The Walsh Homeowner's Guide

Crawl Space Encapsulation: What You're Getting, How It Works & How to Save

Everything you’ll want to know before we start: what your finished crawl space will look like, what to expect while we work at your home, and the options that bring the price down.

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The Finished Product

What Your Crawl Space Will Look Like

Most crawl spaces start damp, dark and musty: bare dirt, sagging insulation, mold on the joists, maybe some standing water. Here’s what you’ll see when we’re done.

bright encapsulation

Clean white liner across the ground

A heavy vapor barrier covers the entire dirt floor and is sealed at every seam, pier and wall, so ground moisture can’t rise into the space.

Vents sealed shut

Foundation vents are closed off so humid summer air stops pouring in and condensing on your framing.

Insulated foundation walls

On a full encapsulation, wall blankets add R-11 to walls that otherwise provide almost no insulation.

A dehumidifier doing the work

A dedicated unit holds humidity under 60%, the level where mold stops growing, and drains automatically.

Dry, clean wood and fresher air upstairs

No more musty smell, no fallen insulation, and wood that stays under 19% moisture.

10 YEAR WARRANTY ★★★

Peace of Mind

Warranty on Every Full Encapsulation

  • Vapor barrier: 10-year warranty
  • Dehumidifier: 5 year manufacturer’s warranty

Warranty applies to full encapsulations only.

The Process

How It Works, Start to Finish

01

Cleanout & Treatment

The crew removes old insulation and debris and treats any mold so the space is clean.

02

Installation

Vapor barrier, vent sealing, wall insulation or dimple mat, the dehumidifier and any drainage go in.

03

Final Walkthrough

We show you before and after photos, set the dehumidifier, and walk you through what to keep an eye on.

What to Expect in Your Home

Most of the work happens under your house, not inside it. Here’s what day to day looks like.

We work from outside

The crew goes in through the crawl space access, so we’re rarely inside your living space.

Some noise underfoot

You’ll hear the crew moving and fastening below the floor during working hours. Working from home is usually fine.

Power & drainage

The dehumidifier needs an outlet and a place to drain. We’ll plan both with you before install day.

A clear schedule

You’ll know your start date and how many days your job will take before we begin. Larger or messier spaces take longer.

Ways to Save

Options for Every Budget

We’ll always recommend what we think is right for your home, but you choose the scope. Here’s how the options compare.

Recommended

Full Encapsulation

$7.80 – $8.80

per sq. ft.

  • Mold remediation
  • Vent sealing & vapor barrier
  • Wall insulation blankets (R-11)
  • Dehumidifier

Best for: mold throughout, wet wood (19%+) and humidity over 60%. Includes our dry crawl space guarantee.

More Affordable

Partial Encapsulation

$6.30 – $6.90

per sq. ft.

  • Mold remediation
  • Vent sealing & vapor barrier
  • Dimple mat on walls (no wall insulation)
  • Dehumidifier

Tradeoff: uninsulated walls let more humid air in, so the dehumidifier works harder. Not covered by our guarantee.

Individual Services

Pick What You Need

per sq. ft.

  • Vapor barrier only: $1.70 – $2.20 / sq. ft.
  • Dehumidifier install: $2,500 – $2,900
  • Sump pump install: $1,200 – $1,600

Best for: milder problems where the space is mostly dry.

Smart Ways to Lower Your Price

Go partial instead of full

Save $2,000–$3,500

on a typical 1,700 sq. ft. crawl space

We skip the wall blankets and use a dimple mat on the walls instead. The tradeoff: your dehumidifier works harder, and partial jobs aren’t covered by our guarantee.

Switch to an AlorAir dehumidifier

Save ~$1,000

vs. our standard Aprilaire

Every quote includes our reccomendation of an Aprilaire. You can switch to an AlorAir to lower your cost. The tradeoff: the AlorAir isn’t as reliable as the Aprilaire.

Ask about financing

Pay over time

monthly payment options

Spread the cost of a full encapsulation into monthly payments so you don’t have to settle for less than your home needs. See financing.

Leave us a testimonial

Save $100

for a video testimonial

Film a short video yourself explaining the problem you had, what we did, and why you liked working with us, and we’ll take $100 off your job.

Refer a friend

Earn $500

for every referral who books

Send a friend or neighbor our way. For every referral who books with us, we’ll pay you $500 once they make their initial deposit.

What moves the price: square footage, wall height, how tight the crawl space is to work in, and how much mold, damage or standing water there is. Your exact price comes from your inspection. See our full pricing.

Find Out Exactly What Your Crawl Space Needs

A free inspection with photos and a written price, plus the affordable options, so you can choose what’s right for your home.

Get Your Free Inspection

See exactly what your crawl space needs, with photos and a written price.

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