Verified dashboard average
2.0 pCi/L
County label confirmed on two live reads. Median and maximum were withheld because their values did not render.
Van Buren County, Tennessee · Research reviewed October 15, 2026
Van Buren County Radon · County radon field report
Van Buren County, TN radon The confirmed number is 2.0.
Van Buren County’s available test average is below the federal action level. But its EPA zone, most of its local-code status, and two of three dashboard statistics remain unresolved. For an individual home, the test is still the evidence that counts.
Radon in Van Buren County, Tennessee: quick answers
EPA zone: Zone 2Region: Middle TennesseeState test data: State test figures confirmed on repeat checks
Is radon a problem in Van Buren County, Tennessee?
It can be. Van Buren 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 Van Buren County, TN have to be built radon-resistant?
No. Spencer's 2009 code lists no appendices, and unincorporated Van Buren County appears opted out of residential code enforcement. Local code details
How do I test my home for radon in Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren County from nearby cities. How to choose a radon professional
Local mandate
None found
Spencer’s published code omits Appendix F; the county likely opts out of residential enforcement, but current status is not confirmed.
Credentialed supply
0 NRPP local
No NRPP listing based in Spencer, McMinnville, or Cookeville; one NRSB measurement specialist is listed in Sparta.
01 / BUILDING CODES
Two jurisdictions. Neither has a confirmed radon mandate.
The legal picture divides between Spencer and the unincorporated county. Both conclusions are useful, but both carry currency caveats.
Current status unconfirmed
Unincorporated Van Buren County
A 2011 MTAS table lists “Van Buren County — OPT OUT,” and later secondary sources remain consistent with no county residential-code enforcement. Because opt-outs require renewal, this is not current proof.
Likely outcome: no code-required radon-resistant construction.
MTAS opt-in / opt-out table ↗Published code verified
City of Spencer
The latest published codification adopts the 2009 International Residential Code by reference. It gives no appendix list, so Appendix F—the radon appendix—is not adopted.
Published outcome: radon-resistant construction is optional.
Spencer Title 12 code PDF ↗
State backstop
Where Tennessee’s State Fire Marshal enforces the residential code, it uses the 2018 IRC plus Appendix Q only. Appendix F is not adopted, and the rule excludes optional or recommended provisions. That backstop is moot if Van Buren County’s opt-out remains current. Read the state rule ↗
Voluntary inspection
Even in an opt-out jurisdiction, an owner may request a voluntary State Fire Marshal inspection during construction to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy—potentially useful when a lender or loan program requires one. State opt-out guidance ↗
02 / RISK PROFILE
One clean reading. Three important limits.
The Tennessee dashboard supports a county average. It does not support a county median, maximum, or county-level test-band count for Van Buren.
Average radon level · 2022–2023 dashboard
2.0 picocuries per liter
Verified live on October 15, 2026, with the tooltip’s county label reading “Van Buren” on two separate reads.
Do not read more into the figure than the source allows.
EPA ZONE
Not definitively confirmed. Secondary sources are unclear, and the EPA county table could not be extracted. The page does not label Van Buren as Zone 3.
MEDIAN + MAX
Not published. Their tooltip labels appeared, but the values never populated. The earlier 2.2 / 2.2 transcription remains unverified.
TEST COUNTS
Not county counts. Selecting Van Buren filters the band charts to the Southeast health region, so those bars cannot be presented as Van Buren data.
How do I find a certified radon professional in Van Buren 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
Test the house, not the county label.
Van Buren’s housing story is existing homes, not a surge of code-driven new construction. The practical decision point is the transaction.
01
Write testing into the offer
Tennessee’s disclosure form advises buyers to include a radon inspection contingency. It does not require the seller to perform a radon test.
02
Do not rely on newness
The county saw only 0–7 single-family permits a year from 2015–2024. Inside or outside Spencer, no radon appendix is confirmed as mandatory.
03
Use the result, not the average
A county average is context, not a diagnosis. EPA guidance is to test all homes because elevated levels occur in every radon zone.
Need a low-cost starting point? Tennessee’s radon program offers free DIY test kits. The program number listed in the research is 1-800-232-1139.
Kit information ↗04 / RADON TESTING RESOURCES
Radon testing resources
Use these national and Tennessee resources to test your home, understand the result, and find qualified help.
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 US lung cancer deaths a year — the 2nd leading cause overall, and the #1 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 / NEIGHBORING COUNTIES
Related county radon guides
Continue with nearby county code findings, risk data, and testing guidance.
06 / SOURCES
Primary records and live directories.
Links below are the principal records behind this field report. Directory and dashboard checks reflect October 15, 2026.