Pre-purchase radon testing for a Tri-Cities contract

A real-estate radon test is a document. The number matters. The hours, the closed-house conditions, and the name on the report matter just as much, because someone else has to believe it before they release earnest money.

We test houses under contract in Johnson City, Jonesborough, Kingsport, Bristol TN, and the towns in between. If your inspection window is short, say so in the quote form. We will tell you if the calendar works.

Why a free kit is the wrong tool in a deal

Tennessee's radon program will mail you a charcoal kit. That kit is a public-health screening tool for people who already live in the house. It is not built for a fight about a $280,000 ranch in Gray.

A kit can be opened early, placed in a sunroom, or left in a mailbox. The lab will still print a number. The other agent's attorney will ask who watched the house. A continuous radon monitor (CRM) logs the hours. We can show the period, the average, and whether someone threw a window open at 2 a.m.

If you're the seller and you already ran a kit last January, great. Bring it. We still recommend a professional test for the file if the buyer is going to ask for one anyway.

How we run a contract test

• Closed-house conditions start before the device does, usually 12 hours. HVAC can run. Whole-house fans and open windows cannot.
• Device in the lowest level that could be lived in. A finished basement counts. A dirt crawl you enter twice a year usually does not, unless that is the only floor.
• Typical short-term window of 48 hours or more, depending on the device and the standard we're following.
• Tamper-evident placement. If someone moves it, the report says so.
• A written report with the address, the times, the average, and the protocol notes.

Vacant houses are easier to keep closed and harder to keep at a normal temperature. Occupied houses are the opposite. Tell us which one you have.

What buyers do with a high number

EPA's action level is still 4 pCi/L. In a deal, people treat that like a pass/fail even when the reading is 3.9. We will not coach you to game a 3.9. We will explain the range and the mitigation path.

Typical next steps:

1. Confirm the test was valid (closed house, right room, enough hours).
2. Get a mitigation quote for this foundation, not a national average.
3. Decide whether the seller installs before closing, credits money, or the buyer takes it on.

Mitigation on a straightforward crawl often fits inside a closing timeline. Split hillside houses take longer to design. Do not wait until the last Wednesday to discover the walkout and the crawl do not share a pit.

What sellers should do before the listing photo

If you already know Washington County is Zone 1, test before you list. A known number and a working system beat a surprise on day nine of due diligence. If you mitigate, keep the post-test. Buyers will ask.

We do not write inspection reports for HVAC or pests. We write radon. If your home inspector offers a 48-hour kit as an add-on, ask whether they are following measurement protocol or tossing a bag on a workbench. Tennessee does not license that add-on.

Well water in a purchase

Northern Washington County has a documented radon hotspot in karst spring research. That is groundwater science, not a prediction for the tap at a specific address. If the house is on a private well or spring, we still test the air first. A water sample is a separate lab if you want it. City water in Johnson City, Jonesborough, Kingsport, or Bristol is not the usual indoor-radon driver.

Credentials the other side can check

Tennessee does not issue a state radon license. Realtors still need a name they can defend. We work to NRPP and NRSB standards. Put that in the email to the other agent. Then request a quote with the closing date, the foundation, and whether the house is vacant.