Radon Testing When Buying or Selling a Home
Pennsylvania does not require radon testing before a home sale, but sellers must disclose any radon test results they already have under the state's Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law. In practice, buyers almost always request a test during the 10-15 day inspection contingency period after an accepted offer.
What sellers actually have to do
Under Pennsylvania's Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law (68 Pa.C.S. ยง 7301 et seq.), a seller must disclose known material defects, and a radon test result already in hand counts as one. But the law doesn't compel a seller who has never tested to go get a test just to list the home. A seller with no prior test simply has nothing to disclose on that point.
What buyers typically do
Radon testing is a standard part of the home inspection buyers arrange during the contingency window, usually a short-term test run alongside the general inspection. If the result comes back at or above 4 pCi/L, it's common for buyers to request mitigation as a condition of closing, or to negotiate a credit toward having it installed after closing.
Timing tips if you're mid-transaction
- A short-term test is standard here specifically because closing timelines don't allow for a 90-day long-term test
- If mitigation is negotiated as a repair item, get it scheduled early, a standard install (see our process page) takes about a day but scheduling can take longer
- Post-mitigation retesting before closing gives both sides a documented, current number rather than relying on the pre-mitigation result
Mid-transaction and need mitigation fast?
Tell us your timeline and test result. We'll follow up with next steps.
Request a Free Quote