Radon testing
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, and a large share of Illinois homes test above the EPA action level. It is colorless and odorless, so testing is the only way to know.
Healthy home testing
A home that’s healthy to live in.
Structurally sound is the baseline. If you want to know what your family will actually be breathing, these are the tests that answer it.
Why it matters here
Chicago homes are old, and old homes hold things.
A century of Chicago winters pushes water into basements and crawl spaces. Illinois soil produces radon at rates well above the national average. Homes built before the 1980s still carry asbestos in pipe wrap, floor tile, and textured coatings. None of it is visible on a walkthrough, and none of it shows up in the listing.
That is the gap Sahm Home Inspections closes. We test for the things that affect the air and the environment inside the home, send samples to independent labs, and give you the results in plain language — the same day, alongside everything else we found.
- Radon — $275
- Mold inspection & lab testing
- Indoor air quality sampling
- Asbestos sampling
- Infrared moisture detection
- Independent lab analysis
The four tests
What we look for, and why.
Mold inspection & testing
Chicago’s freeze-thaw winters and humid summers push moisture into basements, crawl spaces, and attics. We inspect the trouble spots and send samples to an independent lab.
Indoor air quality testing
What your family breathes indoors for the next decade is worth knowing before you sign. We sample the air and explain the lab results in plain language.
Asbestos sampling
Pre-1980s Chicagoland homes still hide asbestos in old pipe wrap, floor tile, and textured coatings. Sampling tells you what is actually there instead of guessing.
Who we inspect for
S.A.H.M. It’s our name — and it’s who we picture.
Stay-At-Home Mom. Sahm. We didn’t plan the coincidence, but we lean into it.
A spreadsheet cares about the roof’s remaining years. The parent who is in that house every day cares whether the basement smells damp, whether the radon is high, and whether the wiring is safe with a toddler in the hallway. We inspect for both.
Bring the kids. Ask everything. We would rather spend an extra twenty minutes showing you where the water shutoff is and what that stain in the crawl space means than hand you a PDF and drive off.
No jargon wall. Your report arrives the same day in an interactive portal, sorted by what actually needs attention first — so you can make a decision with your partner tonight, not next week.
Buying the home you’ll raise a family in?Book your inspection
The main event
The home inspection — and what you can add to it.
The full home inspection is our primary service and the package almost everyone books. Everything below it is an ancillary service: genuinely useful, priced separately, and entirely your call.
Primary service & package
Full home inspection
Roof to foundation, inside and out, with infrared imaging and modern tools throughout — then a clear, photo-rich report the same day through an interactive portal you can filter, search and share.
$400starting at — single-family home inspectionRoof to foundation, with final pricing based on square footage and age.
$350starting at — condo & townhome inspectionThe unit plus the shared systems that affect your assessment.
Final pricing depends on square footage, age and property type. Send us the address and we’ll confirm it before you book — no surprises, ever.
Book the inspection
Ancillary services
Add them to your inspection.
A home inspection in Illinois has a defined scope under the Home Inspector License Act (225 ILCS 441/). Radon testing, sewer scoping and our other services fall outside that scope, so we offer them as separate services alongside the inspection rather than folding them into it.
Radon Testing
$275
A continuous radon monitor placed in the lowest livable level, read against the EPA action level. Illinois is a high-radon state — this is the only way to know.
- Continuous radon monitor
- EPA action-level result
- Clear pass / fail answer
Radon + Sewer Package
starting at$500
The two tests that catch the most expensive surprises in an older Chicagoland home, bundled. Priced from $500 and tailored to the property and what you actually need.
- Radon testing included
- Full sewer camera scope
- One visit, one report
- Tailored to the property
Sewer Scoping
$350
A camera run down the main line to find the roots, cracks, and collapses that hide in Chicago’s original clay and cast-iron laterals — before they are your problem.
- Camera line inspection
- Roots, cracks & offsets
- Video you keep
Healthy home FAQ
Questions about healthy-home testing.
Why is radon such a concern in Illinois?
Illinois soil produces radon at rates well above the national average, and a large share of Illinois homes test above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, and because it is colorless and odorless, testing is the only way to know where a specific home stands.
Where does mold usually show up in Chicago homes?
Basements, crawl spaces, attics, and bathrooms — especially in older homes with past water intrusion or poor ventilation. We inspect those areas, use infrared imaging to find moisture behind finishes, and sample where it is warranted so an independent lab can identify what is actually there.
Should I test the air quality before we move in?
It is worth it if anyone in your family has allergies or asthma, if there are young children, or if the home is older or has had water or ventilation problems. We collect samples, have them analyzed by a lab, and explain the results in plain language with practical guidance.
Do older Chicago homes really still have asbestos?
Often, yes. Homes built before the 1980s commonly have asbestos in pipe and duct wrap, floor tile, and textured wall or ceiling coatings. Intact material is usually not urgent, but you should know it is there before you start renovating — sampling tells you instead of guessing.
Can I bundle the health tests with my inspection?
Yes, and it is cheaper that way. Radon is $275 added to an inspection, and radon plus a sewer scope together start at $500. Tell us what you are concerned about and we will tell you honestly which tests are worth running on that specific home.
One Call. That's All.
Want to know what’s in the air?
Tell us the address and what you’re worried about. We’ll tell you honestly which tests are worth running on that specific home.