Questions, answered
The questions we actually get asked on inspections - with real numbers and no hedging.
Typical prices for every repair: see the cost guideMost coastal encapsulation projects run about $5,000–$15,000. The variables are square footage, how much drainage the space needs, debris and old barrier removal, structural repairs found along the way, and whether a dehumidifier is included. You get one fixed written price after the free inspection - not an hourly rate that drifts.
Pier work is priced per pier, and the count comes from the engineering - how much of the structure has settled, how deep load-bearing soil sits, and the weight of the house. That's why we won't quote piers over the phone. After the inspection you get a fixed price with the pier count, locations and depth expectations written down.
Yes, and there's no obligation attached. We take moisture and humidity readings, check framing and supports, photograph what we find and leave you a written report with a fixed-price plan. If your home doesn't need work, we tell you that and you keep the report.
Yes - low monthly payment plans are available with approved credit, and applying takes minutes during your inspection appointment. We'll show you the fixed price and the monthly option side by side so you can decide with real numbers.
Usually not. Most policies exclude gradual settlement, earth movement and long-term moisture damage, though sudden events like a plumbing leak under the slab are sometimes covered. Check your policy - and if you're filing, our written report and photo documentation are built to support a claim.
Yes. The inspection is free either way, and the written report shows what is wet, what is failing and what a fix costs, so you can lay it next to the other quote line by line. Sometimes the honest answer is that the job can be smaller.
On the coast, most crawl space moisture is airborne, not runoff. Warm humid air enters through the vents and condenses on cooler framing, ductwork and pipes - the same way a cold glass sweats. Add a shallow water table wicking moisture up through the dirt and the space never dries out on its own.
A loose sheet of plastic over dirt slows ground evaporation and nothing else. Full encapsulation seals the floor and runs up the walls and piers, closes the vents, seals penetrations and adds dehumidification - that combination is what actually holds humidity down through a coastal summer.
Almost always, because the smell is microbial growth feeding on damp wood, and up to half the air upstairs is drawn from below. Remove the moisture and the source stops. Where growth is already heavy we clean and treat affected wood before sealing.
On this coast, nearly always. Sealing removes most of the moisture load, but a properly sized unit with a humidistat and drain line holds the space in range in August and after heavy rain. It appears as its own line item on your quote.
Whatever the damage calls for. That usually means cutting out and replacing rotted sill plates and rim joists, sistering or replacing joists, replacing soft subfloor from below, treating mold on the framing, and replacing a torn barrier, soaked insulation or a failed sump. We also fix the moisture source, so the new wood stays dry.
One to three days for most homes. Debris removal, drainage work or structural repairs can add a day. You'll have the schedule in writing before we start, and you can stay in the house the whole time.
On this coast, open vents let in humid summer air that condenses on cooler framing and ductwork, so they don't dry a crawl space out in July and August. Closing them only helps once the space is sealed and dried, with a dehumidifier holding the humidity down. In a FEMA flood zone the flood openings have to stay, so check before closing any vent.
Yes. Roof water dumped at the foundation soaks the sand next to the footing and works its way under the house, sealed or not. Clean gutters and downspouts that discharge well away from the house take load off the drainage, the sump and the dehumidifier.
Hairline vertical cracks in concrete are often shrinkage and cosmetic. Diagonal or stair-step cracking through brick and block, cracks wider than about a quarter inch, cracks that keep growing, and cracks paired with sticking doors or sloping floors point to active settlement. Those get inspected, not patched.
When piers are engineered and installed correctly, yes. Push and helical piers carry the load down to stable strata well below the surface layer that moves - and that work can carry a long-term transferable warranty that follows the house to the next owner.
Push piers use the weight of the structure to drive to load-bearing strata, so they suit heavier homes. Helical piers screw in and generate their own capacity, which makes them right for lighter structures, additions, porches and decks. Soil conditions and the load decide it - that call comes out of the inspection.
Usually undersized framing or long joist spans, plus original wood posts that have rotted or settled into soft dirt. Steel jacks and a supplemental beam restore support and take the deflection out - a one-day fix on many coastal homes.
Often, yes - a controlled lift on piers can recover much of the original elevation and close settlement cracks. How far we can safely go depends on the structure and finishes; we set that expectation in writing before we start rather than promising perfectly level.
Mark both ends of the crack with a pencil line and the date, and photograph it next to a ruler. Check it every few weeks, especially after heavy rain or a long dry spell. A crack that grows past your marks, widens, or comes with doors that start sticking is active and worth an inspection.
The ground and the air both work against them. Sandy soil over a shallow water table keeps moisture close to the surface, summer dew points keep vented crawl spaces damp for months, and salt air corrodes straps, fasteners and duct hangers. Fill and sand also carry load unevenly, so supports settle at different rates.
Look in from the access door first, and stay out if there is water in the space. Check for standing water, wet or fallen insulation and a liner that has lifted or torn, and make sure the dehumidifier and the sump are running, since a power cut stops both. If water is still there a day later or the floor feels different, call: we run 24/7 emergency response for storm water under the house.
Work goes on year-round here. Spring is a good time to seal and dry a crawl space, before summer dew points climb and the space starts sweating, and pier work goes on in any season. Inspections are usually within the same week whenever you call.
It can. Large roots pull moisture out of the soil on one side of a footing, and when a big tree comes down, the ground where its roots were can settle as they decay. Settlement near a mature oak, or where one was removed, is worth an inspection before anyone recommends piers.
Often, and the rules depend on where you live. In Florida, state law requires a permit to alter or repair a building unless the work is specifically exempt (section 553.79, Florida Statutes), and in Georgia permits come from your city or county building department. A written quote should say which permits the job needs and who pulls them.
It's worth knowing what you have first, because a buyer's inspector will look under the house. A documented repair, with photos, readings and the warranty in writing, answers the questions a buyer would otherwise ask, and engineered pier work can carry a long-term warranty that transfers to the next owner. If you'd rather sell as-is, the inspection report still tells you what a buyer will find.
St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Brunswick, Jekyll Island, St. Marys, Woodbine, Midway and Hinesville in Georgia, plus Amelia Island and Yulee in Florida. We work from Brunswick and St. Simons Island - if you're near the coast in between, call and ask.
No. Our own IICRC-trained crews do every repair, in every town we serve. The person who inspects your home works for the company that stands behind the warranty.
Inspections are usually within the same week, and often sooner on the islands. For emergencies - storm water under the house, a failed support, a sudden drop - we run 24/7 emergency response.
Yes, and it's one of the best calls you can make. You get the same free inspection with a written report, photos and repair pricing - documentation you can take straight into negotiation.
Every repair carries a workmanship warranty on our labor, handed over in writing at the end of the job. Engineered pier stabilization can also carry a long-term warranty that transfers to the next owner of the house.
Clear a path to the crawl space access and to the work areas outside, move cars if the driveway is needed, and keep pets inside on work days. Anything specific to your house, like an access door that is hard to reach, gets sorted out at the inspection.
Each service page answers the questions we get about that repair, starting with what it costs.
Free inspection · No obligation
We measure, photograph and explain what we find - then give you one fixed written price. No pressure, and no obligation to book anything.
