Radon Rough-Ins in Alberta New Builds: What the Code Requires and What It Doesn’t
By First Choice Radon · Updated September 16, 2026 · 8 min read
If your building has a capped pipe labelled radon, it is a rough-in, not a radon system. Here is what Alberta’s building code says, what the pipe does and does not do, and how a rough-in becomes a working system.
How Health Canada lists Alberta’s radon rough-in requirement for new construction.
Added to the pipe, it creates the suction that makes a rough-in a working system.
Higher average radon in buildings built from 1992 onward in the University of Calgary study.
What a radon rough-in is
A radon rough-in is the groundwork for a mitigation system, installed while a building is being built. It is typically a pipe running from the soil-gas collection layer under the floor to a capped end. The rest of the system is not installed.
It is called a stub only because the stub is all that is required. Without a fan, there is no suction under the floor, so the pipe does not actively pull radon out and cannot be relied on to lower the level.
What Alberta’s building code requires
Health Canada’s listing of provincial policies shows the National Building Code, 2019 Alberta Edition in its “radon rough-in with stub only” column for new homes. The City of Calgary says the Alberta edition requires a radon consideration for all new construction projects.
An Alberta building interpretation on soil gas vents adds practical points for systems built on a rough-in:
- The soil gas vent must end in outside air.
- Fans used in these systems must be designed for radon use.
- Vents must not end within 300 mm of an openable window or door, less than 300 mm above grade, or within 1.8 m of a mechanical air-supply inlet.
- If a vent goes above the roof, it must be at least 150 mm above the roof or any ponding stormwater, and flashed against water entry.
- All penetrations of the building envelope must be sealed.
- An electrical permit may be needed if wiring is required to power the fan.
The code requires the rough-in, not a result. It does not guarantee any radon level, and builders are not required to test. Ask your builder what was installed and where.
Why you still need to test a new building
It is tempting to assume a newer building is protected. The research points the other way. In a University of Calgary study of 2,382 homes in Calgary and surrounding areas, buildings constructed from 1992 onward averaged about 31% higher radon than older ones. Cochrane, which has grown about 5% a year since 2011, had the highest average of any area, at 261 Bq/m³.
In the 2024 Cross-Canada Survey of Radon, 16.7% of Alberta homes tested at or above Health Canada’s 200 Bq/m³ guideline.
A 91-day test is the only way to learn whether your rough-in needs to be activated. If the result is below 200 Bq/m³, you may not need to do anything yet, and Health Canada’s retest advice still applies. If it is at or above 200, activating the rough-in is often the simplest route to a working system.
How a rough-in becomes a working system
Check and test
A C-NRPP certified professional locates the pipe, checks that it connects under the floor, and runs a communication test to see how far suction spreads.
Add the fan and vent
The fan is mounted inside on the pipe, usually right above the hole, and the pipe exits through the side of the building clear of windows, doors and air intakes.
Gauge and retest
A manometer shows suction is active. We retest afterward to confirm the level has dropped.
Sometimes the rough-in does not provide enough suction, for example if one pipe cannot reach the whole floor area. In that case an added suction point can be cored through the floor. Mitigation starts from $1,799 and is quoted in writing before any work begins.
Health Canada recommends hiring a mitigation professional certified under C-NRPP, and advises retesting after installation and every five years.
How to spot a radon rough-in
Look near the floor in a utility area, mechanical space or other lowest-level area for a pipe that is capped or plugged and may be marked as radon. It may rise from the floor and end with a cap. If you are unsure, ask your builder or have a C-NRPP certified professional identify it during a test visit.
Any space can be tested, and we choose the detector placement. You do not need to find the pipe first.
Radon rough-in questions
What is a radon rough-in?
A radon rough-in is a capped pipe installed during construction that leads to the soil-gas layer under the floor. It is only the groundwork. It is not a working radon system until a fan and vent are added.
Does Alberta require a radon rough-in in new homes?
Health Canada lists the National Building Code, 2019 Alberta Edition as requiring a radon rough-in with stub only for new homes, and the City of Calgary says the Alberta edition requires a radon consideration for all new construction. Check with your builder for what was installed in your building.
Does a rough-in pipe reduce radon?
Not reliably. Without a fan there is no active suction, so a rough-in alone is not a radon system. A 91-day test shows whether it needs to be activated.
Do new buildings have radon?
Yes. In a University of Calgary study, buildings constructed from 1992 onward averaged about 31% higher radon than older ones. Only a test shows your level.
How do I activate a radon rough-in?
A C-NRPP certified professional adds a radon fan to the pipe, vents it outside, seals openings and confirms performance with a gauge and a retest. Mitigation with First Choice Radon starts from $1,799.
Do I need a permit to activate a rough-in?
Alberta’s building interpretation says an electrical permit may be needed if wiring is required to power the fan. Your installer can confirm what applies.
Can I install a radon fan myself?
Health Canada recommends hiring a C-NRPP certified professional. Fans must be designed for radon use, the vent must end in the right place and every penetration must be sealed, so a certified installer is the safer choice.
Test your new build for radon
Find out whether your rough-in needs a fan. A 91-day test is $99, and mitigation starts from $1,799. Serving Cochrane, Calgary and surrounding communities. See our pages for Calgary, Cochrane, Okotoks, Airdrie.
Sources: Health Canada: radon policies for specific locations; City of Calgary: Radon; Alberta Building Interpretation 19-BCI-013; University of Calgary study, 2013 to 2016; Town of Cochrane, 2024 census.
More radon guides
Radon Mitigation Installation: What Happens Step by Step
A step-by-step walkthrough of installation day, from the first test to the retest.
November 9, 2026Radon in Cochrane, Alberta: What to Know and How to Test
What studies found in Cochrane, how a 91-day test works, and what to do about a high result.
October 28, 2026Radon Mitigation Cost in Alberta (2026 Guide)
What a radon system costs, what changes the price, and how to compare quotes.