Selling a Home With High Radon?
When a buyer's radon test comes back high, call early. Bill can look at the home, give you a real quote, and help you understand the schedule so radon does not become a last-minute closing problem.
Send us the address, test result, and closing date. We’ll look at your home, explain the cost, and tell you what timing is realistic.
Your agreement may call for installation before closing or a credit to the buyer. Talk that through with your agent or attorney. If we install the system, we’ll provide the system information and written warranty for your file.
Buying another home too? Remember to have that home tested as well.
Your next steps
Do the work as soon as you can
Once elevated radon is on the report, it sits there until someone handles it. Calling early gives the seller the most flexibility. If the seller decides to install the system, the work can be completed, documented, and taken off the repair list before it becomes a late-stage closing problem.
Get a real quote and understand the schedule
Bill can look at the home, explain the mitigation plan, and tell you what is realistic for the calendar. Calling early gives you more options and keeps the closing conversation simpler.
Early action gives the seller more flexibility
Some buyers prefer a seller credit or concession. Some buyers want the system installed before closing. Calling early keeps both paths open instead of boxing the seller into a last-minute scramble.
Installing and documenting the system removes radon as an open repair item
When the work is done and the paperwork is ready, radon is no longer sitting on the table as an unresolved negotiation problem. The file has a finished system and documentation.
While we are at it, talk about the next house
Sellers are often buying something too. Bill often asks about the new place, reminds them to get it tested, and can quote that home if mitigation comes up there as well.
A finished system helps the next conversation too
If this deal does not close, a documented mitigation system can still help with the next buyer. A future buyer may still test the home, but they are no longer walking into an untouched radon issue. They can see that the home has already been addressed, the system is in place, and the paperwork is ready.
A simple script for listing agents
"Elevated radon came up on the inspection. It is common, and it is fixable. The cleanest path is usually to call Bill early, get a clear plan, and decide whether to put the system on the calendar. If the seller chooses to install, the work gets documented and radon comes off the open repair list instead of turning into a last-minute closing problem."
Not legal or contract advice. Listing agents and sellers should talk with their agent or attorney and use their own transaction process when needed.
What listing agents usually need
- Fast, honest timing against the closing date
- A clean install that does not create a new objection
- Written documentation for the file
- One less open item in negotiations
What the seller walks away with
- Problem handled on the home they are leaving
- Paperwork ready for the transaction
- A calmer path to closing
- A nudge to test the home they are buying next
Want the install day picture first? Read what to expect during a radon mitigation install. For ranges before Bill looks at the home, see the radon mitigation cost guide.
Related radon guides
Helpful official radon resources
Last reviewed by American Radon Systems: July 2026
- Illinois IEMA-OHS real estate radon guidance
Official Illinois materials for real estate radon testing guidance and transaction documents.
- Illinois IEMA-OHS radon publications
State radon publications and forms agents may need to reference.
Serving Tinley Park, Lincoln-Way, Orland and Palos, Lemont, Homer Glen, Lockport, Crest Hill, Shorewood, and nearby communities. Areas we serve.
Seller & Listing Agent Radon FAQs
Practical answers when a high radon test shows up before closing. Not legal advice. Talk with your agent or attorney about the contract side.
What should a seller do if the buyer’s radon test comes back high?
Call early. Bill can look at the home, give a real quote, and help you understand the schedule. If you decide to install, the radon issue gets handled, documented, and removed as an open repair item instead of sitting as a negotiation problem near closing. Talk with your agent or attorney about the contract side.
What do most realtors recommend when a seller’s home tests high?
Most agents want a calm plan: state-licensed mitigation, clear timing, and paperwork that holds up in the file. Some deals use a seller-paid install and some use a credit. The right path depends on the contract and the parties. We are not giving legal advice. We give a realistic schedule, a clean system, and documentation agents can use.
Can radon delay a closing, and how fast can you install?
It can if nobody calls until the last minute. Most of our installs are one visit once the plan is set. Tell us the closing date early. We will say what is realistic. Documentation is ready for the file when the job is complete.
Does the warranty transfer to the next owner if I sell?
Every install comes with written documentation from a state licensed mitigator, which is what a buyer, their inspector, and their agent will want to see. Warranty details, including transferability, are spelled out in the customer packet you receive after installation, so keep that packet with your home paperwork.
Does Illinois require a radon test before selling a home?
No. The Illinois Radon Awareness Act does not require a seller to test or to mitigate. It requires the seller to give the buyer the IEMA-OHS pamphlet Radon Testing Guidelines for Real Estate Transactions and a Disclosure of Information on Radon Hazards form that states what the seller actually knows, including any earlier elevated results and whether the home was mitigated. Because that disclosure only covers what the seller knows, buyers usually test during the inspection period.
Should I test for radon before listing my home?
EPA recommends testing before you put the home on the market and, if needed, fixing the level first, because you have more time to handle it than you will in the middle of a contract. Save the result and the mitigation paperwork. A documented system from a state licensed mitigator is a selling point rather than a surprise at inspection.
Need Radon Handled Before Closing?
Call Bill with the address, the result if you have it, and the closing date. We will tell you what is realistic for the house and the calendar. If you decide to move forward, we can get the home on the schedule before radon becomes a last-minute issue.