Home / Radon Testing
A certified 48-hour test with a continuous radon monitor — and your report the same day it ends. The standard for Erie County home sales, and the fastest way for any homeowner to get a real number.
From phone call to certified report
A continuous radon monitor is set in the lowest lived-in level. Takes about 15 minutes.
Keep windows closed; doors for normal coming and going. The monitor logs radon every hour.
The monitor is collected and your certified report — with the hourly data — is delivered the same day.
You can buy a charcoal test kit at any hardware store, and for casual curiosity it's fine. But a kit gives you one averaged number, has to be mailed to a lab, and takes a week or more to come back. Also test kits are not accepted for most real estate transactions. A professional test uses a continuous radon monitor: a calibrated device that records your radon level every single hour, along with temperature, humidity, and pressure. When the 48 hours are up, you get a certified report the same day, including the hour-by-hour graph.
That hourly data matters more than it sounds. Radon isn't steady — it swings with weather, furnace cycles, and time of day. Seeing the pattern tells you whether a 3.8 average is a home that hovers there or one that spikes to 8 overnight. And because every open window and every bump of the device shows up in the log, the results are tamper-evident — which is exactly why monitored tests are the accepted standard when a home sale hangs on the number.
Most of the radon tests run in Erie County happen inside a real estate transaction: the buyer's inspection contingency includes a radon test, and everyone needs the answer fast. This is built for that. A 48-hour monitored test fits comfortably inside a standard inspection window, the report is certified and same-day, and the hourly log holds up if either side questions the result. Pennsylvania doesn't require a radon test to sell a home — but sellers must disclose known results, and buyers' agents across the county recommend testing as routine practice, because more than a quarter of tested Erie County homes have measured at or above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L.
During the test, the home needs closed-house conditions: windows shut for the 12 hours before the test and the full 48 hours of it, doors used only for normal coming and going, heat or AC running as usual. That's it — the household doesn't need to leave.
If the result comes back high, don't panic: mitigation is a one-day fix that typically costs $1,000–$1,500 and fits inside the same contingency window. A high test is a negotiation item, not a broken deal.
A professional 48-hour monitored test in Erie County runs $150–$250, including placement, pickup, and the certified same-day report. For comparison:
| Option | Cost | Results | Accepted for home sales? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous monitor (professional) | $150 – $250 | Same day, hourly data | Yes |
| Charcoal mail-in kit (DIY) | $15 – $40 | 1–2 weeks, one average | Generally no |
| Post-mitigation verification | Included with installs | Same day | — |
Every home should be tested at least once, because radon varies house to house even on the same street — your neighbor's low number tells you nothing about yours. Beyond that first test, retest every two years, after any major renovation or foundation work, after a mitigation system goes in, and whenever you buy a home. If you have the choice, test in winter: Erie's closed-house heating season is when radon runs highest, so a winter number is the most honest picture of your family's actual exposure. A summer test that comes back borderline is worth repeating in January before you decide anything.
A continuous radon monitor records your level every hour for 48 hours and produces a certified report the day the test ends. Charcoal kits give one averaged number, must be mailed to a lab, take a week or more for results, and are not accepted for most real estate transactions. For a quick screening a kit is fine; for a decision, a monitored test is the standard.
For 12 hours before the test starts and for the full 48 hours it runs, windows stay closed and exterior doors open only for normal coming and going. Heating and air conditioning can run normally. Closed-house conditions make sure the test measures your home, not the breeze.
A result at or above 4.0 pCi/L means the EPA recommends fixing the home. Mitigation is a one-day installation, typically $1,000 to $1,500 for most Erie homes, and it reduces radon by 80 to 99 percent. A high test is a solved problem, not an emergency.
Continuous monitors log radon, temperature, humidity, and pressure every hour, so opening windows or moving the device shows up clearly in the data. That hourly record is a key reason monitored tests are the accepted standard for real estate transactions.
Retest every two years, after any major renovation or foundation work, after installing a mitigation system, and when you buy a home. Winter tests give the most conservative picture of your exposure because closed-house heating season is when radon runs highest.
Tell us your timeline — especially a closing date if you're mid-transaction — and we'll call back to get you scheduled, usually within one business day.