An FHA-financed Mason buyer with a 14-day window: how the radon contingency closed on time

The setup

A 2013 Mason ranch, 2,100 sqft, full unfinished basement, three-bedroom layout. The buyers were a young couple using an FHA-insured mortgage (3.5% down, lower credit-score floor than conventional) for their first home purchase. Closing scheduled in 14 days from the day they were approved to inspect.

The buyer's home inspection happened on day 3 of the contingency window. The inspector included a 48-hour professional radon test (continuous radon monitor, NRPP-credentialed measurement professional, ANSI/AARST MAH-2023 conforming protocol). The test result was delivered electronically to the buyer's agent on day 5: 5.1 pCi/L. Just over the EPA action level.

Why FHA loans complicate the radon contingency

FHA financing has lender-side requirements above the EPA action level that conventional loans typically do not enforce as strictly:

1. HUD-approved appraiser must accept the post-mitigation report: not just a credentialed contractor's letter. The HUD appraiser is a separate person from the radon mitigator, and must visit the home after mitigation to verify the system is installed. 2. Re-inspection fee and timing constraint: the re-inspection adds $150-$300 to closing costs and adds 2-3 calendar days to the timeline. 3. System workmanship warranty must be transferable to the buyer: some Cincinnati mitigators offer transferable warranties; some do not. Confirming this up-front matters.

Add these to the standard radon contingency timeline (test, quote, install, 48-hour retest, then report) and the 14-day window starts looking tight.

Day-by-day

Day 5 (4:00 PM): Buyer's agent calls the seller's agent with the 5.1 pCi/L result. Buyer's contingency clause activates. Both sides agree seller will mitigate before closing rather than offer a cash credit (FHA disallows large cash credits at closing without underwriter approval).

Day 6 (8:30 AM): Seller's agent calls our dispatch line. Phone consultation confirms the home is a 2013 Mason build (likely RRNC, possible passive-stack activation), schedules an on-site assessment for the same afternoon.

Day 6 (2:00 PM): Cincinnati-area mitigator on site. Confirms passive stack present and correctly routed. Quote: $850 fan-only activation, fixed price, install scheduled for Day 8 morning, 48-hour retest starting Day 8 afternoon.

Day 7: Seller signs the quote, sends the executed copy to seller's agent and buyer's agent. Mitigation crew confirms availability for Day 8.

Day 8 (8:00 AM-12:00 PM): Mitigation install. Stack cap removed, fan mounted in attic enclosure, manometer placed and labeled, dedicated circuit pulled from basement panel. Post-install combustion-safety test on the basement furnace (passed). System powered up at 11:45 AM. Continuous radon monitor placed in the basement at 12:00 PM with closed-house-conditions documentation signed by the seller.

Day 10 (12:00 PM): Continuous radon monitor pulled. 48-hour average: 0.7 pCi/L, down 86% from the 5.1 pCi/L pre-mitigation reading. Below the EPA-recommended 2.0 pCi/L post-mitigation target.

Day 10 (3:00 PM): PDF report generated. Includes: hourly radon readings, temperature/humidity/pressure log, closed-house-conditions documentation, technician credentialing page (NRPP-MIT certification number with verification URL), workmanship warranty transferability statement, system specifications. Emailed to seller's agent, buyer's agent, FHA loan officer, and the buyer.

Day 11 (9:30 AM): Buyer's FHA loan officer reviews and forwards to HUD-approved appraiser. Appraiser confirms the post-mitigation report is acceptable for FHA file inclusion.

Day 12 (11:00 AM): HUD appraiser does the re-inspection visit. Confirms system is installed per the report, fan is operating, manometer reading is normal. Files re-inspection certification with the lender.

Day 13: Final loan documents prepared with the radon mitigation file attached. Closing-day paperwork distributed to all parties.

Day 14: Closing happens on schedule. Buyer takes possession with a documented post-mitigation system, transferable workmanship warranty, and a 12-month follow-up retest already scheduled.

What made this work

The Cincinnati-area mitigator's NRPP credentialing. HUD-approved appraisers verify NRPP listing IDs against the NRPP find-a-mitigator directory. A non-credentialed contractor would have triggered a re-inspection delay or potentially a contingency failure.

Transferable workmanship warranty. Some Cincinnati mitigators offer 5-year transferable warranties as a standard feature. Others charge $50-$100 to make the warranty transferable. For an FHA buyer, transferability matters; the lender wants to see the warranty cover the buyer, not just the original purchaser (the seller).

Closed-house-conditions documentation. ANSI/AARST MAH-2023 protocol requires closed-house conditions during testing, signed by the homeowner. FHA underwriters specifically look for this documentation on radon reports. A casual screening test would have been rejected.

Same-business-day phone response. The seller's agent calling our dispatch line at 8:30 AM and getting an on-site assessment at 2:00 PM the same day collapsed two calendar days out of the timeline. Real-estate-window radon work runs on hours, not weeks.

What the homeowners paid

Seller paid: $850 mitigation cost. Buyer paid: $200 FHA re-inspection fee (added to closing costs). Closing happened on time: priceless when you're moving with a job-start deadline.

What FHA buyers should know about radon contingencies

If you are buying a Mason, West Chester, Madeira, Loveland, or Liberty Township home built after roughly 2010, it almost certainly has a passive radon stack. If your inspection radon test reads above 4.0 pCi/L:

1. The seller can usually activate the existing stack for $700-$1,200, faster than a full new install 2. Make sure the contractor is NRPP-credentialed (not just "licensed") 3. Make sure the workmanship warranty is transferable to you (the buyer) 4. Build in 2-3 extra calendar days for the FHA re-inspection step 5. Confirm with your loan officer that the post-mitigation report format works for FHA underwriting

A 14-day inspection contingency window comfortably handles all of the above for an RRNC-era home with passive stack. A pre-1980 home requiring a full new install is tighter but still workable.