Acreage homes are often custom-built and often newer than the city stock around them. That makes two federal and provincial rules unusually relevant: Health Canada's radon guideline, and Alberta's mandatory warranty on new homes.
- Radon guideline
- 200 Bq/m³
- Minimum test
- 3 months
- AB homes above 200 (2012)
- 6.6%
- Warranty minimums
- 1 · 2 · 5 · 10 yrs
Radon: the guideline
Radon is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas that can build up indoors. Health Canada's guideline is 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³): if the average annual level in the normal occupancy area of a home is above it, Health Canada recommends corrective action to lower it within one year.
In Health Canada's 2012 cross-Canada survey, 6.6% of Alberta homes tested were above 200 Bq/m³ (5.7% population-weighted), compared with 6.9% nationally. Roughly one Alberta home in fifteen — and there's no way to know which without testing.
How to test
Health Canada recommends a long-term test of at least three months. There are two routes: a do-it-yourself radon test kit, following its set-up instructions, or a radon measurement professional — in which case, confirm they are certified and will run a long-term test of at least three months.
Three months is longer than most purchase conditions, so a radon result usually can't be produced inside a typical offer. The practical approach: ask the seller whether the home has been tested and when, and if you buy without a result, test in your first season in the house.
The new-home warranty
Alberta's New Home Buyer Protection Act requires every home built with building permits applied for after February 1, 2014 to carry warranty coverage. The minimums are:
| Coverage | Minimum term |
|---|---|
| Labour and materials | 1 year |
| Delivery and distribution systems | 2 years |
| Building envelope (an optional 2 extra years must be offered) | 5 years |
| Major structural components | 10 years |
A new home cannot be sold or listed for sale until it has warranty coverage and is registered in the province's New Home Buyer Protection System, and builders have needed a licence since December 1, 2017. On a resale, the remaining coverage runs with the home, so the question is how much is left and whether any claims are open.
Check the registry
The province's Residential Protection Program public registry lets anyone look up a property's new-home warranty and a builder's licence status. On a newer acreage build, look it up before you write an offer, and ask the seller for the warranty certificate and any claim correspondence.
Your checklist
- Ask whether the home has had a long-term radon test, when, and the result
- If not, plan a long-term (3-month minimum) test with a kit or a certified professional
- For homes built under permits applied for after Feb 1, 2014: look up the warranty on the public registry
- Get the warranty certificate, the remaining terms and any open claims from the seller
- Confirm the builder's licence status on the same registry
How Dusko uses this
On newer acreage builds, Dusko pulls the warranty registration before listing and asks sellers for any radon results, so buyers see both in the property file.
Questions buyers ask
What radon level is too high in Canada?
Health Canada's guideline is 200 Bq/m³. If the average annual radon level in a home's normal occupancy area is above that, take corrective action to lower it within one year, and sooner the higher the level.
How common is high radon in Alberta homes?
In Health Canada's 2012 Cross-Canada Survey, 6.6% of Alberta homes tested were above 200 Bq/m³, about 1 in 15, compared with 6.9% nationally. That is a provincial figure from 2012, not a measure of any single house.
Source: Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2012)
What does Alberta's new home warranty cover?
Alberta's New Home Buyer Protection Act sets minimum coverage of 1 year for labour and materials, 2 years for delivery and distribution systems, 5 years for the building envelope and 10 years for major structural components. An optional extra 2 years of envelope coverage must be offered.
Source: New home warranty overview
Does a new acreage home need warranty coverage before it can be sold?
Yes. Homes built in Alberta with building permits applied for after February 1, 2014 need new home warranty coverage, and a new home can't be sold or listed until it has coverage and is registered. Agents must confirm the warranty before listing.
Source: New home warranty overview
How can I check a home's new home warranty or builder licence?
Search the property on the Residential Protection Program's public registry, which shows new home warranty and builder licence status. Builders in Alberta have needed a licence since December 1, 2017.
Source: Residential Protection Program public registry · New home warranty overview