Rutherford County appears in 2024 IRC Table BE101.1’s list of high radon-potential counties.
01 / Snapshot
The county has one risk zone—and five code stories.
Rutherford is listed as Zone 1 in the 2024 IRC’s radon appendix. Yet the practical protection a new home receives depends on the address: La Vergne adopted the appendix; Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Eagleville did not in the code texts reviewed; the unincorporated county’s position remains unverified.
Radon-resistant construction and post-construction testing are effectively required there; enforcement practice should still be confirmed.
Three populated reads settled the tooltip values; the one blank read was a rendering artifact. Band counts remain regional, not county-level.
02 / Building codes
La Vergne is the only reviewed jurisdiction with the radon appendix.
Smyrna moved to the 2024 IRC on April 15, 2026, adopting only Appendix BF (patio covers). The available Eagleville municipal code text adopts the 2012 IRC. Only La Vergne’s reviewed adoption expressly includes the radon appendix.
La VergneOrdinance #2026-03
2024 IRC · Appendices BA, BB, BD and BE
Radon appendix adopted
Appendix BE is Radon Control Methods. Because Rutherford County is in Zone 1, its adoption points to radon-resistant construction plus post-construction testing; Appendix BE requires a fan when the post-construction result is at or above 4 pCi/L. Exact passage/effective date was not available in the extracted ordinance.
MurfreesboroOrdinance No. 26-O-34 · adopted Sept. 3, 2026
2024 IRC · Appendices CC, CD, BF, BO, BG and NB
Not adopted
Appendix BE is absent, so radon-resistant new construction is optional under city code. A full municipal-code search returned zero results for “radon.” The effective date was not explicitly verified.
Smyrna2024 codes, effective April 15, 2026
2024 IRC · Appendix BF only
Not adopted
Smyrna adopted the 2024 International Residential Code effective April 15, 2026, with only Appendix BF (patio covers). The 2024 radon appendix, BE, is not adopted, so radon-resistant new construction is optional. Permits issued April 20, 2026 and later fall under the 2024 codes.
EaglevilleMunicipal Code §12-401 · Ordinance #2014-01
2012 IRC · Appendices G, H, J and K
Radon appendix not listed
The available MTAS municipal code text adopts the 2012 IRC and does not list Appendix F, the 2012 radon appendix. An Eagleville permit guide says qualifying plans are reviewed by Rutherford County Building Codes, so the current edition and division of enforcement authority should be reconfirmed before relying on the older code text.
Unincorporated Rutherford CountyCounty Commission action · May 14, 2026
2024 I-Codes adopted
Appendix unknown
The county now references the 2024 IRC, but the amendments scan could not be text-extracted. The appendix list, resolution number, and effective date remain unverified.
Why the address matters
A new home in La Vergne falls under a materially different radon code than a new home in Murfreesboro, Smyrna, or Eagleville. For unincorporated addresses—and for confirmation of Eagleville’s current enforcement arrangement—buyers should ask for the permit jurisdiction and written confirmation of the code and appendix in force.
03 / County data
The tooltip figures are verified. The band counts are not.
The Tennessee Radon Testing dashboard’s “All” view covers 2022–2023. Rutherford’s average, median, and maximum were settled by three populated reads; one blank read was a rendering artifact.
2.5pCi/L
Average shown for Rutherford County
0.9pCi/L
Median
3.9pCi/L
Maximum
Verified in the state Tableau dashboard on October 14, 2026. Three populated reads outweighed one blank read, which was determined to be a rendering artifact.
Do not read this as “the county is below 4.”
These figures summarize a limited test dataset, not every home in Rutherford County. EPA’s Zone 1 classification and a home-specific test are the relevant risk signals.
Publication status
Average: verified2.5 pCi/L, dashboard “All” view, 2022–2023.
Median: verified0.9 pCi/L, dashboard “All” view, 2022–2023.
Maximum: verified3.9 pCi/L, dashboard “All” view, 2022–2023.
County band counts: not confirmedThe visible pre/post tables were aggregated for the Mid-Cumberland health region, not Rutherford County.
5.5% elevated: do not publish as confirmedIt was derived from the regional band counts, not Rutherford County data.
04 / Local rules
No separate local radon rule was found.
The search found no Rutherford County, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne, or Eagleville rule for radon in public buildings, schools, or real estate transactions beyond ordinary state norms. Absence of an online rule is not proof that no internal policy exists.
What Tennessee does
- Tennessee does not license radon measurement or mitigation professionals.
- EPA recognizes NRPP and NRSB as the two national proficiency programs.
- State policy encourages school testing rather than requiring it.
- TDEC offers free homeowner test kits and technical information.
What would settle the gaps
Confirm uncodified practices directly with each codes office, the county attorney, Rutherford County Schools facilities, and Murfreesboro City Schools facilities.
That matters because a written school-facilities policy or internal public-building protocol may never appear in a searchable municipal code.
How do I find a certified radon professional in Rutherford 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.
05 / Real estate
Growth makes the new-construction split more consequential.
Tennessee’s standard seller disclosure addresses known environmental hazards, including radon, but no Rutherford-specific transaction rule was found. The practical question for buyers is what the builder installed—and what a test shows now.
Rutherford County
341,478 in 2020 →
376,996
July 1, 2024 estimate
Murfreesboro
152,835 in 2020 →
168,387
2024 estimate
Smyrna
53,106 in 2020 →
60,302
2024 estimate
La Vergne
38,709 in 2020 →
41,430
2024 estimate
For a Rutherford County home
Code compliance and radon safety are related, but they are not the same. Test the specific home—even in La Vergne, where Appendix BE includes post-construction testing.
1
Identify the permit jurisdiction.City and county code rules differ within Rutherford County.
2
Ask for the radon system details.For new construction, request plans, passive-system components, and any post-construction result.
3
Test the home itself.A county category or dashboard statistic cannot determine one property’s level.
4
Use a credentialed professional when needed.Tennessee licensing is not the filter; NRPP or NRSB certification is.
06 / Testing resources
Radon testing resources
Start with a test, know where to get help, and use the result—not the county average—to decide what the home needs.
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
American Lung Association’s free Radon Basics course explains the health risk, testing, and next steps.
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.
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.
07 / Sources
Primary and supporting sources
Links below are the source pages behind this guide. “Verified live” refers to pages read in a rendered browser on October 14, 2026.
Codes
- Murfreesboro Construction Codes
- Murfreesboro Code §7-11
- 2024 IRC Appendix BE
- Smyrna Municipal Code Title 12
- Town of Smyrna — Adopted 2024 Codes with Town Modifications
- La Vergne Codes
- La Vergne Ordinance #2026-03
- La Vergne residential adoption excerpt
- Eagleville Municipal Code Title 12
- Eagleville general permit guide