Radon when you are buying or selling in Duluth, MN

If you are the buyer

Radon testing and mitigation are not required in a Minnesota sale, but MDH strongly recommends testing before you buy. Use an MDH-licensed professional when you want an unbiased result. Real estate tests need closed-house conditions and must run at least 48 hours, in the lowest level of each foundation type.

If the result is 4.0 pCi/L or higher, you can usually ask the seller to install a system before closing, ask for a credit and install one after you own the home, or walk away if your contract allows. Who pays is negotiable. If you take a credit, get a quote first so the amount reflects what the house actually needs.

If the seller installs the system, ask for the license number, the post-installation test and the warranty paperwork, and check that the MDH tag is on the system. If it was installed by a professional since June 1, 2020, MDH will inspect it for free on request.

If you are the seller

The Minnesota Radon Awareness Act requires you to tell the buyer in writing what you know about radon in the home before signing a purchase agreement. That covers whether it has been tested, the most recent records, any radon levels or mitigation, details of any system, a radon warning statement, and a copy of MDH's publication Radon in Real Estate Transactions. The law does not require you to test. Your agent or attorney can confirm what applies to your sale. This page is general information, not legal advice.

If you think the home may test high, testing well before you list gives you time to fix it. MDH notes that a properly documented test and system can be positive selling features.

What a good radon test report shows

A real estate deal often rests on one number, so it pays to look at how that number was produced. MDH lists the questions a buyer should ask about an existing test: what the level was and how close it is to 4.0 pCi/L, whether the test ran for the minimum time, whether it was done within the last two to five years, whether a livable basement was tested, and whether a homeowner or a licensed professional ran it.

When time is short, MDH describes two approaches. A calibrated continuous radon monitor records hourly levels over at least 48 hours, and it can only be run by a licensed professional. Or two short-term kits can be run at once, placed four inches apart, with the two results averaged. Either way, closed-house conditions apply, and licensed professionals generally ask the seller to sign a notification form acknowledging them.

If a test comes back near the action level, such as 3.7 or 4.2 pCi/L, remember that every test has some margin. Decide in advance, ideally in the purchase agreement, what level will trigger a system and who will pay for it, so that nobody has to negotiate a number after seeing it.

Protecting the closing date

The usual timeline is an install followed by at least 24 hours of the system running, then a short-term test of about two days, plus time to get the report. Allow for roughly a week from the day you book, and more in busy months. To keep things moving:

• Send the contractor the test report when you first make contact.
• Tell them the closing date, and ask directly whether they can meet it.
• Make sure someone can give access to the house, including the attic or the side where the pipe will run.
• Agree on who orders and pays for the follow-up test, and in writing if the contract calls for it.
• Keep the house closed during the follow-up test, and tell the listing agent so that showings do not leave doors open.

A note for Duluth-area agents

Check that your disclosure packet has the radon questions and the current two-page MDH publication. If you have a deal on a deadline, you can use the form on this site with the closing date in the notes, and we will pass it to a licensed contractor.

Common questions