1. What Georgia Law Actually Requires
Georgia is one of the states with no specific radon statute for real estate transactions. There is no law that says a home must be tested for radon before it can be sold. There is no law requiring sellers to provide a radon test result. And Georgia does not license radon professionals the way it licenses, say, pest inspectors for wood-destroying insect reports.
That said, sellers are not completely off the hook. The Georgia Seller's Property Disclosure Act (O.C.G.A. § 44-1-16) requires residential property sellers to complete a disclosure statement covering known material defects. If a seller has tested for radon and knows the home has elevated levels, they are legally obligated to disclose that. Hiding a known radon problem is a liability.
The Key Distinction
Georgia requires disclosure of known defects but does not require testing to discover them. A seller who has never tested for radon has nothing to disclose. This creates an obvious incentive for some sellers to avoid testing, but it also creates an opportunity for buyers who do their homework.
What About the Federal Level?
There is no federal law requiring radon testing in residential sales either. The EPA strongly recommends that all homes be tested, but it is a recommendation, not a requirement. Some lenders may require testing for certain loan types, particularly VA and FHA loans in high-risk areas, but this is not universally enforced.
How Georgia Compares to Other States
Several states take a more aggressive approach. Illinois requires sellers to provide a radon disclosure form specifically addressing radon. New Jersey requires testing in certain areas. Maine, Florida, and others have specific radon notification requirements. Georgia's lack of radon-specific legislation means that buyers need to be proactive about protecting themselves.
2. Buyer's Guide: Protecting Yourself
As a buyer in Georgia, radon testing is your responsibility. No one is going to do it for you unless you ask. Here is how to handle it.
Add Radon to Your Inspection
During your due diligence period, schedule professional radon testing alongside your general home inspection. A professional test with a continuous radon monitor (CRM) runs for 48 hours and costs $125 to $250. Some home inspectors offer radon testing as an add-on, or you can hire a radon company separately.
Why Professional Testing for Real Estate?
Real estate transactions need professional CRM testing, not DIY kits. This is not about upselling. CRM devices provide:
- Hourly readings that show patterns, not just one average number
- Tamper detection so you know the device was not moved or disturbed
- Chain of custody that is accepted by all parties in the transaction
- Barometric and temperature data to validate testing conditions
For more on the differences, see our DIY vs professional testing comparison.
Timing Matters
A CRM test needs at least 48 hours in the home with closed-house conditions. Coordinate with your agent and the seller so the monitor can be placed early in your due diligence period. If you wait until the last day, you will not have time to get results and still negotiate within your contingency window.
What If the Test Comes Back High?
If the test shows radon above 4 pCi/L (the EPA action level), you have options. You can ask the seller to install a mitigation system before closing. You can negotiate a credit to cover the cost. Or, in some cases, you may decide the property is not worth the additional investment. Most deals do not fall apart over radon because the fix is straightforward and relatively affordable.
3. Seller's Guide: Getting Ahead of the Issue
If you are selling a home in Metro Atlanta, you might be tempted to skip radon testing entirely. After all, Georgia does not require it, and if you do not test, you have nothing to disclose. Technically true. But here is why that strategy often backfires.
The Informed Buyer Problem
More buyers test for radon now than at any point in the past. Awareness has grown. If a buyer's test finds elevated radon in your home, you are now on the back foot in the negotiation. You had no information, and they have data showing a problem. The conversation goes from "let's work this out" to "we found a health hazard you didn't mention."
The Pre-Listing Test Advantage
Smart sellers test before listing. Here is the logic:
If Radon Is Low
You now have documentation that the home has safe radon levels. Put it in your disclosure packet. It removes a potential objection and signals transparency. One less thing for buyers to worry about.
If Radon Is High
You can install mitigation before listing. A system typically costs $1,200 to $2,500 in Metro Atlanta. You then list the home as "radon mitigated" with a post-mitigation test showing safe levels. Problem solved before it becomes a negotiation point.
Disclosure Obligations
Once you test, you must disclose the results on your property disclosure form, whether the results are good or bad. This is why some sellers choose not to test. But consider the alternative: if the buyer tests and finds elevated radon during inspection, you are now negotiating from a position of weakness during a time-sensitive deal. Pre-listing mitigation is almost always the better financial move.
4. Agent's Guide: Handling Radon Professionally
Radon comes up in Metro Atlanta transactions often enough that every agent needs a game plan. The homes sitting on Georgia's granite and gneiss bedrock are exactly the kind that tend to have elevated levels.
For Buyer's Agents
- Recommend radon testing on every home. About 1 in 5 Georgia homes test above the EPA action level. That is not a rare occurrence.
- Schedule testing early in due diligence. A CRM test needs 48 hours minimum. If you schedule it the same day as the general inspection, results come back while there is still time to negotiate.
- Know the numbers. Mitigation costs $1,200 to $2,500 in most cases. This is not a deal-breaker. Frame it properly and most transactions continue smoothly.
For Listing Agents
- Suggest pre-listing radon testing to your sellers. A $150 test now can prevent a $5,000 negotiation hit later. If the home tests high, mitigation before listing is a far better outcome than a last-minute renegotiation.
- Be ready for the conversation. When a buyer's inspection turns up elevated radon, agents who can speak to the issue with confidence keep deals together. Those who panic or downplay the problem lose trust.
- Have a radon contractor you trust. Being able to say "we can get this fixed before closing for around $1,500" keeps the deal on track. For our realtor partners, we offer priority scheduling for exactly this situation.
5. Negotiating Radon in a Deal
Finding elevated radon during a home inspection is not unusual, and the negotiation that follows is fairly predictable. Here are the common approaches:
Option 1: Seller Installs Mitigation Before Closing
This is the cleanest resolution. The seller hires a radon contractor to install a mitigation system, a post-mitigation test confirms levels are below 4 pCi/L, and the buyer gets a home with a functioning radon system. The seller pays the full cost (typically $1,200 to $2,500). Most installations take one day, and the post-mitigation test adds another 48 hours.
Option 2: Closing Credit
The seller provides a credit at closing to cover the cost of mitigation. This works when timelines are tight and there is not enough time for the seller to get the work done before closing. The buyer then arranges installation after moving in. The credit amount is typically $1,500 to $3,000 to cover installation plus the post-mitigation test.
Option 3: Price Reduction
Similar to a credit but rolled into the purchase price. This can affect the appraisal and may be preferred by some lenders. The reduction is typically in the same $1,500 to $3,000 range.
Option 4: Split the Cost
In competitive markets, buyers and sellers sometimes split the mitigation cost. This can be a fair compromise, especially if the buyer is getting the home at a good price already.
Reality Check
Most radon negotiations add $1,500 to $3,000 to the transaction. On a $400,000 home, that is less than 1% of the purchase price. Deals rarely fall apart over radon alone. When they do, it is usually because one party overreacted or was poorly advised, not because the problem was insurmountable.
6. How Radon Affects Property Value
Homeowners often worry that radon will tank their property value. The reality is more nuanced.
The Short Answer
A mitigated radon problem has virtually no impact on property value. An unmitigated problem can reduce a home's value by $5,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on the levels and the market. Research published in the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics found that homes with known radon issues sold at a discount, but homes with installed mitigation systems recovered nearly all of that discount.
Why Mitigation Protects Value
Removes the Stigma
A radon system shows a problem was identified and professionally addressed. Buyers respond to that much better than "high radon, no fix."
Eliminates Negotiation Leverage
Without a system, a buyer can use elevated radon as a bargaining chip to knock $5,000+ off the price. With a system in place, that leverage disappears.
Speeds Up the Sale
Homes with unresolved radon issues spend more time on the market. Every week on market costs the seller money. A $2,000 mitigation system is almost always cheaper than a delayed or collapsed sale.
Metro Atlanta Neighborhoods Most Affected
Radon is not evenly distributed. Areas sitting directly on the Piedmont granite belt tend to have higher concentrations. In Metro Atlanta, this includes many of the most desirable neighborhoods: Buckhead, Druid Hills, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and areas stretching into North Fulton and Cobb counties. These are exactly the neighborhoods where home values are highest and buyers are most diligent about inspections.
7. New Construction Transactions
Buying a newly built home does not eliminate radon risk. In fact, new construction presents some unique challenges.
Radon-Resistant New Construction (RRNC)
The EPA recommends that all new homes be built with radon-resistant features. These include a gravel layer under the slab, a polyethylene vapor barrier, sealed penetrations, and a PVC vent pipe from below the slab to the roof. Georgia does not require RRNC in its building code, but some builders include these features voluntarily. If you are buying new construction, ask the builder specifically whether radon-resistant features were installed.
Why RRNC Matters
Installing radon-resistant features during construction costs $350 to $500. Retrofitting a mitigation system after the home is built costs $1,200 to $2,500 or more. Even with RRNC features, the home should still be tested after occupancy because the passive system may not provide enough depressurization.
Learn more about our new construction radon services.
When to Test New Construction
Do not test during construction. Radon testing is unreliable in an unfinished home with no HVAC running and doors and windows open. Wait until the home is substantially complete with HVAC operating, and then test under normal living conditions. This usually means testing after the certificate of occupancy is issued or within the first few months of living in the home.
