Your radon test came back high — here's what to do

If your test result came back at or above 4.0 pCi/L, the EPA considers your home above its action level. That sounds alarming. In Colorado Springs, it is also common: more than 40% of homes tested in El Paso County between 2005 and 2023 came back above this level.^[1] A high result is not a crisis — it's a project.

This page walks through the right next steps depending on your situation: homeowner not under contract, buyer or seller mid-deal, tenant or landlord. Each path is different.

Before you commit to mitigation, confirm the result:

• If the first test was a short-term DIY kit, run a second short-term kit in the same room (different placement is fine) or a continuous monitor for a more granular read.
• If the first test was a long-term kit or a professional continuous monitor, you generally don't need to confirm — the methodology is already strong.
• If you're under a real estate transaction, a professional continuous monitor placed by an NRPP or NRSB certified, DORA-registered tester is the defensible standard.^[3]

For very high readings (10 pCi/L or above), the EPA suggests minimizing time in the lowest level of the home until a mitigation system is installed.

Best case for clear-headed decision making. The steps:

1. Confirm the reading (above).
2. Get at least two written quotes from contractors who can prove NRPP or NRSB certification and Colorado DORA registration. Ask each to provide the same written scope so prices are comparable.^[3]
3. Compare scope, not just price. Number of suction points, fan model and warranty, sealing work, exhaust routing, permit handling, and post-installation test should all be in writing.
4. Schedule the install. Most Colorado Springs single-family installs take one day; allow one to two weeks for scheduling.
5. Retest after installation — a 48-hour post-mitigation test should be included in the quote and should bring you well below 4.0 pCi/L.

If money is a constraint, check the CDPHE low-income mitigation assistance program.^[2]

This is the most time-sensitive situation. Colorado's inspection objection deadlines move fast, and mitigation typically takes one to two weeks end-to-end.

1. Day 1 — work out your timeline. When is your inspection objection deadline? When is closing? How many calendar days does that give you to negotiate and install if needed?
2. Day 1 to 3 — get two licensed contractor quotes, with at least one same-day if you're tight on time. Confirm each contractor can install before closing.
3. Object before the deadline. Your options typically include: (a) ask the seller to install mitigation before closing, (b) negotiate a seller credit at closing so you can install yourself, or (c) walk under the inspection contingency. Colorado law does not require sellers to mitigate, but they generally have to disclose — which means the next buyer will see the same problem.^[4]
4. Document everything. Keep the test report, contractor quotes, and any seller correspondence. After closing, keep the system's installation paperwork and post-install test result — these become part of your SB23-206 disclosure when you sell.

Two facts to know cold:

• Colorado SB23-206 requires you to disclose any known radon test results and any mitigation history in the sale contract, along with the CDPHE radon brochure.^[4]
• Colorado does not require you to mitigate.^[2] But once the buyer sees the disclosure (or runs their own inspection test), they'll likely want a price concession or mitigation done before closing.

Most Colorado Springs sellers in this position do one of two things:

1. Mitigate before listing. Spend $1,000–$2,000 now, hand the buyer a working system and a post-install test result, and remove a major negotiation lever. Document the install for your disclosure.
2. Price-adjust at the offer table. Disclose, expect the buyer to bring it up, and credit at closing. This works when you don't have time to mitigate before listing.

Colorado SB23-206 applies to leases as well as sales. Landlords must include a radon warning and disclosure of any known test results and mitigation in residential leases, and they must provide the CDPHE radon brochure.^[4]

After January 2026, tenants gain additional remedies (including potential lease void) if a landlord knew the property had elevated radon and did not mitigate. Tenants may also test their own unit at any time. If you're a tenant with a high reading, document it in writing to your landlord and reference the CDPHE radon brochure.

If you're a landlord, treating mitigation as a standard property upgrade — like a roof or a water heater — is generally cheaper than the legal exposure of doing nothing.

When you need to move fast, the temptation is to take the first quote you get. Resist that — verifying takes 10 minutes and protects you:

• NRPP or NRSB certification number provided and verifiable
• Colorado DORA registration provided and verifiable^[3]
• Written scope with suction points, fan model, sealing, routing, and permits called out
• Post-installation test included
• Written workmanship warranty (years), plus the fan manufacturer warranty
• Can install before your closing deadline (get this in writing too)

If you'd like us to route your situation to a licensed Colorado mitigation partner, request a quote and tell us your closing date in the form.