A note before you read. This is general consumer information for New Brunswick homeowners, buyers, sellers, landlords, and renters, drawn from publicly available Health Canada, Evict Radon / University of Calgary, the Government of New Brunswick, NB Lung, NBREA, and other sources. It is not medical, legal, or warranty advice. Radon results are reported against the Health Canada guideline of 200 Bq/m³; RadonTest.ca coordinates testing logistics and does not interpret individual results or provide health assessments.
Key facts: radon in New Brunswick at a glance
- New Brunswick has among the highest residential radon in Canada. In Health Canada's 2012 survey, NB had the highest share of homes above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline of any province — about 1 in 4 — and the highest share at the most severe levels (above 600 Bq/m³). The 2024 Cross-Canada Radon Survey found essentially the same: about 1 in 4 NB homes above the guideline.
- The risk is concentrated in the north. Northern New Brunswick — especially the Acadian Peninsula — has the province's highest readings (some communities approaching half of homes above the guideline). Fredericton, Saint John, and Moncton are more moderate, but no area is risk-free.
- Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and New Brunswick has one of the highest lung-cancer rates in Canada.
- The Health Canada guideline is 200 Bq/m³ (annual average). Above it, Health Canada recommends acting within one year — sooner the higher the level.
- New Brunswick was the first province to offer free radon test kits — 90-day kits at all 63 public libraries. They're popular enough that libraries ran out within a day at launch, so call ahead (and a reliable kit is always available if they're out of stock).
- No warranty backstop: NB's new-home warranty is voluntary and doesn't cover radon. New homes built since 2021 must include a radon rough-in under the building code (and homes built after 2015 may already have one).
- A valid test takes at least 91 days (about three months). Fixing a home in NB typically costs $3,000–$5,000 and installs in about a day.
How much radon is in New Brunswick homes?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas — colourless, odourless, tasteless — produced as uranium in soil and rock breaks down, then seeping indoors. New Brunswick's numbers are among the highest in the country.
- Health Canada's Cross-Canada Survey (2012) found that about 1 in 4 New Brunswick homes (roughly 25%) were above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline — the highest share of any province — with NB also posting the country's highest share of homes above 600 Bq/m³.
- The 2024 Cross-Canada Radon Survey (Evict Radon / University of Calgary, with NB Lung supplying much of the Atlantic data) found essentially the same: about 1 in 4 NB homes above the guideline. The Atlantic region as a whole came in around 1 in 3.
Strikingly, NB's number barely moved between the two surveys (~25% then, ~25% now) even as the national figure rose — a sign that New Brunswick has long been, and remains, a high-radon province. Health Canada uses "1 in 5" as its national headline; NB sits above it. (For the national picture, see radon levels by province.)
What this means for you: a provincial average can't tell you about your house. Two homes on the same street can read very differently depending on soil, foundation, and ventilation. A long-term test is the only way to know your own number.
Where it's highest. New Brunswick's radon is concentrated in the north. Health Canada's regional data found the Bathurst/Acadian Peninsula area around 40% of homes above the guideline, with northern communities like Caraquet and Shippagan testing even higher (close to half). The Madawaska, Restigouche, and Miramichi areas also run well above the provincial average. By contrast, the cities tested lower — Fredericton itself was among the lowest — though every community has high-reading homes.
Find your city: we maintain detailed local guides for Fredericton, Saint John, and Moncton, with more New Brunswick communities on the way.
Why New Brunswick has so much radon: the geology
Radon levels track the amount of uranium and thorium in the ground beneath a home — and, as the Government of New Brunswick puts it, "uranium is common in New Brunswick soils." The province's bedrock tells the story: NB sits on Appalachian granite and shale formations that are naturally higher in uranium, especially through central and southern New Brunswick. As that uranium decays, it produces radon that rises through the soil into homes. The Government of New Brunswick notes that areas "that have certain types of rock (shale and granite) and soil can have higher levels of uranium in the ground and likely more radon." It's a different driver than the prairie soils out west, but the result is the same — and, as always, the picture varies house by house.
Is radon dangerous? The health risk in New Brunswick
Radon is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 carcinogen — the highest category, alongside tobacco smoke and asbestos. Health Canada's current figures:
- Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and the second leading cause overall after smoking.
- About 16% of lung-cancer deaths in Canada are estimated to be radon-related — more than 3,000 a year (Health Canada's fact sheet cites about 3,200).
- Health Canada estimates a non-smoker exposed to high radon over a lifetime has roughly a 1 in 20 chance of developing lung cancer from it; for a smoker, the combined risk rises to about 1 in 3.
New Brunswick has reason to take this seriously: the province has one of the highest lung-cancer rates in Canada (per NB Lung), alongside one of the highest radon prevalences. The combination of radon and smoking is especially dangerous — NB Lung notes that smoking multiplies a person's radon-related risk several times over.
Health Canada frames the risk proportionately, and so do we: there is no level of radon that is completely risk-free, the risk below the guideline is small, and it is ultimately each homeowner's choice what level of exposure they are willing to accept. Radon acts over the long term, with no immediate symptoms. The point isn't alarm — radon is measurable and fixable, and testing is inexpensive (and, in NB, often free). (To separate fact from fiction, see our top radon misconceptions.)
The Health Canada guideline — and what your number means
Canada's guideline is 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³), measured as an annual average in a normally occupied area of the home. It's a health-based guideline, not a hard legal limit for private homes. Health Canada's guidance:
- At or above 200 Bq/m³: take corrective action to reduce the level, within one year — and sooner the higher the result.
- Below 200 Bq/m³: no corrective action is recommended, though no level is risk-free; some households (especially where someone smokes) choose to act toward the WHO's more protective 100 Bq/m³ reference level.
Your result is a concentration, not a pass/fail — it sits on a spectrum. For what each range means and what Health Canada recommends at each, see how to read your radon test results and our comparison of the Health Canada, WHO, and US thresholds.
How to test for radon in New Brunswick
With one in four homes above the guideline, testing is essential — and in NB it's often free:
- Use a long-term test of at least 91 days (about three months). Radon swings day to day and season to season; a 91+ day average reflects your real exposure. Short-term tests are only for checking a mitigation system, never for deciding whether to act.
- The heating season (roughly October–April) is ideal, because Health Canada recommends that at least 91 days of the test fall within it; a test that runs largely outside the heating season can underestimate your annual average. (NB Lung notes that as homes get more airtight and air-conditioned, summer levels increasingly rival winter ones — but heating-season testing is still the standard.)
- Place the detector in the lowest lived-in level (often the basement if it's used), in a room occupied more than four hours a day, about 30 cm off the floor and away from drafts, vents, and direct sun. Not the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room.
- Use a C-NRPP-approved test. RadonTest.ca kits use an alpha-track detector analysed by a C-NRPP-certified laboratory. (For how long-term kits compare with continuous digital monitors, see our guide.)
Where to get your test — start with the free library kits. In 2025, New Brunswick became the first province in Canada to offer free radon test kits to the public: long-term (90-day) kits available to borrow at all 63 NB public libraries, a program run by the province with the Research and Productivity Council (which analyses the kits) and NB Lung. They are genuinely popular — when the program launched in October 2025, many libraries ran out within a day, and supply varies, so call your library ahead. If the free kits are out of stock — or you'd rather not wait for a restock — you can order a RadonTest.ca kit anytime: it includes the detector, analysis by a C-NRPP-certified laboratory (with an all-in-Canada analysis option), tracked shipping both ways, and your result delivered with clear Health Canada context. (One caution either way: not every cheap retail kit is analysed by a C-NRPP-certified lab — see our comparison of hardware-store radon test kits.)
When to retest. Health Canada recommends testing again after any renovation that affects your home's structure or ventilation (a finished basement, new furnace, added bathroom), after energy retrofits that make the home more airtight, or after major foundation work; and every five years if you have a mitigation system, to confirm it's still working. (The Government of New Brunswick also suggests retesting within five years even if your result was below the guideline.) (See when is radon testing season in Canada.)
If your radon is high: mitigation in New Brunswick
A result above 200 Bq/m³ is a solvable problem (here's what to do if your radon is above 200 Bq/m³). Health Canada recommends hiring a C-NRPP-certified radon mitigation professional — and New Brunswick, as one of Canada's highest-radon provinces, has an established mitigation industry.
How it works. The standard, most effective method is active soil depressurization (ASD), also called sub-slab depressurization: a pipe through the foundation slab and a continuously running fan draw radon from beneath the home and vent it outside before it can enter your living space. In most homes this reduces radon by more than 80%, and a system often installs in about a day. A good contractor will run the fan continuously (never off), check that the system doesn't cause "back-drafting" of a furnace, water heater, or fireplace, and verify the work with a short-term test after activation plus a long-term test the following heating season — ideally not the company that installed it.
What it costs. The Government of New Brunswick estimates a typical NB mitigation system costs $3,000–$5,000 (Health Canada's national estimate for a typical sub-slab system is $2,000–$3,000, and national data averages about $2,700 — NB tends to run a little higher). Running the fan adds roughly $50–$75 a year in electricity. (See radon mitigation cost in Canada.)
Find a certified professional. The Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) — run by the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists with Health Canada oversight — certifies radon measurement professionals, mitigation professionals, and labs. Search the directory at c-nrpp.ca/find-a-professional. RadonTest.ca does not perform mitigation or recommend specific companies. (See also how to choose a licensed radon mitigator.)
New Brunswick's radon rules and protections
New Brunswick leans on access and disclosure — free testing and a clear duty to disclose — more than on regulation.
Free testing: a national first
New Brunswick is the first province in Canada to provide free radon test kits to the public. Following a unanimous vote in the Legislative Assembly in late 2024, the province launched its Radon Test Distribution Program in October 2025: free 90-day kits at all 63 public libraries, analysed by the New Brunswick Research and Productivity Council, in partnership with NB Lung. Demand was immediate — libraries ran out within a day at launch — so availability varies and it's worth calling ahead. It's a strong signal of how seriously the province treats its radon levels.
Selling a home: a known high result must be disclosed
New Brunswick follows "buyer beware" (caveat emptor) for visible defects, but a seller has a duty to disclose a known material latent (hidden) defect — and the New Brunswick Real Estate Association (NBREA) treats a known, unmitigated high radon level as exactly that. NBREA provides a radon information/acknowledgement document and standard tools for transactions, including conditional offers and a holdback clause (a sum held in trust pending a post-closing long-term test, released to the buyer if the result is at or above 200 Bq/m³). The property condition disclosure statement is voluntary but includes a radon line. Practical takeaway: if you've tested and know your level is high, it should be disclosed; if you're buying, make radon part of your due diligence. (See radon when buying or selling a home in Canada.)
Building Code: a radon rough-in
New Brunswick adopted the National Building Code province-wide (effective February 1, 2021), which requires new small (Part 9) homes to include a radon rough-in — a sealed soil-gas barrier under the slab and a capped, labelled pipe ready for a fan. The Government of New Brunswick notes that homes built after 2015 may already have a radon rough-in. It's a passive rough-in: if a later test shows elevated radon, a fan completes the system. The code governs new construction only and requires no testing — so a new home still needs to be tested. (More detail: Canadian building codes and radon.)
New-home warranty: voluntary, and no radon coverage
Unlike Ontario, a new-home warranty is not mandatory in New Brunswick — coverage is voluntary, offered through the Atlantic Home Warranty Program by member builders, and no NB warranty explicitly covers radon. This contrasts with Ontario, where the Tarion warranty covers radon mitigation up to $50,000 — so in NB, fixing radon in a new home generally falls to the owner (helped by the programs below). (For the cross-country picture, see does your new home warranty cover radon?)
Workplaces and rentals
WorkSafeNB states plainly that New Brunswick does not regulate radon in workplaces, except for underground mines — it instead recommends following Health Canada's 200 Bq/m³ guideline. Separately, federally regulated workplaces in NB (banks, telecom, interprovincial transport, federal operations) fall under the new federal rule SOR/2026-10, which sets a binding limit of 200 Bq/m³ (replacing the old 800 Bq/m³), coming into force around February 2027. For rental housing, see our guides for landlords and renters.
Financial help in New Brunswick
- Free test kits at NB public libraries (see above) — the cheapest way to find out where you stand.
- Homeowner Repair Program (Housing NB): radon mitigation is an eligible health-related repair under this income-tested program, delivered as a loan that may be partly or fully forgivable (the home's assessed value must be under $275,000; maximum help is up to $15,000 for major repairs, more with accessibility work). Apply through Housing NB.
- Lungs Matter (Canadian Lung Association): a national grant of up to $1,500 toward mitigation, prioritizing people diagnosed with lung cancer and lower-income households (a long-term C-NRPP test result at or above 200 Bq/m³ is required).
- There is no dedicated New Brunswick provincial radon grant or tax credit, and currently no open federal radon-mitigation grant for the general public.
Frequently asked questions
What is a risk-free radon level in New Brunswick? No level is completely risk-free. Health Canada's guideline is 200 Bq/m³, the level above which it recommends acting within a year. The risk below the guideline is small but not zero, and the WHO references a more protective 100 Bq/m³.
How common is high radon in New Brunswick? Among the highest in Canada — about 1 in 4 homes above the guideline in both the 2012 and 2024 surveys. The northern part of the province — especially the Acadian Peninsula — is highest.
Where can I get a free radon test in New Brunswick? New Brunswick offers free 90-day radon test kits at all 63 public libraries (a program of the province with the Research and Productivity Council and NB Lung). They're very popular and ran out within a day at launch, so call your library ahead — and if they're out of stock, a kit can be ordered anytime.
Does New Brunswick's new-home warranty cover radon? No. NB's new-home warranty is voluntary and does not explicitly cover radon — unlike Ontario's Tarion warranty.
Do I have to disclose radon when selling a home in New Brunswick? A known, unmitigated high radon result is a latent defect that the seller's duty to disclose covers, and the real-estate association treats it that way. There's no obligation to test before selling.
How much does radon mitigation cost in New Brunswick? The province estimates $3,000–$5,000 for a typical system — a little above the national average of around $2,700.
Do new New Brunswick homes have radon protection built in? New homes built under the current code include a radon rough-in, and homes built after 2015 may already have one. It's a passive rough-in; a fan is added if a later test shows elevated radon — so it's still worth testing.
How long does a radon test take? At least 91 days (about three months) for a valid long-term result. Short-term tests aren't suitable for deciding whether to act.
Test your New Brunswick home
New Brunswick has among the highest radon in Canada — about one in four homes — and free kits to find out. But however you test, only a long-term measurement reveals your home's actual level.
Order your RadonTest.ca kit → — lab analysis by a C-NRPP-certified laboratory (with an all-in-Canada analysis option), tracked shipping both ways, and your result delivered with clear Health Canada context. (Free library kits are great when in stock; a kit you order is always available.)
Sources
- Health Canada — Radon: What you need to know ("1 in 5 homes," 16% of lung cancers, ~3,200 deaths, >80% reduction), 2025. https://radontest.ca/links/hc-what-you-need-to-know
- Health Canada — About radon / Radon guideline (200 Bq/m³; corrective action within 1 year), modified 2025-09-24. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-risks-safety/radiation/radon/about.html
- Health Canada — Reduction Guide for Canadians ($2,000–$3,000; fan operating cost; 1-in-20 / 1-in-3 risk; mechanism; verification), modified 2025-09-24. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/radiation/radon-reduction-guide-canadians-health-canada.html
- Health Canada — Guide for radon measurements in homes (91-day test, season guidance, retest triggers, 5-year retest for mitigated homes), modified 2025-12-22. https://radontest.ca/links/hc-measurements-guide
- Health Canada — Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes, Final Report (NB highest provincial share above guideline; ~24.8%), 2012. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/radiation/cross-canada-survey-radon-concentrations-homes-final-report-health-canada-2012.html
- 2024 Cross-Canada Radon Survey (Evict Radon / University of Calgary; NB Lung contributor) — NB ~1 in 4; Atlantic region ~1 in 3. https://crosscanadaradon.ca/survey/
- Government of New Brunswick, Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health — Radon (1 in 4 NB homes; uranium common in NB soils; $3,000–$5,000 mitigation; post-2015 rough-ins; retest within 5 years), modified 2025-10-20. https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/ocmoh/healthy_environments/content/radon.html
- Government of New Brunswick — Free radon tests available at provincial libraries (Radon Test Distribution Program; RPC + NB Lung; all 63 libraries), 2025-10-14. https://www.gnb.ca/en/news/n-b.2025.10.free-radon-tests-available-at-provincial-libraries.html
- CTV News — New Brunswick libraries run out of free radon test kits in one day, 2025-10-16. https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/new-brunswick/article/new-brunswick-libraries-run-out-of-free-radon-test-kits-in-one-day/
- NB Lung — Radon and Free radon test kits at NB libraries: what you need to know (NB high-uranium geology; lab analysis at RPC Fredericton; call ahead). https://nblung.ca/environmental-health/radon/
- New Brunswick Health Council — radon indicator (regional/community % above guideline; north highest). https://nbhc.ca/indicators/hcrad-ccsrch-001
- NBREA — Radon: What you need to know (radon as a latent defect to disclose; holdback clause), 2025. https://www.nbrea.ca/radon-what-you-need-to-know/
- WorkSafeNB — Radon in the workplace (NB does not regulate workplace radon except underground mines). https://www.worksafenb.ca/safety-topics/radon-in-the-workplace/
- Canada Gazette Part II — SOR/2026-10 (federal workplaces: 200 Bq/m³, in force ~Feb 2027). https://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2026/2026-02-11/html/sor-dors10-eng.html
- Canadian Lung Association — Lungs Matter radon mitigation grant (up to $1,500). https://www.lung.ca/air-quality/radon/lungs-matter-radon-mitigation-support
Lab analysis is performed independently by a C-NRPP-certified laboratory. Results are reported against the Health Canada guideline of 200 Bq/m³. RadonTest.ca coordinates kit logistics and sample submission only — it does not interpret or modify lab results and does not provide medical, legal, or warranty advice. Information attributed to Health Canada, the Government of New Brunswick, NB Lung, NBREA, and others is summarized from the public sources listed above; confirm time-sensitive details (free-kit availability, building-code requirements, disclosure obligations, program availability) with the responsible body.