Radon Mitigation Quote Checklist: Scope, Contractor Checks and Verification

Give every bidder the same measurement file

Send the full radon report rather than a cropped number. Include measurement dates, device or laboratory details, test location, duration and any recorded conditions. EPA's home-buyer guidance recommends that the mitigation contractor review measurement results before work begins. Ask whether the evidence is adequate for the decision or whether a qualified tester should resolve a missing or questionable result first.

Describe the home's foundation areas, known additions and any existing radon system. Note which rooms you currently use and any planned renovation. Keep these facts in one versioned brief shared with every bidder. The purpose is comparable proposals, not remote diagnosis. EPA recommends fixing homes at 4 pCi/L or above and notes that lower levels still carry risk; neither a quote nor a contractor's target should be presented as a promise of zero risk.^[3]

Verify the person and the applicable requirements

EPA directs consumers to their state radon contact to check local requirements and also identifies private national proficiency programs. Record the actual individual's name, credential number, current status and the registry you checked. Do not confuse a company advertisement, a training certificate and a credential appropriate to the proposed work. Requirements differ, so ask the state office which checks apply to your location.

Ask who will design the system, who will work onsite and who is responsible for the completed installation. EPA maintains a current standards-of-practice directory alongside historical material. Request the standard and applicable edition the contractor intends to follow, plus responsibility for local requirements. 'EPA approved' without an identifiable credential, scope or applicable requirement is not enough information to compare a proposal. This is a verification checklist, not a legal determination.^[1][2]

Ask for a site-based scope and diagnostic assumptions

Arrange a visit so the contractor can assess the actual building. Minnesota's health department recommends site-based proposals and questions about diagnostics; its licensing rules are Minnesota-specific, but the procurement questions are useful elsewhere. Ask what inspection or diagnostic work is included, what it is expected to resolve and whether additional investigation has a separate price. A telephone estimate should be labeled preliminary when the final scope depends on unseen conditions.

Minnesota describes foundation-dependent professional selection among mitigation approaches. Ask the bidder to identify which foundation areas the proposal covers and how other areas are addressed or excluded. Do not prescribe suction locations, fan sizes or pipe dimensions from this worksheet. Instead, ask for the design rationale in plain language and a written change process if the initial assessment reveals something different during the work.^[6][5]

Describe the visible work and affected household systems

Request a marked sketch or photographs showing the proposed route, equipment location and areas needing access. Record what the contractor plans to seal, cover or penetrate and which finishes will be restored. Minnesota's system description identifies elements such as a fan, vent piping and an operating indicator. Those components are useful quote categories; the professional must determine the appropriate arrangement for this home.

Our editorial scope record also includes noise concerns, appearance preferences, access to stored belongings and future service access. If there is a sump, crawlspace cover or another existing system in the work area, ask how access and function will be preserved. Document responsibility for electrical work, permits where required, cleanup and any outside trade. Do not let an attractive route drawing stand in for a written account of what the total price includes.^[5][6]

Separate installation price from outcome and warranty terms

EPA's consumer guide recommends a written contract describing the work, costs and any negotiated reduction guarantee. Ask what happens if the first valid post-installation result does not meet the agreed target. Record the correction process, response period, included adjustments and circumstances that trigger extra charges. A performance undertaking should be specific enough that both parties know the next action after an unsatisfactory result.

Distinguish equipment warranty, workmanship coverage and performance terms in your comparison. Ask about transfer to a future owner and exclusions associated with later building changes. Keep deposits, payment milestones and optional service plans visible. For an original planning exercise, compare the same base scope across bidders, then add clearly separated options. A longer warranty or a lower initial price is not, by itself, evidence that the proposed system fits the building.^[4][6]

Make the mitigation-quote verification handoff a deliverable

Add a mitigation-quote verification handoff with named responsibility for the tester, device or laboratory, placement and duration, closed-house preparation, system startup time, test window, cost, report recipient, agreed result response, and who authorizes corrective work. EPA's consumer guide places the test no sooner than 24 hours after startup and within 30 days; the contract should also identify applicable state requirements and independent verification.

Require the final handoff folder before closeout: as-built system description, labels, contractor and credential record, permits or inspections where applicable, equipment and warranty documents, operating and maintenance instructions, startup date, normal warning-device or manometer indication, electrical responsibility, post-test report, unresolved items, and correction history. A running fan, audible motor, or expected pressure indication does not report indoor radon concentration.

Write the continuing owner schedule into the same handoff: warning-device checks, service contacts, retesting at least every two years, and earlier review after renovation, changed lower-level occupancy, system shutdown or repair, or applicable state triggers. If the first valid result misses the agreed target, the quote must say what diagnostic review, correction, retest, cost responsibility and documentation follow.^[4][3][7][1]

• Write who arranges and pays for the follow-up measurement and who receives the report.
• Record the agreed response if the valid result is above the contract target.
• Collect the system description, warning-device baseline, operating instructions and warranty contacts.

Ask what the owner receives and must keep doing

Request a handover folder with the final system description, equipment information, written operating instructions, warranty documents, contractor contacts and measurement reports. Have the contractor show you the normal operating indication and explain which changes require a service call. Ask for an accessible record of that explanation so another household member can respond when the original contact is unavailable.

EPA advises regular checks of the warning device, occasional maintenance and radon retesting at least every two years. Put responsibility for those actions in the household calendar. If the contractor offers ongoing service, identify which visits and tests are actually included. An original ownership-cost record can list quoted electricity assumptions, future testing and possible service charges without pretending that a generic market average predicts this particular home's costs.^[5][7]

Resolve differences before choosing the contractor

Use four status labels for each bid: included, excluded, conditional or unresolved. A conditional item needs a trigger and an authorization process. An unresolved item needs a written answer. Send the same follow-up questions to each contractor so one proposal does not quietly gain scope while another remains a bare installation price. Keep revisions dated, and ask the selected contractor to incorporate agreed clarifications into the final contract.

For example, if one bid includes independent testing and another provides only an installer check, request comparable test arrangements before declaring a saving. If one covers an additional foundation area, ask the other bidder to explain its different assessment rather than assuming either is correct. Our recommended decision output is a signed scope, a known responsible professional and a scheduled verification path. The indoor-air hub and testing-device comparison provide context without replacing that home-specific professional work.^[1][3]