HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a radon specialist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Radon is a radioactive gas from the ground; UKHSA is the UK's expert body. The checks, the testing and mitigation questions, and what to keep.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a radon specialist in five steps

  1. Test firstA proper test over the period the method needs, not a quick reading.
  2. Use the official mapsUKHSA publishes indicative radon maps for each part of the UK.
  3. Ask about the methodSump, positive pressure or underfloor ventilation, for your floor.
  4. Re-test after workProof the fix has worked.
  5. Keep the resultsBefore and after, for a sale.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to radon specialists anywhere in the UK; gov.uk names the UK Health Security Agency as the UK's primary expert on radon and lists a validation scheme for radon measurements.

Ask whether the radon testing needs building regulations approval, and who is applying for it. gov.uk →

Fan-powered sump electrics

A radon sump fan needs a power supply; in England a fused spur on an existing circuit away from a bath or shower is not notifiable, but a new circuit is notifiable in England and Wales under the Building Regulations.

Ask who wires the fan for the radon testing and mitigation, and for a certificate. gov.uk →

TrustMark

TrustMark is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme; it is voluntary, registration is trade by trade, and for the radon testing it is one of the few independent checks available.

Look the business up on TrustMark for the trade the radon testing falls under. trustmark.org.uk →

Insurance and trader status

Check the insurance behind the radon testing: public liability, with the insurer named. The trader's legal duties come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015; if you sign up for the radon testing away from the trader's premises or online, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 normally allow 14 days to change your mind, though early-start work is paid for and bespoke goods cannot be returned under regulation 28.

Have the insurance details in hand before the radon testing, and check the trader and ID-checked marks on the profile.

VAT

Radon testing, with any mitigation that follows, is standard-rated, so VAT is 20%; a firm with taxable turnover over £90,000 must be VAT-registered, charge that 20% and show it as a separate line on the quote and invoice.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on both the test price and the mitigation quote. gov.uk →

“How long will the radon testing take?”

A good answer: A test period long enough to give a reliable result, not a single quick reading.

“Are your radon measurements validated?”

A good answer: gov.uk lists a validation scheme for radon measurements; ask how the results are checked.

“Which radon mitigation method suits my floor?”

A good answer: Sump for solid floors, underfloor ventilation for suspended ones, or positive pressure, explained.

“Will you re-test after the work?”

A good answer: Yes, to show the level has come down.

“Who wires the radon fan?”

A good answer: An electrician who certifies the connection.

“What will the radon specialist leave me?”

A good answer: Test results before and after, and a description of the system.

Getting the quote right

  • Test method and duration
  • Mitigation method and equipment
  • Electrical supply for any fan
  • Re-test included
  • Who actually attends — the specialist fitting the sump or detectors, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Sells mitigation without a test
  • A single short reading as the only evidence
  • No re-test offered
  • Fan wired with no certificate
  • Scare tactics
LOW
£40
TYPICAL
£800
HIGH
£2,000

What a radon specialist costs: £40–£2,000 per job

Radon work is priced per job: a test is cheap, and positive pressure, underfloor ventilation and a fan-assisted sump cost progressively more. Radon Testing & Mitigation price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Radon specialists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. TestDetectors placed for the required period.
  2. AssessResults compared with the advice and the floor type.
  3. DesignMitigation method chosen.
  4. InstallSump, ventilation or positive pressure unit fitted and wired.
  5. Re-testA follow-up test confirms the reduction.

Radon
A radioactive gas from uranium in rocks and soils.
Radon sump
A pit under the floor with a pipe and often a fan.
Positive input ventilation
A unit that pushes air into the home to dilute radon.
Passive detector
A small device left in place to measure radon over time.
Indicative atlas
UKHSA's maps of radon-affected areas.
UKHSA
The UK Health Security Agency, the UK's expert on radon.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the resultsBefore and after tests, for a buyer.
Check the fan runsFan-powered systems need power and occasional checks.
Re-test after changesIf you alter the floor or ventilation.
Rate the workOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the radon testing falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Write to the specialist firstA dated message setting out what is wrong with the radon testing gives the trader the chance to fix it. If the radon testing was not done with reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 lets you insist on repeat performance or, failing that, a price reduction.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the radon testing under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3A trading disputeThere is no regulator for radon specialists, so a dispute over the radon testing goes to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the radon testing is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a radon specialist: questions people ask

No licence or register applies; gov.uk lists a validation scheme for radon measurements.

The wiring should be tested and certified; a new circuit is notifiable in England and Wales.

£40–£2,000 a job, typically around £800. A test is cheap; mitigation by sump or ventilation costs more. See the Radon Testing & Mitigation price guide for the detail, then search your postcode above to compare radon specialists nearby.

gov.uk says the main danger of high exposure is an increased risk of lung cancer.

UKHSA publishes indicative atlases for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Re-test after the work and after major changes to the floor or ventilation.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Damp ProofingHow to hire: BuilderHow to hire: GroundworksHow to hire: Basement ConversionHow to hire: Concrete & Foundations SpecialistHow to hire: PlastererHow to hire: Dry LiningHow to hire: General ContractorAll 701 hiring guides →

Radon specialists near you

Radon specialists in LondonRadon specialists in ManchesterRadon specialists in BirminghamRadon specialists in GlasgowRadon specialists in BelfastAll radon specialists on Locufy →Do it yourself: testing your home for radon →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — radon: information and reports (UK Health Security Agency)
  2. gov.uk — building regulations: when you do not need approval
  3. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  6. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  8. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  9. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  10. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  11. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  12. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  13. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register