Most people I work for in Manchester Township don't write "Manchester Township" on their mail. They write York, PA 17406, same as the township building on Farmtrail Road. So if you landed here wondering whether I come out your way, you're well inside the area I cover for radon mitigation in York PA and the townships around it.
What's Under Manchester Township
The limestone of the York valley runs up into Manchester Township around Emigsville. One layer of that rock is even named the Emigsville Member. Newer subdivisions here usually have poured basements, but poured doesn't mean low. The ground underneath still decides how much gas is waiting at the slab. More on York County geology and radon.
One Township, Three Kinds of Houses
Manchester Township isn't one housing type, and that matters for a radon system more than most people expect.
Emigsville. The old village sits around North George Street and Emig Road. The Emig Mansion there dates to about 1810, and the village still has 19th-century brick buildings and a former two-room schoolhouse. In a house that old, I'm looking for additions built on their own footings, old foundation walls, and a basement that's been changed a few times over the years.
The established developments. Penn State Estates, The Ridings and similar neighborhoods are suburban single-family homes. These are usually the most straightforward installs, but "usually" is doing some work in that sentence. A finished basement or a sump in the wrong spot changes the plan.
The new construction. Farmbrook Meadows, Eagles View, Gray Apple Village, Welbourne Reserve. The township has permitted more than 100 new single-family homes since 2021, and more are in the pipeline.
I don't design a system from the subdivision name. I design it from what's under your slab, where the sump is, and how the basement is finished. The walkthrough is how I find that out.
For more on how each foundation changes the system, see my radon guide by foundation type.
Newer House? Still Test It.
This is the question I hear most from the newer developments, and the answer comes straight from Pennsylvania DEP. There's no reliable way to test the ground before a house is built and know what the finished house will read. DEP tells people to test soon after moving in, even when the builder put in radon-resistant features.
It's also worth knowing that the state's list of local building-code changes doesn't show Manchester Township requiring radon-resistant construction. So whether your new home came with a passive vent pipe depends on your builder, not the township. If you've got a capped PVC pipe coming up out of the basement floor with no fan on it, that's often a system that was roughed in and never finished. Adding a fan to a passive pipe is usually a much smaller job than a new install.
What the Local Numbers Say
Pennsylvania DEP keeps a public record of radon tests reported in the state. From the 17406 ZIP code, 1,873 of 3,197 basement tests came back at or above 4 pCi/L, the EPA action level. That's about 59 percent. The 17406 ZIP covers much of Manchester Township plus parts of the townships next to it, so treat it as a neighborhood-level picture, not a township-only figure.
Across all of York County, 46,199 of 81,840 basement tests reported to DEP hit 4 pCi/L or higher. Statewide, DEP puts it at about 40 percent of tested homes.
What none of that tells you is your number. Two houses on the same street can test far apart. If you haven't tested, start there. My radon testing is typically around $165.
How a Manchester Township Job Goes
- Walkthrough. I look at the foundation, the sump, any additions, and where a pipe could run outside without ending up somewhere you'll hate looking at.
- Suction point. I check how air moves under the slab before I pick a spot. The township's own comprehensive plan notes carbonate rock, sinkholes and springs in parts of Manchester Township. I don't read that as "more radon." It's one more reason not to guess at what's under a slab.
- Pipe and fan. DEP reports that more than 99 percent of Pennsylvania mitigation systems are sub-slab depressurization, and that's what most houses here get too.
- Sealing. Cracks, gaps, and any open sump. If your sump pit is open, I seal it or tie it into the system.
- Retest. Every install gets a post-mitigation retest. It's included, not an add-on.
You get one written number before anything is scheduled.
Questions I Get From Manchester Township
My house is only a few years old. Do I really need to test?
Yes. DEP's own guidance is that a new house needs testing after it's finished and occupied, because there's no way to predict the result from the lot. New doesn't mean low.
I'm in an older house in Emigsville. Can you still put a system in?
Almost always. Older houses take more looking. An addition on its own footing may need its own suction point, and old foundation walls may need more sealing. I'll tell you what I see at the walkthrough and what it changes about the price.
Will the pipe have to run up the front of my house?
Usually not. Most of the time I can run it up a side or back wall, or through an attached garage. Pennsylvania's mitigation standards control where the pipe can discharge, so there are some limits, but I'll show you the options before anything gets drilled.
What are your hours if I want to set up a visit?
Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 7:30pm, and Saturday from 7:30am to 2:00pm. Estimates are free.
Other Work I Do Here
Along with radon, I do mold testing and indoor air quality testing for Manchester Township homes. I also work in North York, Spring Garden Township and West York. See the full service area or all services.