Quick answer: Yes, test before you buy in Anthem Highlands. A licensed radon tester costs about $150, and a mitigation system on an existing home runs about $1,300 to $3,000, per the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Near the $844,752 median for the 80023 zipcode, that is under 0.4% of the price.
By Nick Ahrens, Colorado real estate broker license FA.100104470, eXp Realty
Published October 29, 2026.
Should you test for radon before buying an Anthem Highlands home?
Yes: the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) says radon is elevated in one out of every two Colorado homes, and a professional test costs about $150, so skipping it saves very little. Radon is an odorless gas from the soil, and testing is the only way to know the level in a specific house. Two homes on the same Anthem Highlands street can test very differently, so a neighbor's result tells you nothing about yours.
Nick Ahrens, a North Denver relocation specialist with eXp Realty, recommends a radon test on every Anthem Highlands purchase unless the seller hands over a recent professional result.
Here is the 80023 market you are buying into, per Redfin's 80023 housing market page for the three months ending September 2026:
Median sale price: $844,752, down 1.8% from a year earlier.
Median days on market: 46, up from 43 a year earlier.
Sale-to-list: the average home sells for about 2% below list price.
Homes with price drops: 47.6%.
That market matters for radon. When nearly half of the homes around you have cut their price and the average sells about 2% under list, a buyer usually has room to ask for a radon fix instead of absorbing it.
Sources and as-of dates: CDPHE Radon FAQ and radon testing pages; City and County of Broomfield radon page (updated January 8, 2026); C.R.S. 38-35.7-112 and the Colorado Division of Real Estate SB23-206 advisory; Colorado Real Estate Commission Contract to Buy and Sell (CBS1, mandatory January 1, 2026); Redfin 80023 data for the three months ending September 2026. All checked October 29, 2026.
What this guide does not cover: medical advice, sewer scopes, foundation or soils reports, radon in well water, or new-build warranties. It is general information about radon in a home purchase, not legal or health advice.
What does Colorado law make the seller tell you about radon?
Colorado makes the seller disclose four kinds of known radon information plus a CDPHE brochure, but it does not require a test. Under C.R.S. 38-35.7-112, passed as SB23-206 and in effect since August 7, 2023, the contract or the Seller's Property Disclosure must cover:
Whether any radon test was done on the home.
The most recent radon records and reports.
Any radon levels found, and any mitigation work done.
Whether a radon mitigation system is installed.
A paper or electronic copy of CDPHE's radon and real estate brochure.
Every Colorado residential sales contract also carries a bold radon warning. The current Contract to Buy and Sell puts it in section 10.13, per the Colorado Division of Real Estate advisory and the statute.
Here is the catch. If the disclosure says no test was done, that means the radon level is unknown, not that it is low. Read the radon section with the rest of the form, using our guide to reading a seller's property disclosure in Colorado.
How do you fit a radon test inside your inspection deadlines?
Book the radon test on day one or two after your contract is signed, because CDPHE says a short-term test needs the house closed for 12 hours and then runs at least 48 hours, and your Inspection Objection Deadline does not wait for a lab. Under the Colorado Contract to Buy and Sell (CBS1), the buyer pays for inspections and tests, and three dates control what you can do with the result:
Inspection Termination Deadline: you can end the contract over any unsatisfactory condition, as long as you have not already sent an Inspection Objection.
Inspection Objection Deadline: you send the seller a written list of what you want fixed. Once you send it, your right to simply terminate under that section ends.
Inspection Resolution Deadline: if you and the seller have not signed a written agreement by this date, the contract terminates unless you withdraw your objection in writing.
For a purchase, CDPHE recommends hiring a licensed radon measurement professional who uses a professional-grade continuous radon monitor, and testing in the lowest area that could become living space, such as an unfinished basement. A do-it-yourself kit costs about $10 to $50, but it is mailed to a lab, and that wait can push you past your deadlines.
Your general inspection should run in the same window. If you want the full picture of how objections play out, see what happens after the home inspection in Broomfield.
Touring homes in Anthem Highlands?
I'll build the radon test into your inspection schedule from day one and draft the objection if the number comes back high, so a lab wait never costs you your deadline.
Call or text me: 949-230-3625, or search Anthem Highlands homes for sale.
What does radon mitigation cost on an Anthem Highlands home?
About $1,300 to $3,000 for a system on an existing single-family home, per the CDPHE Radon FAQ, or roughly 0.15% to 0.36% of the $844,752 80023 median. CDPHE's radon testing page puts a typical Colorado system at about $1,000 to $2,000 unless the design is difficult. Here is how the numbers stack up:
Professional radon test: about $150.
Standard mitigation system: about $1,300 to $3,000.
Test plus a high-end system: $3,150, or under 0.4% of $844,752.
Home with a passive radon pipe already built in: about $500 to add a fan and turn it on, per CDPHE.
For scale: 2% below list on $844,752 is $16,895, which is the average discount Redfin shows for 80023 right now.
Most systems are sub-slab depressurization: a pipe through the basement slab, a fan, and a vent above the roofline. CDPHE says sealing cracks alone does not fix radon. Look for a capped pipe or a labeled vent stack in the basement before you assume a home needs a full system. If you are buying a newer home, our Broomfield new construction guide covers what to verify before closing.
What should you ask for if the radon test comes back at 4 pCi/L or higher?
Ask the seller to install a system before closing or to give you a credit, because 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) is the EPA action level CDPHE uses to recommend mitigation. You have three common asks in your Inspection Objection:
Seller installs a system before closing. Require a licensed contractor, a post-install test below 4 pCi/L, and the paperwork.
Seller gives a credit or a price reduction. A credit at closing goes through the Seller Concession line in the contract and must fit your lender's limits.
You split it. Useful when the seller is firm on price but wants a clean close.
Whoever hires the contractor, check the license. Since July 1, 2022, everyone who measures or mitigates radon in Colorado must be licensed by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, per the City and County of Broomfield radon page. CDPHE also suggests getting three bids, a guarantee that levels end up below 4 pCi/L, and at least a five-year warranty on the fan and workmanship.
If your result lands between 2 and 3.9 pCi/L, CDPHE suggests a long-term test of 91 days to a year to learn the true average. You can run that after closing. Broomfield has offered free test kits to residents while supplies last.
Which radon plan fits your Anthem Highlands purchase?
Most buyers should pay about $150 for a professional test during the inspection window and negotiate any fix through the Inspection Objection; the right ask depends on the result and your lender.
Choose a professional test during inspection if:
The seller has no radon records, or the records are more than a couple of years old.
The home has a finished or unfinished basement you plan to use.
You want a number before your Inspection Objection Deadline, not after.
Choose a seller-installed system if:
The result is 4 pCi/L or higher and closing is far enough out for the work and a retest.
You want the seller to own the contractor, the warranty and the retest.
Choose a credit instead if:
You would rather pick your own licensed contractor after closing.
Your lender allows the credit within its concession limits.
Choose to retest after closing if:
The home already has a working system and the seller provides a recent post-mitigation result.
Your short-term result came in between 2 and 3.9 pCi/L.
"A $150 radon test is the cheapest leverage in an Anthem Highlands inspection. If the number is high, the fix usually costs less than 0.4% of the price, and in a market where homes sell about 2% under list, that is a reasonable ask." Nick Ahrens, North Denver relocation specialist with eXp Realty.
Before you write an offer, check what the Anthem Highlands HOA fee covers and why you should think twice before you waive your home inspection in Broomfield. Ready to look? Search homes for sale, see what your current home is worth if you need to sell first, or call or text me at 949-230-3625.
Related reading for Anthem Highlands buyers
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Colorado seller have to test for radon before selling?
No. Under C.R.S. 38-35.7-112, a seller must disclose any radon tests, records, levels, mitigation work and installed systems they know about, and provide CDPHE's radon brochure, but the law does not require a test.
How much does a radon test cost when buying a home in Anthem Highlands?
About $150 for a licensed radon measurement professional, per CDPHE, which recommends a professional test during a real estate transaction. Do-it-yourself kits cost about $10 to $50 but take longer because they go to a lab.
What radon level should make me ask the seller for a fix?
4 pCi/L or higher, the EPA action level CDPHE uses to recommend mitigation. Between 2 and 3.9 pCi/L, CDPHE suggests a long-term test to learn the true average.
How much does radon mitigation cost in Broomfield?
CDPHE puts a system on an existing single-family home at about $1,300 to $3,000, or about $500 to activate a passive pipe that is already built in. On an $844,752 home, the full system is about 0.15% to 0.36% of the price.
About Nick Ahrens
Nick Ahrens is a Colorado real estate broker with eXp Realty, specializing in Anthem, Anthem Highlands, Baseline and the North Denver suburbs. Call or text 949-230-3625, or visit youranthemhome.com.
