Licensed radon contractors in Illinois: how the system protects you
Illinois doesn’t leave radon work to whoever owns a drill. The state licenses radon professionals through IEMA-OHS — and that license is the single most useful thing to verify before hiring anyone, including contractors we introduce.
What Illinois actually requires
Under the Radon Industry Licensing Act, professionals who perform radon measurement services or radon mitigation services for compensation in Illinois must hold the corresponding license from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS). Licensure involves state-recognized training, examination, and continuing requirements — it exists so that “radon contractor” means something checkable rather than something claimed.
Measurement vs. mitigation licensure
The two licenses cover different work. Measurement professionals conduct the tests that transactions rely on; mitigation professionals design and install reduction systems. Firms may hold both. The practical rule: whoever runs your transaction test should hold a measurement license, and whoever installs your system should hold a mitigation license — same company or not.
Verifying a license in two minutes
- Ask for the number. Licensed professionals expect the question; hesitation is data.
- Check IEMA-OHS’s published listings of licensed radon professionals and confirm the license is current and covers the right activity (measurement or mitigation).
- Match the name. The license should correspond to the business or individual actually doing your work — not a “partner company” you never meet.
Beyond the license: the hiring checklist
- Written quote naming suction points, routing, fan model, and sealing scope
- Post-mitigation verification test included in the scope
- Workmanship and fan warranties in writing
- Proof of insurance on request
- References or recent local installs (especially for older/complex foundations)
- Straight answers to “why this design?” — the competence tell no license can fake
Common questions
Is a general contractor or handyman allowed to install my radon system?
Not for compensation in Illinois unless they hold the IEMA-OHS mitigation license — radon work is a licensed specialty here, not general construction. A GC managing your renovation can subcontract a licensed radon firm, and the license you verify is the subcontractor’s. If anyone proposes “adding a pipe while we’re at it” without licensure, that is your cue to decline.
Do licenses differ county by county?
No — radon licensure is statewide. A contractor licensed by IEMA-OHS may work in DuPage, Kane, Will, McHenry, Kendall, Cook, or anywhere else in Illinois. That is why multi-county cities in our coverage (Aurora, Naperville, Bolingbrook and others) route without any licensing complication — the county line is irrelevant to who may do the work.
What recourse do I have if a licensed contractor’s work fails?
Layers, in order: the post-mitigation test (catches failure immediately, before final payment where you structured it that way), the workmanship and fan warranties you compared at quote time, and IEMA-OHS itself, which regulates licensees and accepts complaints about licensed radon work. Contract disputes beyond that follow ordinary consumer channels. The paper trail you kept is what makes each layer usable.
Are the contractors you introduce employees of yours?
No — and we repeat this everywhere deliberately. Contractors in our network are independent licensed businesses; we make introductions and may be compensated for them, disclosed plainly. Your contract, pricing, workmanship, and warranty relationship is entirely with the contractor you choose, which is why we push independent license verification so hard.
Sources
- Illinois General Assembly — Radon Industry Licensing Act (420 ILCS 44)
- IEMA-OHS — Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security — Radon Program
- U.S. EPA — Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction
Want licensed quotes without the phone tag?
One request, up to three independent IEMA-licensed contractors — verify every license yourself, exactly as this page teaches.