Buying a Home in Waterloo or Cedar Falls? What Iowa’s Radon Disclosure Rules Actually Require

Most states treat radon as a footnote in a real estate transaction. Iowa puts it on the table in writing, twice. If you are buying or selling in the Cedar Valley, here is exactly what the rules require — and what they do not.

What the Law Requires

Iowa’s seller property condition disclosure rules (Iowa Admin. Code 193E chapter 14, the Iowa Real Estate Commission’s rules implementing Iowa Code chapters 558A and 543B) build radon into every covered home sale in two ways:

1. The disclosure question. The seller disclosure form asks directly: any known tests for the presence of radon gas? If yes, the seller reports the date of the last test and the results. A seller who knows about a past test — theirs, or a previous report in the file — answers on a signed disclosure.

2. The fact sheet handoff. The seller must see that the buyer receives the official Iowa Radon Home-Buyers and Sellers Fact Sheet, prepared by Iowa HHS, and the disclosure includes an acknowledgment that it happened. Every covered Iowa sale literally includes state-published radon education, signed for.

What the Law Does Not Require

Iowa does not require a radon test at sale, and it does not require mitigation at any level. A seller with no knowledge of any test can truthfully check “no” and sell a 20 pCi/L house. The disclosure regime tells you what is known — it does not generate knowledge. In a state where 71.6% of homes test at or above the action level, “no known tests” is not reassurance. It is an open question with bad odds.

The Buyer’s Playbook

Put radon in your inspection contingency and test during the inspection window — with a certified professional, because Iowa requires state certification for paid radon measurement, and because a transaction test done to protocol (48-hour minimum, closed-house conditions, tamper-resistant equipment) is a number both sides have to respect. Book it the day your offer is accepted; inspection windows are tight and the test itself needs two days. If it comes back at 4.0 or higher, negotiate the fix like any other repair: seller installs a mitigation system with a verified retest, or credits you the typical $800–$2,500 to do it yourself. More on transaction testing here.

The Seller’s Playbook

Test before you list. If it is low, that is a documented answer to a question every buyer’s agent in Iowa knows to ask. If it is high, mitigate on your own schedule with your own contractor choice — and list a house with a working system and a verified number. “Radon mitigated, retested at X” reads as a feature in an Iowa listing, because every buyer is handed a state fact sheet telling them why it matters. What does not work is hoping: the form asks, you sign it, and known results left off a signed disclosure are a legal problem that outlives the closing.

Renting Instead?

Iowa’s rules above cover sales, not rentals — but the direction of travel is clear: Iowa City became the first city in Iowa to require radon testing and mitigation in rental homes. Cedar Valley renters can test their own units ($10 kit from Black Hawk County Public Health) and bring results to their landlord.

Buying or Selling in Black Hawk County?

We’ll connect you with a certified radon professional who handles real estate testing and mitigation on transaction timelines. No charge for the referral.

Call (319) 319-9943