Radon mitigation in Cedar Rapids starts the same way as anywhere in Iowa, with a test. What's specific to the city is how its building code treats radon in new homes and what its water plants do about radon in the city's well water.
Cedar Rapids rules and resources
Cedar Rapids' 2024 building code, Ordinance No. 005-26, adopts the radon control appendix of the International Residential Code, Appendix BE, but leaves out its Section BE 104 on testing [1]. The change sits in section 33.02 of Chapter 33, which amends the residential code's appendix rule, R101.2.1, to adopt Appendix BE: Radon Control Methods excluding Section BE 104 Testing [1]. Iowa HHS lists Linn County, but not the city of Cedar Rapids, among the 11 jurisdictions that required radon-resistant construction in new single-family homes before the statewide rule took effect on July 1, 2026 [2]. At the city's water plants, raw well water cascades over a series of trays, and the Utilities Department says this aeration step also removes gases such as radon [3].
Does the Cedar Rapids building code require a radon test in a new home?
The 2024 code takes the radon appendix without its testing section, BE 104, so plan on testing a new home yourself [1].
Where can I buy a radon test kit in Cedar Rapids?
Linn County Public Health sells short- and long-term kits at its office at 1020 6th St. SE, or you can call 319-892-6000 [4].
Depending on your result, you may want radon testing, new construction radon or how a system works. We gather the state rules for testers and mitigators in one place, how it works. Also covered: Iowa City, plus all service areas.
Have a number from a test? Send a request.
We're a referral service, not a contractor. We send mitigation requests only to contractors on Iowa HHS's current credentialed list and testing requests only to state-certified radon measurement specialists, but we don't otherwise vet them, a referral is not an endorsement, and independent contractors may pay us for referrals.
Sources
- City of Cedar Rapids, Ordinance No. 005-26, Chapter 33 Building Code (2024 Building Code, PDF). https://cms8.revize.com/revize/cedarrapids/Building%20Services/Codes/2024%20Building%20Code%20FINAL.pdf
- Iowa HHS, Radon Resources (fetched Nov 11, 2026). https://hhs.iowa.gov/health-prevention/providers-professionals/radiological-health/radon/radon-resources
- City of Cedar Rapids Utilities, Our Treatment Process. https://www.cedar-rapids.org/residents/utilities/our_treatment_process.php
- Linn County Public Health, Radon (fetched Nov 11, 2026). https://www.linncountyiowa.gov/1747/Radon