EPA’s highest radon-potential category. Source 1
Hickman County, Tennessee
Research snapshot · October 14, 2026
Hickman County Radon · Field Report
Hickman County, TN radon High risk.
Low certainty.
Hickman County sits in EPA’s highest-potential radon zone, yet its local test record and building-code trail leave important blanks. The practical conclusion for buyers is unusually clear: do not treat “new,” “disclosed,” or “code-built” as a substitute for a test.
Radon in Hickman County, Tennessee: quick answers
EPA zone: Zone 1Region: Middle TennesseeState test data: State test figures seen once; shown with a caveat
Is radon a problem in Hickman County, Tennessee?
Yes, it can be. Hickman County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest radon-potential category, where the predicted average indoor screening level is above 4 pCi/L. Levels vary from house to house, so a test is the only way to know your home's level.
Do new homes in Hickman County, TN have to be built radon-resistant?
No. Hickman County's building office said by phone on October 16, 2026 that radon-resistant construction isn't required in unincorporated areas. Centerville's code wasn't publicly available. Local code details
How do I test my home for radon in Hickman County?
Order a free short-term kit from the Tennessee Radon Program online or by calling 1-800-232-1139. Place it on the lowest lived-in floor, about 3 feet off the floor, for 3 to 5 days, then mail it back right away. How to test your home
What radon level means I should fix my home?
EPA recommends fixing your home if radon is 4 pCi/L or higher, and considering a fix between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Confirm a high short-term result with a second test first. What your result means
Who can test or fix radon in Hickman County?
Tennessee doesn't license radon professionals, so look for NRPP or NRSB certification. Search both national directories by ZIP code; certified professionals often serve Hickman County from nearby cities. How to choose a radon professional
Average and median fields were blank in the live county tooltip. Source 2
No public appendix list was found for any Hickman County jurisdiction. See code review
01 — RISK PROFILE
The map says “high.”
The map says “high.”
The dashboard says very little.
Two official signals point in different directions only because they measure different things: EPA’s zone is a county-scale potential rating; Tennessee’s dashboard is a limited set of reported 2022–2023 tests.
1EPA radon zone
Hickman County is classified as high potential, meaning a predicted average indoor screening level above 4.0 pCi/L. A zone designation is not a measurement of any individual home.
Tennessee dashboard: one populated statistic
The live Hickman County tooltip showed a maximum of 4.4 pCi/L. Its Average and Median fields were blank. The prior transcription of 2.2 average / 1.1 median could not be reproduced and should not be published.
Tennessee Radon Testing dashboardThe apparent county charts are regional
The pre- and post-mitigation band charts are labeled “by Health Region.” They do not supply Hickman County test counts or county-level percentages, so none are presented here.
Tennessee Radon Testing dashboardWhy the blank fields matter
A control check found the same blank Average and Median fields for Williamson County, indicating a systematic dashboard behavior rather than a Hickman-only result. “Blank” does not mean zero.
Live verification notes
!
Do not infer a county average from 4.4.
The 4.4 pCi/L figure is only the maximum displayed by the state dashboard. Without a published county count, average, or median, it cannot describe a typical Hickman County home.
02 — BUILDING CODES
One confirmed code edition.
One confirmed code edition.
Three unresolved radon answers.
The key question is not just which IRC edition applies, but whether its radon appendix was specifically adopted. Public records located online do not answer that question.
Unincorporated Hickman County
2018 IRC confirmed. A November 27, 2023 County Commission agenda identifies Resolution 21-23 as adopting the 2018 IRC. It also identifies Resolution 23-31 as amending IRC provisions and adopting the 2018 IECC for new residential construction on or after July 1, 2023.
The agenda gives no appendix list, and the resolution texts were not found online. Adoption of 2018 IRC Appendix F—the radon appendix—therefore remains unverified.
Verified by phone, October 16, 2026: the Hickman County Building/ADA Coordinator’s office stated that “no radon tests are required” — radon-resistant new construction is not mandatory in unincorporated Hickman County. The call answered the requirement question only; it did not establish whether Appendix F was formally adopted, so the appendix question above remains unverified.
County Commission agenda Personal communication · October 16, 2026Centerville
IRC edition unverified. The town operates a permit portal and lists City Building Inspector Josie Petersen, but its “Adopted Building Codes” file opens a login page. MTAS states: “A public code listing is not available for this city.”
Town materials also create an unresolved enforcement ambiguity: one statement points to State Fire Marshal oversight while the town lists its own inspector and permit portal.
Town policies and contactsLyles
No building-code information was found online. The IRC edition, enforcement arrangement, and radon-appendix status all remain unverified.
Local radon rules
No Hickman County-, Centerville-, or Lyles-specific radon requirements were found for public buildings, schools, or real-estate transactions beyond Tennessee’s statewide framework. The county’s published 2023 zoning resolution contains no radon provisions.
2023 county zoning resolutionWhat would settle the code questions?
- County: request the full text of Resolutions 21-23 and 23-31, including every adopted IRC appendix, from the Hickman County Building/ADA Coordinator at 931-729-5534.
- Centerville: request the login-gated “Adopted Building Codes” document from City Building Inspector Josie Petersen at 931-729-4246 ext. 111, and confirm who performs code enforcement.
- Lyles: ask Town Hall for the current code-adoption ordinance or confirmation that the State Fire Marshal provides enforcement.
How do I find a certified radon professional in Hickman County?
Tennessee doesn't license radon testers or mitigators, so national certification is the best way to check qualifications. The Tennessee Radon Program points residents to two directories: search them by ZIP code and widen the radius if nothing is listed nearby.
We don't recommend or rank companies. Before you hire, check the certification number in the directory yourself and ask for a follow-up test after any system is installed. Questions to ask a radon professional.
03 — HOMEBUYER ANGLE
The transaction test is the only home-specific answer.
Hickman County’s combination of Zone 1 potential, thin published test data, and unresolved code adoption makes property-level measurement especially important.
01
Test new homes, too
Radon-resistant construction is not confirmed mandatory in any county jurisdiction. Even when passive features exist, a test is needed to learn the actual indoor level.
02
“Unknown” is allowed
Tennessee’s RF 201 disclosure asks about radon gas with YES / NO / UNKNOWN choices; state law also permits a statutory disclaimer under T.C.A. § 66-5-202. Disclosure is not a measurement.
03
Book with lead time
With one NRPP measurement professional based in the county and no directory result based in Centerville or Lyles, buyers may be scheduling a provider from the wider Nashville area.
26,219Population
+5.3%Population change since 2020
116Building permits in 2025
$224,100Median home value
04 — RESOURCES
Radon testing resources
These national and Tennessee resources can help you get a test, understand the result, and find qualified support if the level is high.
Test your home
- Free test kit from TDEC, Tennessee’s radon program
- Buy a kit by phone: 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236)
- Live help with your questions: 1-800-55RADON (1-800-557-2366)
- Find a certified pro: NRPP 800-269-4174 · NRSB 866-329-3474
If your result comes back high
- 1-800-644-6999 — the Fix-It Hotline, for general guidance on lowering radon in your home
Learn more
Why it matters
- Radon causes about 21,000 U.S. lung cancer deaths a year — the second-leading cause overall and the leading cause among people who never smoked.
- At 4 pCi/L, EPA estimates about 62 in 1,000 smokers could get lung cancer from lifetime exposure, versus about 7 in 1,000 people who never smoked.
- About 1 in 15 homes has high radon.
- Retest at least every 2 years if you have a mitigation system, and after renovations or changes to how you use the lowest floor. EPA recommends taking action at 4 pCi/L and considering action between 2 and 4 pCi/L.
Hotline information: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health statistics: EPA, Health Risk of Radon and American Lung Association.
Source ledger
Values and code claims above are tied to the following pages. “Live” marks pages checked interactively on October 14, 2026; “Index” marks pages captured through public search or text retrieval.
- EPA Tennessee radon zone map — Hickman County Zone 1. LIVE
- Tennessee Radon Testing dashboard — Hickman tooltip maximum 4.4 pCi/L; Average/Median blank; charts labeled by Health Region. LIVE
- Hickman County Commission agenda, November 27, 2023 — Resolution 21-23 and Resolution 23-31 titles. INDEX
- Town of Centerville policies — permit program, inspector contact, adopted-code document link. LIVE
- MTAS Centerville profile — no public code listing available. LIVE
- Centerville iWorQ portal — local permit applications. LIVE
- NRPP pro search, ZIP 37033 — 75 results; one Hickman County-based measurement professional among visible results. LIVE
- NRPP pro search, ZIP 37203 — 71-result broad-radius comparison. LIVE
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Hickman County — population, housing, permits, and value context. INDEX
- Hickman County zoning resolution, 2023 — no radon provision found. INDEX
- MTAS: 10 Simple Questions on Code Adoption — Tennessee residential-code baseline. INDEX
- American Lung Association: Radon — health statistics, testing guidance, and the free Radon Basics course. INDEX
- Personal communication — Hickman County Building/ADA Coordinator’s office, phone call, October 16, 2026 — respondent stated “no radon tests are required”; radon-resistant new construction is not mandatory in unincorporated Hickman County. The call did not address whether Appendix F was formally adopted. PERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Reading the state data: Tennessee’s dashboard covers 2022–2023 tests in this review. It does not provide a usable Hickman County count, average, or median in the live tooltip. Health-region charts must not be republished as county statistics, and blank fields must not be read as zeros.