Hamilton
Radon testing and mitigation in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is one of the few places in our service area with published local data. Here’s what’s known about radon in Hamilton, and how to find out about your home.
- Region
- Hamilton
- Population
- about 569,000
- Public health
- Hamilton Public Health Services
- Local factors
- 5 reasons to test
Is radon a problem in Hamilton?
Radon can exceed Health Canada’s 200 Bq/m³ guideline in any Hamilton home. A Hamilton public health survey found about 14% of 294 homes above the guideline. Across Ontario, about 1 in 8 homes tested at or above the guideline in the 2024 national survey. Locally, shallow or fractured bedrock, sandy or gravelly soils and century-home foundations are reasons to test. A 91-day test is the only way to know your home’s level.
Radon in Hamilton
Hamilton is one of the few places in our service area with published local data. A public health survey of 294 Hamilton homes found about 14% above Health Canada’s guideline. That doesn’t predict your house, but it’s a clear reason not to assume your home is fine.
The ground under Hamilton
The Niagara Escarpment splits the city. Below it, the Lower City sits on the Iroquois Plain: sands, gravels and clays from glacial Lake Iroquois, including old beach ridges. Above it, the Mountain sits on dolostone with thin soils, where joints and fractures in the rock can carry soil gas.
Hamilton’s homes
Kirkendall, Durand, Westdale and Crown Point are full of century homes with stone foundations. Mountain neighbourhoods are mostly post-war bungalows and backsplits with finished basements. Waterdown, Binbrook and Stoney Creek add large new homes. We test and mitigate all of them.
What the data says
Of 294 Hamilton homes in a public health survey were above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline (42 homes), as reported by Global News.Source: Global News — Hamilton public health survey of 294 homes
Ontario homes at or above Health Canada’s 200 Bq/m³ guideline in the 2024 Cross-Canada Survey, more than double the share found a decade earlier.Source: Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Exposure in the Residential Buildings of Urban and Rural Communities (2024)
Roughly how many homes per health region the first national survey (2009–2011) could test. Too few to clear any neighbourhood, which is why public maps can’t tell you about your house.Source: Health Canada — Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes, Final Report (2012)
Local results
Building a real radon picture for Hamilton
Public radon data for Southern Ontario towns is thin. The national surveys tested only a handful of homes per area. So we’re building our own: anonymized long-term results from homes we test, published by area once there are at least 30, so no single home can be identified and small samples can’t mislead.
Hamilton: collecting results. Already tested? Check your number and share it anonymously when you book.
Local factors
What can push radon up in Hamilton
Not a prediction for any single home, just the reasons a test is worth it here.
Shallow or fractured bedrock
Where rock sits close to the surface, as on the Niagara Escarpment or the limestone plains near Lake Erie, joints and fractures can act as pipelines that carry soil gas toward foundations.
Sandy or gravelly soils
Sand and gravel let soil gas move freely and over longer distances. More of the radon formed in the ground can reach the air around your foundation instead of decaying in place.
Century homes
Fieldstone, rubble and early concrete foundations, earth-floor cellars and open sumps give radon many ways in. Older doesn’t mean safer: these homes still need a test.
New, airtight construction
Canadian research shows newer homes have tended to test higher than older ones. Bigger, taller and tighter homes create a stronger stack effect that draws soil gas in through the slab.
Lived-in basements
Radon is usually highest on the lowest floor. Basement bedrooms, home offices and rental suites mean people spend hours a day where exposure is greatest.
Where we work
Hamilton neighbourhoods and nearby communities
- Westdale & Ainslie Wood
- Kirkendall
- Durand
- Corktown
- Crown Point
- Hamilton Mountain
- Stoney Creek
- Waterdown
- Binbrook
- Dundas
- Mount Hope
- Winona
Nearby: Radon in Ancaster · Radon in Grimsby · Radon in Caledonia · Radon in Brantford
How it works
From test to fix
- Book
Tell us about your Hamilton home. We reply within one business day.
- Test for 91+ days
A certified technician places long-term detectors on your lowest lived-in floor. You get an early reading at 2 weeks.
- Get your result
Lab-verified average, explained against Health Canada’s guideline.
- Fix it if it’s high
A sub-slab system designed for your foundation, at a fixed price, with results guaranteed.
Questions
Radon in Hamilton: FAQ
Is radon a problem in Hamilton?
Radon can exceed Health Canada’s 200 Bq/m³ guideline in any Hamilton home. A Hamilton public health survey found about 14% of 294 homes above the guideline. Across Ontario, about 1 in 8 homes tested at or above the guideline in the 2024 national survey. Locally, shallow or fractured bedrock, sandy or gravelly soils and century-home foundations are reasons to test. A 91-day test is the only way to know your home’s level.
What percentage of Hamilton homes have high radon?
In a Hamilton public health survey, 42 of 294 homes (about 14%) were above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline. Province-wide, the 2024 Cross-Canada Survey put about 1 in 8 Ontario homes at or above the guideline.
Does the Escarpment make radon worse on the Mountain?
Fractured dolostone with thin soil can give soil gas a direct route to foundations, but there’s no public data comparing Mountain and Lower City homes. Both areas have homes above the guideline. Testing your own basement is the only way to know.
Do Hamilton’s new-build rules require radon systems?
New homes permitted under the 2024 Ontario Building Code need a soil gas barrier and a rough-in for a future sub-slab depressurization system. The City of Hamilton enforces these through the building permit process. The rough-in is passive until activated.
Do you offer radon testing and mitigation in Hamilton?
Yes. We test and mitigate homes throughout Hamilton, including Westdale & Ainslie Wood, Kirkendall, Durand, Corktown, Crown Point and nearby. Call (226) 271-4667 or book online.
Radon is fixable. First, know your number.
Serving Hamilton, Ancaster, Grimsby, Caledonia and Brantford.