The US testing guide · verified October 12, 2026
Thirteen tests, from radon and lead paint to the blower door and Manual J. For each one: what it finds, the federal standard or threshold behind it, who does it, and the state rules that change the answer. Every number links to its official source.
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A standard energy audit doesn't cover these. Each has its own federal guidance and, in many states, its own license or certification.
EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or more and says every home should be tested, whatever its radon zone.
Who does it: You, with a short-term kit, or an NRPP- or NRSB-certified pro (state-licensed where required)
Full guide: the thresholds, who to hire and what to do next →
CPSC recommends a CO alarm on every level and outside sleeping areas. Most of the states we checked also require alarms in at least some homes.
Who does it: You install the alarms; auditors check CO in the air during an audit
Full guide: the thresholds, who to hire and what to do next →
Homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint. Most paid work that disturbs paint in these homes must be done by a lead-safe certified firm.
Who does it: EPA- or state-certified inspectors and risk assessors; lead-safe certified firms for renovation
Full guide: the thresholds, who to hire and what to do next →
More than 70% of the vermiculite sold in the U.S. from 1919 to 1990 came from a Libby, Montana mine contaminated with asbestos. Leave it alone and use accredited pros.
Who does it: Trained, accredited asbestos professionals; your state agency says who may work there
Full guide: the thresholds, who to hire and what to do next →
There are no federal limits for mold, so sampling can't show a pass or fail. Fixing the water problem is the job.
Who does it: You, for small areas; licensed assessors and remediators in some states
Full guide: the thresholds, who to hire and what to do next →
Private wells fall outside the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA says to test every year for coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH.
Who does it: A lab certified for drinking-water testing; some local health departments test for free
Full guide: the thresholds, who to hire and what to do next →
Year built, location, water source, fuel and a few symptoms are enough to sort it out.
These measure how your home uses and loses energy. DOE says many professional assessments include a blower door test and an infrared scan; ask for the others by name.
Measures whole-house air leakage at 50 pascals. The 2021 IECC caps new homes at 5.0 ACH50 in climate zones 0–2 and 3.0 ACH50 in zones 3–8.
Who does it: Energy auditors and RESNET HERS raters
Full guide: the standard, how to get it done and the fixes →
An infrared camera finds missing insulation and air leaks. ASTM's leak-detection practice says to pressurize or depressurize the house so the leaks show up.
Who does it: Energy auditors, ideally while the blower door holds the house under pressure
Full guide: the standard, how to get it done and the fixes →
ACCA's ANSI-recognized method for a home's heating and cooling loads. Where the IECC or IRC is adopted, equipment must be sized per Manual S from Manual J loads, or another approved method.
Who does it: Whoever sizes your heating and cooling equipment
Full guide: the standard, how to get it done and the fixes →
Pressure-tests the ductwork at 25 pascals. The 2021 IECC allows new homes up to 4.0 CFM25 of total leakage per 100 sq ft of conditioned floor area.
Who does it: Energy auditors and RESNET HERS raters
Full guide: the standard, how to get it done and the fixes →
Checks furnaces, boilers and water heaters for spillage and carbon monoxide under worst-case conditions. DOE calls for it in homes with natural-draft appliances, especially during air sealing.
Who does it: Energy auditors working to BPI-1200
Full guide: the standard, how to get it done and the fixes →
ENERGY STAR recommends R30 to R60 for an uninsulated attic, depending on your climate zone.
Who does it: You can check the depth; an auditor can check the rest
Full guide: the standard, how to get it done and the fixes →
Your past bills are what savings predictions get calibrated to (BPI-2400). Green Button lets you download your usage if your utility supports it.
Who does it: You, with your utility’s data, and your auditor
Full guide: the standard, how to get it done and the fixes →
EPA says every home should be tested, and its first step is a short-term test of 2 to 90 days. Radon guide
CPSC recommends one on every level and outside sleeping areas, replaced at the age given in the product literature. CO guide
Built before 1978? Most paid work that disturbs paint needs a lead-safe certified firm. Vermiculite in the attic? EPA says leave it undisturbed. Lead · Asbestos and vermiculite
DOE says many assessments include a blower door test and an infrared scan. Add duct testing, and a Manual J if new equipment is on the way. Blower door · Manual J
DOE calls for combustion appliance zone testing in homes with natural-draft furnaces, boilers or water heaters, at the end of each workday of air sealing. Combustion safety
Sources: EPA radon guide ↗, CPSC ↗, EPA RRP ↗, EPA vermiculite ↗, DOE assessments ↗, DOE BASC ↗ · verified October 12, 2026
Twenty jurisdictions checked in full. “Yes” means a state law requires a license, certification or named credential (radon, mold) or requires CO alarms in at least some homes. Details and sources are in each guide’s state table.
| State | Radon credential | Mold credential | CO alarm law | Lead programs run by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | None found | None found | Not confirmed | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: EPA |
| California | Required | None found | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Colorado | Required | None found | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| District of Columbia | Required | Required | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Florida | Required | Required | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: EPA |
| Georgia | None found | None found | Yes | Renovation: state · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Illinois | Required | None found | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Maryland | None found | None found | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Massachusetts | None found | None found | Yes | Renovation: state · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Michigan | None found | None found | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Minnesota | Required | None found | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Missouri | None found | None found | Not confirmed | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| New Jersey | Required | None found | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| New York | None found | Required | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: EPA |
| North Carolina | None found | None found | Yes | Renovation: state · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Oregon | None found | None found | Yes | Renovation: state · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Pennsylvania | Required | None found | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Texas | None found | Required | Not for homes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Virginia | Required | Required | Yes | Renovation: EPA · Inspection & abatement: state |
| Washington | None found | None found | Yes | Renovation: state · Inspection & abatement: state |
Sources: ELI radon database ↗, ELI mold database ↗, NCSL CO laws ↗, EPA RRP states ↗, EPA abatement states ↗ · verified October 12, 2026
EPA says every home should be tested for radon, and CPSC recommends a carbon monoxide alarm on every level and outside sleeping areas. If your water comes from a private well, EPA says to test it every year for coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. The rest depend on your home’s age, fuel, water source, symptoms and plans; the screener sorts that out.
Not necessarily, because the credentials differ: radon pros are certified by NRPP or NRSB, or licensed by the state where required; lead inspectors and risk assessors are certified by EPA or the state; asbestos professionals are accredited under state programs; some states license mold assessors and remediators; and well water goes to a certified lab. Energy auditors and RESNET HERS raters handle the energy tests. Ask any pro which of these they’re certified for.
Sources: NRPP ↗, EPA ↗, Environmental Law Institute ↗, RESNET ↗ · verified October 12, 2026
RESNET’s HERS Index rates a home against a computer-modeled reference home of the same size and shape. A home built to the 2006 IECC scores 100 and lower is better: 70 means 30% more efficient than the reference, 130 means 30% less efficient, and 0 means net zero energy. A certified RESNET HERS Rater does the rating; it’s calculated under ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301 and tested under 380, the airtightness standard.
Source: RESNET HERS Index ↗ · verified October 12, 2026
Probably not for a 2026 audit. The IRS page says the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (30% of qualified costs, up to $150 for a home energy audit of your main home) is allowed for qualifying property placed in service on or after January 1, 2023 and before December 31, 2025. That 2026 audits don’t qualify is our reading; the IRS page doesn’t address them directly.
Source: IRS ↗ · verified October 12, 2026
Official sources: EPA, CPSC, DOE and its national labs, the IRS, ENERGY STAR, ACCA, BPI, RESNET, ASTM, USGS, NCSL and state agencies and statutes. Every one was opened and checked on October 12, 2026, and each guide links its sources next to the numbers they support.
Every source below was opened and checked on October 12, 2026. Each guide lists the full set for its test, and state sources are linked in each guide’s state table.
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