Tennessee Radon Authority
Updated October 17, 2026

Macon County Radon · Tennessee county brief

Macon County, TN radon A moderate-risk county with no confirmed radon building rule.

Lafayette leaves the radon appendix out. Red Boiling Springs’ published code is 16 years old. And for unincorporated Macon County, the one answer that matters most is still trapped in a scanned resolution.

The bottom line

Test every house. Do not assume a new one was built radon-ready.

EPA classifies Macon County as Zone 2, where predicted average indoor screening levels are 2–4 pCi/L.7 Lafayette does not adopt the 2018 IRC radon appendix, and the county’s appendix list remains unverified. The Tennessee dashboard does not provide a trustworthy county reading yet.

2EPA zoneModerate radon potential; not a substitute for testing.
0localNRPP/NRSB-listed professionals based in Macon County.10,11
2018IRCAdopted by Lafayette and listed by the county codes office.1,3
—county dataAverage, median, and maximum withheld because the tooltip could not be verified.
01 / CODE SPLIT

Three jurisdictions, three different levels of certainty.

No published record reviewed establishes a mandatory radon-resistant construction rule anywhere in the county. But “not found” and “not adopted” are not the same thing.

Unincorporated Macon County

County-enforced codes

Appendix status unknown
  • Residential2018 IRC is listed by the county codes office.3
  • Commercial package2021 IBC family; Resolution 7-6/25 approved July 21, 2025.4,5
  • Radon appendixThe scanned adoption document did not yield a readable appendix list. No requirement can be confirmed.
City of Lafayette

2018 IRC

Radon appendix not adopted
  • AuthorityTitle 12, Chapter 5; Ord. #829, April 2023.1
  • Appendices addedOnly M and Q.
  • ResultAppendix F is absent, so radon-resistant new construction is not required by city code.
Red Boiling Springs

2006 IRC on paper

Published record: no radon appendix
  • AuthorityOrd. #10-13, December 2010.2
  • AppendicesNone listed in the published code.
  • CaveatNo newer publication was found; current code and state-program status need confirmation.
County call to make

Ask the Macon County Codes Enforcement Office whether the 2018 IRC adoption includes Appendix F, and when that adoption took effect. The office is listed at 615-666-2870.3

02 / RADON RISK

The zone is clear. The county measurements are not.

A zone designation predicts regional potential; it cannot tell you what is happening in a specific crawlspace, basement, slab-on-grade house, or new build.

Why no average appears here

State test figures that couldn't be confirmed on repeat checks aren't shown here. A missing figure doesn't mean radon is absent; test your home to know its level.

Ten attempts across four dashboard loads did not land on a tooltip labeled “Macon County.” Neighboring counties repeatedly appeared instead. Publishing those numbers would repeat the exact mis-hover problem this project is designed to avoid.9

The dashboard’s pre- and post-mitigation bands are also regional—not county counts. Macon belongs to the Mid-Cumberland Region, so those band charts cannot be used as Macon County statistics.

How do I find a certified radon professional in Macon 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.

Search NRPPSearch NRSB

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 / FOR BUYERS

Treat radon as a house-by-house question.

Tennessee’s standard disclosure materials frame radon through inspection contingencies rather than a radon-specific disclosure mandate.17 A buyer should create the answer through testing.

Put it in the inspection period.

Make radon testing a clear contract contingency. Do not treat Zone 2 as “safe,” and do not infer one house’s result from a nearby property.

Ask what the builder installed.

In Lafayette, the code does not require Appendix F. In unincorporated areas, the county appendix list is unresolved. Ask for documentation, then test after occupancy.

Use the state program.

TDEC’s statewide radon program offers free test kits to homeowners and technical information for schools.16

Local growth makes this timely

County records show public discussion of “building growth” in mid-2025, including a June meeting comment about a building moratorium and a July committee agenda item.6 New construction should not be presumed radon-resistant merely because it is new.

04 / TESTING RESOURCES

Radon testing resources

Use the state program and national helplines to test your home, understand the result, and decide what to do next.

Why it matters

  • Radon causes about 21,000 U.S. lung cancer deaths a year — the second-leading cause overall, and the number-one cause among people who never smoked.
  • Smoking plus radon raises the risk roughly ~9×.
  • 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 it between 2 and 4.

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.

05 / SOURCES

Primary records and live directories.

Links below are the specific sources used for this research snapshot.

  1. Lafayette municipal code, Title 12 — 2018 IRC adoption and appendices.
  2. Red Boiling Springs municipal code, Title 12 — published 2006 IRC adoption.
  3. Macon County Building Codes Enforcement — office details and adoption-document listings.
  4. Building Code Resolution 7-6/25 — scanned county record.
  5. County legislative minutes, July 21, 2025 — approval record.
  6. County legislative minutes, June 16, 2025 and Committee agenda, July 7, 2025 — building-growth discussion.
  7. EPA Map of Radon Zones — Tennessee.
  8. EPA Map of Radon Zones: Tennessee.
  9. Tennessee Radon Testing dashboard — reviewed across four loads.
  10. NRSB Find a Professional — searched October 16, 2026.
  11. NRPP Professional Search — searched October 16, 2026.
  12. Tennessee opt-out jurisdictions — list did not render during research.
  13. MTAS Statewide Building Standards — state minimum-code context.
  14. Tennessee school indoor-air-quality bill text.
  15. Radon in Schools: review of state laws.
  16. TDEC Radon Program home page.
  17. Tennessee residential property disclosure materials — inspection-contingency language.

Method note. “Verified live” means the item was observed in an interactive browser during research; “published record” means the claim comes from an indexed municipal or county document. Directory counts are snapshots, not a census. No Macon County average, median, maximum, or test count is presented because those values were not verified.

Macon County, Tennessee · Radon research brief Snapshot date: October 16, 2026

Radon in Macon County, Tennessee: quick answers

EPA zone: Zone 2Region: Middle TennesseeState test data: State test figures couldn't be confirmed, so they aren't shown

Is radon a problem in Macon County, Tennessee?

It can be. Macon County is in EPA Zone 2, where the predicted average indoor screening level is 2 to 4 pCi/L. Homes above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level are found in every zone, so a test is the only way to know your home's level.

Do new homes in Macon County, TN have to be built radon-resistant?

No requirement was found. Lafayette's 2018 code adopts Appendices M and Q only, Red Boiling Springs' published code lists no appendices, and the county's scanned adoption didn't show an appendix list. Local code details

How do I test my home for radon in Macon 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 Macon 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 Macon County from nearby cities. How to choose a radon professional