How it works

Raleigh Crawlspace Pros covers crawl space repair, encapsulation, vapor barriers, drainage and mold remediation across Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Apex, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Durham and Chapel Hill, and 12 more communities in the Raleigh-Durham area. This page sets out what happens between describing the problem and holding a written quote.

What you get

Free Inspection. Tell us what you are seeing and we will follow up to schedule your free crawl space inspection. No obligation to hire.

To ask for one, request a free crawl space inspection.

What the inspection looks at

Water explains most of what goes wrong under a Triangle house, so a thorough visit works through the crawl space in a predictable order:

• Water. Puddles, wet soil, silt lines along a wall, and where the downspouts and grade send roof water.
• Air humidity. A relative humidity and temperature reading in the crawl space, compared with outdoors.
• Wood moisture and soundness. Meter readings in the joists, sill and subfloor, and a probe into any suspect wood.
• Ground cover and insulation. Torn or missing plastic, water sitting on it, and batts hanging or lying on the soil.
• Insects. Mud tubes, galleries and frass from termites or powderpost beetles.
• Vents, ducts and access. Blocked vents, unsealed duct joints, and any gas equipment that draws combustion air from the crawl space.

The crawl space inspection guide explains each check, the code sections behind it, and what an independent home inspection does and does not cover.

What to have in hand afterwards

1. Photographs of each finding, with where in the crawl space it was taken.
2. The readings themselves - humidity with the time and outdoor conditions, and wood moisture with locations.
3. A cause for each problem. Water after rain, a leak, condensation on cold ducts and bare soil each lead to a different job.
4. A written scope and price: what will be done, in what order, with what materials, and what is excluded.
5. What could not be seen, such as wood hidden behind insulation or areas too low to reach.

When the quote arrives, the quote checker walks through it line by line, and the cost hub shows every published Triangle range with its source.

Getting ready for the visit

• Clear the way to the crawl space hatch - shrubs, stored items or a deck over the access can turn a full inspection into a partial one.
• Write down what you have noticed and when: a smell worse in the morning, a puddle after a particular storm, a floor that started to give last spring.
• Gather an old termite report, a previous inspection, or warranty paperwork for an existing liner or dehumidifier.
• Do not go in after standing water yourself where there is wiring, a pump or other equipment.

Before you sign anything

North Carolina requires a general contractor license for a project costing $40,000 or more, which most single crawl space jobs fall below. Whoever quotes the work, check the business name on the quote against the state register, and ask for a certificate of insurance sent by the insurer. Checking a contractor's license shows how, and what to ask for when no license is required.