So Much of Texas is Considered Zone 3: Is it Safe? (free from Radon Gas)

I recently had a client inquire about my services and asked for an official proposal. Before I could respond, within 30 minutes they sent a follow up message saying that because the Dallas / Fort Worth area is considered a Zone 3 region according to the EPA, that testing isn’t necessary.

This is a serious misunderstanding of what the different radon gas Zone designations mean, even according to the Environmental Protection Agency which states explicitly on their website:

“All homes should be tested, regardless of zone designation.”

http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/statemaps/texas.pdf

“All homes should test for radon, regardless of geographic location or zone designation.”

http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap.html

While a structure located in Zone 3 has a statistical likelihood of having a lower level of radon, there are still thousands of homes, residences and structures in the DFW area that will exceed the action limit of 4.0 picoCuries per liter if tested. I have found several myself in the course of testing as this percentage of homes is 10 %. It is not probable, but a 1 in 10 chance is fairly high when gambling against the chance of lung cancer.

I have found a number of homes in the North Dallas area (including mine) whose radon levels are high enough to warrant mitigation. With radon gas now killing more people than drunk drivers, it is well worth the small investment to get your residence checked.