Radon in York County, PA: Test Results and Mitigation Cost

In York County, more than half of basement radon tests come back high. Across the 39 ZIP codes centered in the county that have at least 30 basement tests in the Pennsylvania DEP public data set, 48,332 of 85,880 tests (56.3%) read at or above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, by our count of the DEP data through July 2026.

Counting every floor level, DEP's data holds 98,845 York County tests, and 52.5% were at or above 4 pCi/L. EPA's 1993 Map of Radon Zones puts the county in Zone 1, the band with a predicted average screening level above 4 pCi/L, and all 42 York County ZIP areas in the Census Bureau file sit in Zone 1 counties.

For a typical York County basement home, HomeGuide's February 2026 survey puts a sub-slab depressurization system at $1,200 to $2,000 installed. Hollow block foundations, common in older rowhouses around the city of York, often call for block-wall depressurization at $1,800 to $3,000 (HomeGuide).

Licensing and permits

Who may install: Pennsylvania requires DEP certification for anyone who tests for radon or installs a mitigation system for a fee, under 25 Pa. Code Chapter 240. Ask a York County bidder for the individual's DEP certification number and the firm's, and check it against DEP's list.

Reporting: certified mitigators file installation and post-mitigation results with DEP under the same chapter, so a York job leaves a paper trail you can keep with the deed and inspection file.

Building permits: York County municipalities administer the Uniform Construction Code locally or through a third-party agency, and some want an electrical permit for the fan circuit. HomeGuide reports radon permits at $25 to $150 where required; ask whether it is in the bid.

Home sales: buyers in the Hanover and York markets often test during the inspection contingency. A DEP-certified tester's result carries more weight in a seller-credit negotiation than a store kit.

Local conditions

York County sits on the Piedmont. The York Valley, which runs east to west through the city of York, is underlain by limestone and dolomite, and the hills south toward the Maryland line are schist and other metamorphic rock. Uranium-bearing rock and permeable fractured bedrock both feed radon into soil gas, which EPA's zone method weighed when it rated the county Zone 1.

The DEP data shows how widespread high readings are. Basement tests in ZIP 17402 (east York) were 59.8% at or above 4 pCi/L across 8,558 tests, 17403 (south York) 58.8% across 6,769, and 17356 (Red Lion) 67.0% across 4,161. Hanover's 17331, near the Adams County line, logged 11,505 tests at 50.2% (PA DEP data, our count).

Many York County homes are older brick and frame houses with fieldstone or block basements along the Codorus Creek corridor, and newer subdivisions along I-83 and US 30 sit on poured slabs. The foundation, not the ZIP, decides which system a mitigator recommends.

What drives local prices

Foundation in a York County house: a poured basement slab usually takes sub-slab suction at $1,200 to $2,000, while a hollow block wall can need block-wall depressurization at $1,800 to $3,000, based on HomeGuide's published Feb 2026 ranges.
Starting level: with ZIPs like 17356 above 60% of tests at or above 4 pCi/L in DEP data, very high readings are common locally, and they can mean a larger fan or a second suction point, which our calculator prices at an est. $250 to $500 per point.
Fieldstone or rubble basements around the older boroughs leak more air than poured walls and may need extra sealing (est.).
Permit and retest: a permit runs $25 to $150 where a municipality requires one and a professional post-mitigation test $125 to $400 (HomeGuide).
Pipe route: rowhouses with no side yard may force an interior or attic route, which our calculator treats as an est. ×1.15.

Common jobs

Sub-slab depressurization in a 1950s to 1990s ranch or two-story with a poured basement.
Block-wall depressurization in older homes with hollow block foundations.
Sump pit sealing and cover where a basement drains to a sump.
Fan replacement and system checks on systems installed years ago, often found during a sale.
Post-mitigation test by a DEP-certified tester after the system runs at least 24 hours (EPA Consumer's Guide).

From test to fixed, and where we cover

Step 1: test the lowest lived-in level; the York County ZIP results above are a reason to test, not a substitute for a test.

Step 2: if the result is 4 pCi/L or higher, get two bids from DEP-certified mitigators. Step 3: compare each bid with the radon mitigation cost calculator range. Step 4: retest after installation and keep the DEP-reported result.

We take requests from across York County, from Hanover and Spring Grove in the west to Wrightsville on the Susquehanna River, and from Dillsburg in the north to Stewartstown near the Maryland line.

Communities: York, Hanover, Red Lion, Dover, Dillsburg, Shrewsbury, Wrightsville, Spring Grove, Stewartstown

Before you sign

Radon is a long-term exposure risk, not an emergency, so there is time to test properly and compare bids (EPA Citizen's Guide). Do not let a contractor rush you into signing the same day; ask for the DEP certification number, the fan warranty and a written post-mitigation test.

Questions about York County

Is radon common in York County, PA?

Yes. In PA DEP data, 56.3% of basement tests in the county's ZIPs with at least 30 tests read 4 pCi/L or higher, and EPA's map places York County in Zone 1.

Which York County ZIP codes test highest?

Among ZIPs with more than 4,000 basement tests in DEP data, Red Lion's 17356 was highest at 67.0%, followed by 17402 at 59.8% and 17403 at 58.8%.

What does radon mitigation cost in York County?

No agency publishes local prices. HomeGuide's national survey puts a sub-slab system at $1,200 to $2,000 and block-wall systems at $1,800 to $3,000; get two DEP-certified bids.

Does my York County mitigator need a license?

Yes. Pennsylvania requires DEP certification for paid radon testing and mitigation (25 Pa. Code Chapter 240).

Sources

Nearby counties

Rules and fees change; confirm with the state radon office. Price your own system with the radon mitigation cost calculator, read the radon mitigation cost guide, or check any ZIP with the radon levels by ZIP tool.