The highest-potential category. It predicts broad county potential, not the reading in a particular home.
Roane County radon · Tennessee
Roane County, TN radon Zone 1. Testing beats assumptions.
Roane County carries EPA’s highest radon-potential designation. Yet local construction rules split by jurisdiction—and no verified code mandate protects every new home.
Watts Bar Reservoir image: Tennessee Valley Authority
Radon in Roane County, Tennessee: quick answers
EPA zone: Zone 1Region: East TennesseeState test data: State test figures seen once; shown with a caveat
Is radon a problem in Roane County, Tennessee?
Yes, it can be. Roane 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 Roane County, TN have to be built radon-resistant?
Not clearly. Oak Ridge's 2024 code excludes optional provisions, Rockwood's adoption includes the radon appendix without a local trigger, and the county's appendix list (which also covers Kingston and Harriman) wasn't found. Local code details
How do I test my home for radon in Roane 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 Roane 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 Roane County from nearby cities. How to choose a radon professional
Rockwood adopts the appendix, but no local trigger was found; county appendix status remains open.
All four NRPP-listed measurement professionals also hold mitigation credentials.
01 / Risk & evidence
A lower average does not clear a house
The Tennessee dashboard’s Roane County tooltip showed a 1.6 pCi/L median and 8.4 maximum on two loads. The 2.3 average appeared once, then failed to render—so it remains provisional.
Provisional average2.3pCi/L · one load
Median1.6pCi/L · two loads
Maximum8.4pCi/L · two loads
0 pCi/L8.4 pCi/L
The tooltip itself said “County: Roane.” Median and maximum matched on both page loads; average rendered on only one. The workbook gives no county test count, and its pre/post charts are East Region aggregates—not Roane County totals. Open the state dashboard.
The useful tension in the data
Roane is Zone 1, while the provisional dashboard average sits in the 2–4 pCi/L band. That does not make the county “low risk”: the 8.4 maximum shows elevated homes in the tested sample, and the unknown sample size prevents broader conclusions.
02 / Building codes
One county, three code stories
The same 2018 IRC does not mean the same radon rule. County-served jurisdictions have an unpublished appendix question; Rockwood adopts appendices but lacks a verified local trigger; Oak Ridge excludes optional provisions.
County enforcement
Unincorporated Roane County
Also serving Kingston, Harriman & Oliver Springs
2018 IRC
Adopted around January 2019
Appendix F status, resolution number and exact effective date were not found. No radon requirement appears in the county homebuilding guide.
City enforcement
Rockwood
Own building inspector
2018 IRC
Ord. #12-56 · Feb. 2019
“Including appendix chapters” brings in Appendix F, but no local designation making radon-resistant construction apply was found.
City enforcement
Oak Ridge
City spans Roane and Anderson counties
2024 IRC
Ord. 28-2024
No Appendix BE. The code excludes optional or recommended provisions; radon-resistant construction is not mandated by this adoption.
Kingston → county officeHarriman → county officeOliver Springs → county officeRockwood → city officeOak Ridge → city office
Two records would close the biggest gaps
Ask Roane County Building & Codes for the 2018 IRC adopting resolution and full appendix list. Also ask whether any county or interlocal policy designates Appendix F as required. The office number in the county records reviewed is 865-717-4230.
The county’s own guide confirms the 2018 IRC and names the jurisdictions it serves, but it does not answer the radon appendix question.
How do I find a certified radon professional in Roane 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 guide
Zone 1 means test, not panic
Waterfront, walkout-basement and older homes around Watts Bar Lake are high-value testing targets—but so are new builds. No verified code rule gives every Roane County home a radon-protection edge.
Put testing in the offer
Tennessee sellers disclose known material defects; “not known” is not a test result. Use a radon inspection contingency and leave time for follow-up.
Name the code office
Confirm whether the permit came from Roane County, Rockwood or Oak Ridge before asking which appendix and amendments applied.
Ask for construction evidence
For a new home, request plans, inspection records, vent routing and any passive-system details. “Built to the IRC” alone is not enough.
Verify the finished home
Test after construction and again after any mitigation work. A pipe, fan or regional average does not establish indoor concentration.
04 / Quick answers
What the records establish
Clear answers where the documents are clear—and explicit limits where local records are missing.
Is Roane County a high-radon area?
Yes. EPA classifies Roane County as Zone 1, its highest-potential category. Tennessee’s 2022–2023 dashboard showed a 1.6 pCi/L median and 8.4 maximum on two loads; a 2.3 average appeared on only one load and remains provisional.
Does unincorporated Roane County require radon-resistant construction?
No requirement was verified. The county’s official guide confirms the 2018 IRC, but the adopting resolution and appendix list were not found online. Ask the county office for the full adoption record before assuming Appendix F applies.
Does Rockwood adopt the radon appendix?
Rockwood’s code adopts the 2018 IRC “including appendix chapters,” which includes Appendix F. But Appendix F depends on a local designation of where it applies, and no Rockwood designation requiring radon-resistant construction was found.
What does Oak Ridge require?
Oak Ridge adopted the 2024 IRC through Ordinance 28-2024. Its residential-code section names no appendices and expressly excludes optional or recommended provisions, so Appendix BE is not mandated by that adoption.
How many certified testers are local?
Four NRPP-listed measurement professionals were based in Oak Ridge, all also credentialed for mitigation. None was listed in Kingston, Harriman or Rockwood. One NRSB Radon Measurement Specialist appeared within 25 miles of Kingston.
Does a low neighborhood average mean my home is safe?
No. The county sample size is unknown, the average is provisional, and radon can vary sharply between nearby buildings. A correctly run test is the only way to characterize a specific home.