Question 1

We close in two weeks and the radon test failed. Is there time?

Accepted Answer

Usually, if the scope is settled quickly. A typical system is a one-day install, and Ohio lets the post-mitigation test start 24 hours after the fan runs, with a 48-hour minimum for a sale. The tight parts are the scoping visit and the signed paperwork. Work backward from the closing date. The post-mitigation result has to come from the specialist who installed the system or from an independent Ohio-licensed tester, and a sale test must run at least 48 hours with either two side-by-side devices or a continuous monitor recording 48 straight hours. Before any of that, Ohio requires a visual inspection and floor plan ahead of the written proposal, and a signed proposal before any work begins. That is why the first call matters more than anything else. Share the contract deadlines, the foundation type, and whether the house has a sump or crawl space, and the scope can be built around the calendar. The real estate radon service page covers how buyers and sellers usually split the work.

Question 2

Should I test for radon before buying a Columbus home?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Put a radon test inside the inspection period. In Ohio, anyone paid to test must hold an ODH radon tester or mitigation specialist license, and a sale test must run at least 48 hours with side-by-side devices or a continuous monitor. Start with the seller's disclosure. The Ohio Residential Property Disclosure Form asks, in its hazardous materials section, whether the seller knows of previous or current radon gas, with the level and any mitigation. An answer of "unknown" usually means nobody has tested. A pipe with a gauge on it means a system exists, so ask for its closeout package and the most recent result. During the test, the seller or occupant signs a noninterference agreement and a notice goes up at each entry, which is what lets the number stand if anyone questions it. If the result comes back at 4.0 or higher, Ohio's testing strategy for sales says fix the home, and the conversation turns to who pays. See radon in a Columbus home sale.

Question 3

Who pays for radon mitigation in a Columbus home sale?

Accepted Answer

No Ohio rule assigns it. It gets negotiated: the seller installs a system before closing, the seller gives a credit, or the buyer takes it on. Get a written scope before the inspection response deadline so the number on the table is real. A system installed before closing, with the post-mitigation result in hand, is usually the cleanest outcome for a buyer, because Ohio's standards then hand over a closeout package, a floor plan, and a license number to call. A credit works when time is short, but it should be sized from a written proposal rather than a guess; a crawl space or a second suction point can move the price from the $1,200 to $2,400 range into the $1,800 to $3,500 tier. If the seller installs, the buyer can ask for the post-mitigation test to be run by an independent Ohio-licensed tester, which the rules allow. Sellers can skip the scramble entirely by testing before listing. See the real estate radon service.

Question 4

Do I have to disclose radon when selling a house in Ohio?

Accepted Answer

Ohio's residential property disclosure form asks whether you know of previous or current radon gas on the property, the level if known, and any mitigation. It covers what you know; it does not require a test before listing. The form is prescribed under OAC 1301:5-6-10 and ORC 5302.30, and radon is item 4 of its hazardous materials section, next to lead-based paint, asbestos, and urea-formaldehyde insulation. The choices are yes, no, or unknown. If you hold a report, an old buyer's test, or a system in the basement, the honest answer is yes, with the level and what was done about it. The form itself tells buyers to do their own due diligence on radon and points them to EPA and Ohio Department of Health resources, so most Central Ohio buyers test anyway. That makes a pre-listing test a strategy call: learn the number on your schedule, or let the buyer's inspector learn it on theirs. For questions about your specific disclosure, ask your agent or attorney. See pre-purchase testing.

Real Estate Radon Services in Columbus

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Real Estate Radon Services in Columbus

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