Newer Illinois Requirement

General Inspection Topics Legislation, Licensing, Ethics & Legal Issues
1

Found this recently, passed last year but no one seems to know about this.

Passive Radon Remediation system required in all new residential construction after June 1, 2013.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3422&ChapterID=37

Hope this helps;

2

More government interference.

3

Cheaper to install on new built, Smart idea .

4

New install is $1500 AND mitigation is rare in the city.
Blanket statement Wayne. Guessing you make money on testing.

5

Not really Bob I explain radon to my clients , though radon does not care if a city has been built or not . it is what is under the ground . 2300 to 2500 here for older home and a new install is more efficient than a add on . I do not use scare tactic’s like many do to sell a test.

6

It costs 1/3 as much to install during construction as it does after construction, so unless 1/3th of all homes in that area have radon, it is an overall waste of resources.

7

To clarify a few points:

  1. This law does not require a full radon system, just a passive system. No fan.
  2. Radon does come from the ground bedrock, but can also come from the gravel used under the slab, which is common around here because we don’t have a bedrock with high uranium ore content and the bedrock is really deep (glazier history around the great lakes). In Chicago, only 3% of the test are over 4 and all of those are in the west portion of the city, away from the lake.
  3. This was something pushed by a local group (Illinois) similar to the people who pushed the Radon notification law some years ago. They have been using big scare tactics and some of my clients will not believe that Radon even can be mitigated.

I’m just pointing it out so HIs can call it out if they don’t see a passive system in new construction.

Hope this helps;

8

A passive system that exhausts outdoors (isn’t capped) can lower the radon without the fan in some cases.

9

This is going to be a minimal cost to the builder. The largest expense will be the rental of the coring machine to go through the slab. The $10 an hour laborer can do the rest with running the PVC.
I probably get 40-50% of the homes up here with a high radon measurement.

Jeff

10

Wow.

11

Wayne was right. It’s just a few hundred to run the pipes during construction. Around here, the price you mentioned is even more than a system installed after construction. Makes me glad to live in the center of the state. :slight_smile:

12

On second thought I suppose if cost is minimal it makes sense on new construction considering how tight they make these places with less ventilation.
My thoughts are aimed primarily at the city where you can walk all day long and not see any mitigation going on at all.

Still recall not even two years ago my client purchasing a older high rise Condo in the south loop paying a guy more than I was charging for full inspection to test for it however which to me was pretty ridiculous.
Client was being way overcharged which of course should not taint the seriousness of the subject.
Sure there is the minute possibility of gases floating up, but come on now.

13

I wish it was mandatory here in Ohio.

Many reputable builders are installing these passive systems already, it’s much cheaper than installing a full system after the home is built, especially in some of these McMansions with finished basements.

Also in my area, Builders any more will not allow us to test until after closing and the client has moved in.

14

Bob see sometimes others can be right, and not out for money

15

You are correct others are right when they agree with me and if they are not out for money “what’s wrong with them”…:slight_smile: ?

Personally I see no advantage to my business running around picking up boxes when I should be out inspecting because around here I think the going rate is like a trip charge of about $120-$140.

Can not imagine giving up real inspections to do that.

16

5 measurements done last week. Came back at 4.8, 7.7, 7.8, 18.7 and 7.3

Jeff

17

Another point is that this requirement has not been incorporated into the various local codes (in Illinois, any municipality with 20,000 or more population can adopt its own building code) but is state law, like the carbon monoxide detector requirement. Many builders go back to the argument that they only have to build to local code standards.

Also, the system (even passive) has to be installed by a state licensed Radon remediation tech, so the builders now have to hire another sub.

Also, this just in, the National Association of Roofing Contractors has recently stated that cut valleys are no longer approved in the northern states. This is, most probably, the result of the sever winter we had, where even 6’ of ice and water shield was not sufficient against ice damming.

Standards change, and so must we.

18

The passive systems can be installed by a non-licensed tech/contractor. If it involves a fan, then the installer needs to be a licensed radon mitigation system installer.

Jeff

19

I don’t believe so.

The new law is pretty clear on that, thus the definition of a licensed remediation tech in the new law.

20

(420 ILCS 52/25)
Sec. 25. Installation of active mitigation systems. The installation of an active mitigation system shall only be performed by a radon contractor. The installation of radon resistant construction may be performed by a residential building contractor or his or her subcontractors or a radon contractor during new residential construction. Only a radon contractor may install a radon vent fan or upgrade a passive new construction pipe to an active mitigation system.
(Source: P.A. 97-953, eff. 6-1-13.)

Jeff