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

Linh here. I recently bought and got partially reimbursed for a new radon mitigation system — and you can too!

Why it matters: Iowa remains the second-highest state in the nation for new cancer rates, and the prevalence of radon, an invisible, odorless gas, is one of the contributing factors for our state's high lung cancer rates, per the Iowa Cancer Consortium.

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!