Moderate radon potential, with a predicted average range of 2–4 pCi/L. A zone predicts area-level potential; it does not replace a house test.
EPA Map of Radon Zones: Tennessee01 · Snapshot
What the evidence supports now
The strongest finding is not a county test average. It is a policy-and-market mismatch: no confirmed radon-resistant construction mandate, active homebuilding, and no certified measurement professional listed in the county.
No NRPP-listed professional and no NRSB-certified measurement specialist was found as based in Putnam County.
NRPP directoryReported for unincorporated Putnam County, within 397 total permits and $86.9 million in value.
Permit reportDashboard caution
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.
02 · Building codes
Three clear “optional” findings; two calls to make
IRC radon provisions only apply when the relevant appendix is specifically adopted: Appendix F in 2018, AF in 2021 and BE in 2024.
Jurisdiction
IRC edition
RRNC status
Evidence
Cookeville
2018 IRC
Ord. #O20-11-19 · effective Jan. 1, 2021
Optional
Municipal Code §12-101 lists amendments but no appendices, so Appendix F is not adopted. Code text
Algood
2024 IRC
Ord. #728-26 · March 2025
Optional
The ordinance says “Appendix Chapters A through Q, omitting L.” The 2024 radon appendix is BE; the single-letter language does not reach it. Title 12 PDF
Baxter
2024 IRC
Adopting ordinance number unresolved
Optional
Municipal Code §12-301 adopts the code by reference with no appendix list. The history note points to an older 2021 ordinance. Title 12 PDF
Putnam County
Unconfirmed current edition
2018 verified in Aug. 2024; 2024 reported Dec. 16, 2025
Open
The 2024 adoption appears only in an AI-generated meeting summary. Resolution number, effective date and appendix list remain unverified. Reported action
Monterey
2018 IRC
Adopted Aug. 2024; ordinance number unresolved
Open
The town aligned with county codes and the county performs inspections, but no appendix list was found. Adoption report
“The provisions contained in this appendix are not mandatory unless specifically referenced in the adopting ordinance.”2024 International Residential Code · Appendix BE, Radon Control Methods
03 · Risk profile
The county number is unresolved. The regional signal is not.
Putnam’s tooltip could not be isolated reliably. Neighboring labeled tooltips, however, confirm above-action-level averages in the Upper Cumberland cluster.
Do not publish the old Putnam figures
Ten careful attempts landed on Roane, Morgan, White, Cumberland, Overton or Van Buren—never a tooltip labeled Putnam. White County’s stable 6.5 average and 1.6 median are close to the prior Putnam transcription, underscoring the mis-hover risk.
White County
Average / median / maximum
6.5 / 1.6 / 8.9Average / median / maximum
Overton County
Average / median / maximum
7.4 / 0.7 / 32.1Average / median / maximum
EPA action level
Testing and mitigation benchmark
4.0 pCi/LTesting and mitigation benchmark
Scope of the charts
Selecting a county filters the pre- and post-mitigation charts to its health region. For Putnam, that is the Upper Cumberland Region. Those bars cannot be used as county test counts or county percentages.
How do I find a certified radon professional in Putnam 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.
04 · Homebuyer angle
New does not mean radon-ready
Tennessee disclosure law centers on known conditions, not mandatory testing. That matters most in a growing market where buyers may assume new construction includes radon controls.
Ask what was installed
Request documentation for the gas-permeable layer, vent pipe, sealing details and any fan-ready electrical provision. Do not infer them from the home’s age.
Test before closing
The state disclosure form advises buyers to use inspection contingencies, including radon. Sellers disclose what they know; they have no general duty to test.
Test new builds too
New construction sold with a written warranty can be exempt from the standard disclosure requirement. A direct test answers the question the paperwork may not.
Real-estate context: Tennessee Residential Property Condition Disclosure statutes and standard-form language. Review the form text · Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-5-210 (disclosure form)
05 · Resources
Radon testing resources
Use these public resources to get a test, talk through the result and find qualified help if the level comes back 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
Hotline resources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If your result comes back high
- 1-800-644-6999 — the Fix-It Hotline, for general guidance on lowering radon in your home
Hotline resource: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Learn more
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.
- 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 it between 2 and 4 pCi/L.
Health statistics: American Lung Association. Testing and action guidance: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
06 · Local rules
State norms, with no local overlay found
No Putnam County, Cookeville, Algood, Baxter or Monterey rule for radon in public buildings was found. No Putnam-specific real-estate mandate or Tennessee Tech program was found either. “Not found” is not proof of nonexistence.
Schools
Tennessee law directs each local education agency’s annual indoor-air-quality inspection and evaluation program to include radon testing. A 50-state review classifies Tennessee’s approach as “encourage,” not “require.”
Nashville contrast
Metro Nashville’s Board of Health Regulation 9 requires surveys of public buildings and re-surveys at least every five years. No comparable Putnam-area rule was located.
07 · Sources
Primary records and research trail
Claims above preserve the source’s confidence level. “Verified live” means the cited page or interactive directory was read on October 15, 2026; “indexed” means the claim came from search-index text and should be treated accordingly.
- Cookeville Municipal Code §12-101 — verified live
- Algood Municipal Code, Title 12 — verified live PDF
- Baxter Municipal Code, Title 12 — verified live PDF
- 2024 IRC Appendix BE — ICC digital code
- 2018 IRC effective-use guide — ICC digital code
- Tennessee Radon Testing dashboard — verified live
- NRPP Find a Professional — verified live
- NRSB Find a Professional — verified live
- Putnam / Monterey code context — News Talk 94.1
- Cookeville code effective date — News Talk 94.1
- Putnam 2024 code action — unverified AI-generated meeting summary
- Putnam County permit activity — Herald-Citizen
- EPA zone corroboration — EPA Map of Radon Zones: Tennessee
- Tennessee disclosure form — standard form text
- State-adopted code context — MTAS code enforcement Q&A
Research conducted October 15, 2026. Interactive-directory and dashboard results are a dated snapshot. Directory counts can change, and county-code questions marked open should not be converted into definitive claims without primary confirmation.