Building in Utah
Should I test my Utah home for radon?
Short answer
Yes. Radon is an invisible, odorless radioactive gas that seeps from the ground into homes, and the EPA calls it the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Utah soils produce it across the state, levels vary house to house even on the same street, and a test costs little. Testing is the only way to know your number.
What is radon and why is it in Utah homes?
Radon forms naturally as uranium in soil and rock breaks down. It rises through the ground and enters homes through cracks in slabs, gaps around pipes, and crawlspaces. Outdoors it disperses harmlessly. Indoors it concentrates, and long-term exposure raises lung cancer risk. Utah's geology produces radon statewide, and the Utah Geological Survey treats it as a serious geologic hazard.
The unit you will see is picocuries per liter, written pCi/L. The EPA recommends fixing a home at or above 4 pCi/L, and considering action above 2.
Is Washington County high risk?
The EPA maps Washington County as Zone 2, which means moderate potential. Much of the Wasatch Front and mountain areas rate similar or higher. But here is the part that matters more than any map: zone ratings are averages. Individual homes in "moderate" areas test high all the time, and homes next door to each other can test completely differently. The map cannot answer the question. A test can.
How do I test, and what does it cost?
Two easy routes:
- DIY kit. Short-term test kits from a hardware store or the state radon program are inexpensive. Set it in the lowest lived-in level, per the instructions, then mail it to the lab.
- Professional test. Inspectors run calibrated monitors over about two days. This is standard during a home purchase and is the version lenders and buyers trust.
Test the lowest level of the home you actually use. Basements matter in northern Utah. In St. George, where most homes sit on slabs, test the main level. If the first result is elevated, confirm with a follow-up test before spending on fixes.
What if my radon level is high?
It is fixable, and the fix is not exotic. The standard solution is a mitigation system: a pipe and quiet fan that pull air from beneath the slab and vent it above the roof, before the gas enters the house. Installed by a certified mitigator, these systems typically cost on the order of a nice appliance, not a remodel, and they reliably drop levels.
If you are building new, it is even cheaper. A passive radon-ready rough-in, a gravel layer, a sealed membrane, and a capped vent pipe, costs little during construction and gives you a head start if the finished home ever tests high. Utah has no statewide radon-ready construction requirement, which means most builders skip it. Ask for it. I include the conversation on every ground-up project I run, because a little pipe during framing beats a retrofit later.
The short version
Test the home you own. Test the home you are buying. Rough-in for radon in the home you are building. This is one of the rare corners of construction where the risk is real, the test is cheap, and the fix is known. Reference note: I am a builder, not a health authority, so for medical questions and current guidance, the EPA and Utah's radon program are the sources to trust.