radon is a radioactive gas given off as uranium in the soil breaks down. It moves through the ground and enters through slab cracks, the joint where the floor meets the foundation wall, open sumps, drain tile that empties into the sump, gaps around pipes, and the pores in block walls. Winter makes it worse. Fargo averages about 43 days a year at or below zero, and with the furnace running and the windows shut, warm air leaks out the top of the house and soil gas gets pulled in at the bottom.

When is the best time to test?

Any time beats never, but DEQ points to the cold months as a great time to test, since that's when your house is sealed up the most. Put the kit in the lowest level you spend time in, keep it away from the sump and drafts, and send it to the lab right on schedule. If a real estate deal is in play, a radon professional with a continuous monitor is the usual choice. Details are on our radon testing page.

Where do I get a test kit?

Hardware stores, big box stores and online sellers carry them; DEQ suggests looking for one labeled EPA approved. DEQ has mailed free kits to North Dakota residents during January radon campaigns, but its radon page now says it's out of free kits, so check back there next winter. In Moorhead, a test you run in your own home needs no license, but a professional who tests a house they don't own must hold an MDH measurement license.

My result is high. What happens next?

MDH recommends a mitigation system at 4 pCi/L or higher and says to consider one between 2 and 4 pCi/L, because no amount of radon is risk-free. The EPA agrees. Most Fargo-area houses get sub-slab depressurization: a small pit under the basement floor, a sealed pipe, and a fan that runs all the time and sends the gas out above the roof. Sealing cracks alone isn't enough; DEQ notes that seals need constant upkeep and that a reduction system is the most effective permanent fix. See radon mitigation systems.

Does it matter which side of the river I'm on?

Yes, for licensing and paperwork. In Moorhead, the person who designs or installs a system in your house must hold an MDH radon mitigation license, the company must be licensed too, and an MDH tag goes on the finished system beside the pressure gauge. In Fargo, West Fargo and Horace, DEQ says a homeowner or a mitigation contractor may install a system, and it keeps a list of radon people working in the state. Ask a North Dakota installer about NRPP certification and references. Our Fargo-Moorhead radon guide lays the two states side by side.

What about all the newer homes in the south and west?

Most of the metro's housing growth since the mid-1980s has gone south and southwest of Fargo and into West Fargo and Horace. Newer doesn't mean radon-free. Many new houses have finished basements, tight construction and, in Minnesota, a passive radon pipe required by code. If yours has a pipe with no fan and still tests high, a fan can often be added. Read about radon in new homes.

What does radon mitigation cost?

That depends on the foundation, how well air moves through the soil and fill under the slab, how many suction points the house needs, and whether the pipe runs inside or outside. The radon company you're connected with sets the price after seeing the house.

Are you the radon company?

No. Fargo Radon Removal is a referral service. We pass your call to an independent radon company that covers your address, and that company handles the testing, quote, installation and warranty. Before you hire anyone, look over our tips for choosing a radon contractor.

Areas we cover

• Fargo
• West Fargo
• Moorhead
• Horace

Planning ahead? Read our Fargo-Moorhead radon guide.