How I got a discount on a radon mitigation system in Des Moines

Driving the news: The Legislature sent a bill to the governor's desk Friday requiring new homes to install a radon mitigation system.

State of play: When buying my house in 2021, I knew very little about radon. But after learning about Iowa's high cancer rate more recently, I ordered a radon test kit ($18) last year from the American Lung Association, and learned my level was around 6 picocuries per liter — higher than the EPA's recommended 3 or less.

Zoom in: A friend hired someone local to install a system for $1,300 at the end of last year. But four weeks later, the same company quoted me for way higher at $1,800, even though our houses had similar square footage!

• They said they were preparing for the tariffs, but in the end, I picked someone else who offered it for $1,300 and gave us a test kit we could mail in to re-check our levels.

• I also live in an Invest DSM district, and applied to the program to get a 20% reimbursement for the project. So in the end, I paid a little over $1,000.
• After the installation, my levels reduced to 2.

Pro-tip: There are lots of city and county-specific programs that can help pay at least partially for your system!