Polk County · EPA Radon Zone 1
Radon Mitigation in Des Moines, IA
Des Moines sits at the southern terminus of the Des Moines Lobe, the youngest glacial landscape in Iowa, and Polk County is EPA Radon Zone 1. We connect Des Moines homeowners with credentialed specialists for a free, no-obligation quote.
Radon mitigation in Des Moines is normally an active sub-slab depressurization system, installed in about one day by a specialist credentialed by Iowa HHS, at a price this site covers in its radon mitigation cost in Iowa guide. Polk County is EPA Radon Zone 1, the highest-risk category, so homes here are predicted to average above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L. Statewide, 71.6 percent of Iowa homes test at or above that level, and the Iowa average is 8.5 pCi/L against a United States average of 1.3 pCi/L. Levels vary house to house, so the only way to know yours is to test. One piece of local help is worth knowing before you start: the City of West Des Moines runs a Radon Mitigation Program that may help income-qualified households inside city limits with testing and the work. The city sets the terms and they change, so confirm the current ones with the city.
Iowa Radon Professionals does not test or install systems. We connect Des Moines homeowners with NRPP-certified, Iowa HHS-credentialed radon mitigation specialists who do, and the quote is free and no-obligation. If a test has already come back elevated, start with what to do when a radon test comes back high in Iowa.
Why Des Moines Radon Levels Run High: the Des Moines Lobe
Des Moines sits on the youngest glacial landscape in the state, and that is the short answer to why radon here behaves the way it does. During the Wisconsin Episode the southern edge of the Laurentide Ice Sheet split into lobes, and the Des Moines Lobe ran from central Canada through the Dakotas and Minnesota into Iowa, terminating, in the Iowa Geological Survey’s words, "at what is now the city of Des Moines". The Survey dates the arrival: the lobe entered Iowa shortly before 15,000 radiocarbon years before present and reached its terminal position at Des Moines about 13,800 radiocarbon years before present. The city is built on that terminal ground.
What the lobe left behind is different from the rest of Iowa in a way that matters underfoot. Iowa DNR describes the region’s surficial material as "Loamy till with no loess", which sets Des Moines apart from western Iowa, where deep wind-blown loess is the radon pathway. Here the parent material is glacial till itself: the Iowa Geological Survey maps the Dows Formation across the lobe, with a lower Alden Member of "gray, calcareous, massive, dense loam diamicton" beneath an upper Morgan Member that is "usually calcareous and fractured, stratified loam to silt loam" with textures that "can be quite variable". Uranium in that till decays through radium into radon gas, and the fractures and the sand and gravel stringers in the upper till give the gas routes toward the surface.
Two local conditions shape how a system gets designed. The first is that variability: because the till changes texture over short distances, soil-gas flow under one Des Moines slab can differ from the house next door, so a credentialed specialist runs a communication test to see how far a single suction point actually reaches before sizing the fan, and may use more than one suction point where the dense lower till limits the pressure field. The second is water. Iowa DNR notes the lobe’s stream network is "poorly developed and widely spaced", and the Iowa Geological Survey records a seasonal high water table across its till landforms. That is why sump pits are common in Des Moines basements, and an open or poorly sealed pit is one of the larger radon entry points in a house. Sealing and capping it is often part of the job, and a post-mitigation re-test confirms the result.
Help Paying for Radon Mitigation in Des Moines
Iowa has no statewide radon tax credit, rebate, or deduction. The Iowa Department of Revenue’s full list of tax credits and exemptions covers farmland, geothermal, solar, homesteads, and veterans, and not one entry on it relates to radon testing or radon mitigation (list read in full 2026-08-18). Treat any page that tells you otherwise with suspicion, and see the radon mitigation cost in Iowa guide for the bill a Des Moines homeowner should actually plan for.
There is one real local program in this metro. The City of West Des Moines runs a Radon Mitigation Program that may help with radon testing before and after the work plus the cost of fixing the hazard, and the city describes the help as money you do not pay back. Eligibility turns on income and address: the household has to fall under an income limit the city sets against Area Median Income, and the home must be within West Des Moines city limits.
Single-family houses, duplexes, and townhouses all qualify, and the home can be owner-occupied or a rental. Owners must be current on mortgage and property taxes, carry home insurance, and have no outstanding city fines; rental properties need a valid rental certificate. Questions go to the city housing office at (515) 273-0770 or housing@wdm.iowa.gov. Program terms, amounts and income limits are the city’s to set and they change, so confirm the current ones on the city’s own page before you count on them.
Homeowners outside West Des Moines city limits do not have an equivalent city program to draw on, and whether a homeowners insurance policy contributes anything toward mitigation depends entirely on the policy and the carrier, so ask yours directly rather than assuming either way.
Radon Services We Help Des Moines Homeowners Find
We connect Des Moines homeowners with a credentialed specialist for radon mitigation in Iowa and every related service below, from an elevated test result through post-mitigation re-testing.
Radon Mitigation
The standard active soil depressurization system that vents radon from beneath the slab to above the roofline.
Learn MoreRadon Testing
Short-term and long-term radon measurement. Testing is the only way to know your home is above or below the action level.
Learn MoreReal Estate Radon Testing
Fast, transaction-timeline testing for home sales and purchase contingencies, with results that fit closing deadlines.
Learn MoreCrawl Space Radon Mitigation
Sub-membrane depressurization for homes with crawl spaces, sealing and venting soil gas at the source.
Learn MoreRadon System Repair
Diagnosing failing fans, re-testing, and bringing older systems back under the EPA action level.
Learn MoreNew Construction Systems
Passive and active radon-resistant new construction (RRNC) rough-in built into the home from the start.
Learn MoreWhen Des Moines Homes Need Radon Mitigation
Pre-war homes in Beaverdale and Sherman Hill
Early-1900s houses often have stone or block foundations with many joints and penetrations for soil gas to follow.
Postwar basements north and south of Ingersoll
Mid-century full basements are now finished living space, which is exactly where a household spends hours below grade.
Newer suburban builds
Newer homes in the metro test high too. The till under the slab drives the level, not the age of the house.
Sump pits and drain tile
The lobe’s seasonal high water table makes sump systems common here, and an unsealed pit is a direct path for radon.
A pending home sale
Polk County transactions routinely carry a radon contingency on a short timeline, with the result due before closing.
A West Des Moines address
Homes inside West Des Moines city limits may qualify for a city grant that pays for testing and the work.
Neighborhoods and areas we help homeowners in include Beaverdale, Sherman Hill, Drake, Ingersoll Park, Waveland Park, Merle Hay, the East Village, downtown Des Moines.
Testing in Polk County and the Des Moines Metro
A first radon screen in the Des Moines area is low-cost rather than free. The Iowa Radon Hotline, 1-800-383-5992, takes orders for low-cost test kits and answers radon questions, and the Iowa Cancer Consortium notes that "several county public health departments offer free or low-cost radon test kits", so it is worth asking your own county health department what it currently offers. Kits are also sold through the American Lung Association and most hardware and home improvement stores.
If a screen comes back at or above 4 pCi/L, that is the point to bring in a professional. We can connect you with a credentialed specialist for a follow-up measurement and a mitigation quote. For a home sale, the measurement has to be done to the real estate protocol, which is covered on the real estate radon testing page, and the difference between the two jobs is explained in radon testing vs mitigation.
Iowa HHS publishes lists and maps of certified radon measurement specialists and credentialed radon mitigation specialists, and anyone paid to test or mitigate radon in Iowa must hold that credential. Checking it before you sign is the single cheapest piece of due diligence available, and how to verify Iowa radon mitigation contractors walks through what else to ask.
Des Moines Schools and the Radon Mandate
Iowa’s HF 2412, the Gail Orcutt Radon School Safety Act, requires every school attendance center in the state to test for radon by July 1, 2027 and every five years after. That covers Des Moines Public Schools, the state’s largest district, along with the West Des Moines, Urbandale, Johnston, and Ankeny districts serving the rest of the metro. Families who want to know where a building stands can ask the district directly. The same Des Moines Lobe till that puts radon into those buildings runs under the houses around them. See our guide to the Iowa school radon mandate.
The NRPP-certified, Iowa HHS-credentialed partner contractor you are matched with is licensed and insured and provides a written workmanship warranty.
Properly installed systems typically reduce radon by 50 to 99% according to the EPA. Your specific result is confirmed by the specialist with a post-mitigation re-test.
How Radon Mitigation Works for Des Moines Homeowners
Free quote request
Submit the form or call. Share your most recent radon level if you have one.
Specialist contact
A credentialed specialist serving the area reaches out to assess your home.
Installation
A standard sub-slab system is typically installed in about one day.
Post-mitigation re-test
The specialist confirms the level dropped below the action level.
Nearby Areas We Serve
Beyond Des Moines, we connect homeowners with credentialed radon specialists throughout Polk County and nearby communities, including West Des Moines, Urbandale, Ankeny, Clive, Johnston, Altoona, Windsor Heights, Pleasant Hill. Serving another part of the state? See our service area or request a quote.
What it costs, and what happens after you send it
- What does radon mitigation cost in Des Moines?
- A residential system runs about $800 to $2,500, with a typical Iowa job near $2,000. A standard sub-slab system for a basement home sits at the lower end, $800 to $1,800, while a crawl space or multi-area job runs $1,500 to $2,500. Those figures are published Iowa contractor pricing, market data for comparison rather than a quote or a price set by us. The Iowa cost guide breaks the figures out by system type and lists what moves a quote.
- How fast will someone get back to me?
- Calls and form submissions reach Compass Camper LLC directly. We read the request and pass it to an independent local radon professional, usually within about an hour during the day. That professional then contacts you to look at the home and quote the work on their own schedule.
- What work is covered?
- Radon mitigation, radon testing, real estate radon testing, crawl space mitigation, system repair, and new-construction systems. See every service.
Only the independent radon professional you are matched with can price your actual home. Compass Camper LLC does not test or mitigate radon and does not quote it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does radon mitigation cost in Des Moines?
A typical Iowa mitigation job runs near $2,000, with most falling in an $800 to $2,500 range depending on foundation type, the number of suction points needed, and how the system is routed. Des Moines is not a separate pricing market from the rest of the state. Our Iowa cost guide breaks down what moves the number up or down, and a quote from a credentialed specialist is free.
Can I get a tax credit or grant for radon mitigation in Iowa?
There is no Iowa radon tax credit. The Iowa Department of Revenue list of tax credits and exemptions contains nothing for radon (read 2026-08-05). There is one local program in this metro: the City of West Des Moines Radon Mitigation Program may help income-qualified households inside city limits with testing before and after plus the work. Amounts and income limits are set by the city and change, so confirm current terms with the city at (515) 273-0770.
How do I get a radon test in Des Moines?
Low-cost kits are available through the Iowa Radon Hotline at 1-800-383-5992, and the Iowa Cancer Consortium says several county public health departments offer free or low-cost kits, so ask yours. Kits are also sold at most hardware stores. For a home sale or a post-mitigation check, the measurement should be done by a certified specialist to the real estate protocol.
Why is radon high in Des Moines when there is no loess here?
The radon comes from the glacial till itself. Des Moines sits at the terminal position of the Des Moines Lobe, and Iowa DNR describes the region as loamy till with no loess. Uranium in that till decays into radon, and the fractured upper till and its sand and gravel stringers carry the gas toward the surface. All of Polk County is EPA Radon Zone 1.
Who installs the system?
An NRPP-certified, Iowa HHS-credentialed partner contractor serving the Des Moines area. That contractor is licensed and insured and provides a written workmanship warranty. You contract directly with them.
Get Your Free Des Moines Radon Quote
Tell us about your home and a credentialed specialist serving Polk County follows up. Prefer to talk? Call (712) 218-3501.
When you submit this form, your information is shared with an NRPP-certified, Iowa HHS-credentialed radon specialist for the purpose of scheduling your free quote.
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