PlaceDossier / Questions
Is there radon in my home or the home I'm buying?
Radon is a radioactive gas from the ground that can build up indoors. It isn't mapped lot by lot: a report gives the share of homes that tested high in the lot's health region, from Health Canada's national survey, and the answer for one home is a test.
The report opens at this answer, with the lot drawn on the map and every other check alongside. A PID (on the tax notice or title) always finds the lot; an address works when it's an exact match.
What the answer means
- The guideline
- Health Canada's guideline is 200 Bq/m³ in the parts of a home where people spend more than 4 hours a day, like a finished basement. Above it, fix it within a year; the higher the level, the sooner.
- Testing
- Only a long-term test of at least 3 months shows a home's radon level. Kits and certified professionals (C-NRPP) both do it; a digital monitor should be one that passed C-NRPP testing for long-term measurements.
- Buying a home
- A 3-month test rarely fits before closing. Health Canada suggests a long-term test once you've moved in; you can also ask the seller whether the home has been tested and whether it has a radon system.
- The health risk
- Health Canada says long-term exposure to a high radon level is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
- The regional figure
- Health Canada's 2009–2011 survey tested about a hundred volunteer homes per health region. It shows where high readings were more common, not whether a given home is high: houses next door can differ widely.
A regional share is not a reading for any lot or home. Test the home itself. Confirm with a certified radon measurement professional (C-NRPP) before you buy or build.
Source: Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011), Health Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Health Service Delivery Area Boundaries, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Radon guideline, Health Canada (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-02); Testing your home for radon, Health Canada (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-02); Radon in real estate, Health Canada (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-02).
Across BC, by health region
In Health Canada's survey, 143 of 1,817 BC homes (7.9%) were at or above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline. High readings were most common in the Kootenays, the Okanagan and the north, and rare on the coast and in the Lower Mainland.
| Health region | Homes tested | At or above 200 Bq/m³ | At or above 600 Bq/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kootenay Boundary | 109 | 32 (29%) | 8 |
| East Kootenay | 105 | 20 (19%) | 3 |
| Okanagan | 109 | 19 (17%) | 3 |
| Northern Interior | 208 | 25 (12%) | 4 |
| Northeast | 200 | 20 (10%) | 1 |
| Thompson Cariboo Shuswap | 109 | 7 (6.4%) | none |
| Northwest | 211 | 11 (5.2%) | 3 |
| Fraser East | 100 | 3 (3%) | none |
| North Shore/Coast Garibaldi | 81 | 2 (2.5%) | none |
| South Vancouver Island | 55 | 1 (1.8%) | none |
| Vancouver | 83 | 1 (1.2%) | none |
| North Vancouver Island | 106 | 1 (0.9%) | none |
| Central Vancouver Island | 109 | 1 (0.9%) | none |
| Fraser North | 108 | none | none |
| Fraser South | 70 | none | none |
| Richmond | 54 | none | none |
| All of BC | 1,817 | 143 (7.9%) | 22 |
One long-term test per volunteer home, 2009–2011, grouped by the 2007 health regions (shown under today's names). Each BC place page names its region.
Other questions: is my property in the Agricultural Land Reserve · is my property on a floodplain map · has my property burned in a wildfire · is there a mineral or placer claim on my property · does my property have road access · how close to a creek or lake can I build · how strong could earthquake shaking be at my property · are there water wells on or near my property · are there species at risk or protected habitat on my property · can I rent my property short term (Airbnb, VRBO) in BC.