Without the made-up numbers
What affects the price
You will not find figures on this page. A number that fits every house would be wrong for nearly all of them, and this site does not set anyone's prices. What it can do is show what makes one job cost more than another, so a proposal makes sense when you read it.
Call (205) 555-0115Size and access
Almost everything is priced by area or by length: square feet of liner, feet of drain, feet of trench. A bigger footprint costs more.
Access changes the labor. A crawl space you can kneel in is quicker to work in than one where a person has to lie flat. A basement wall behind a furnace, a finished wall or built-in cabinets takes longer than a bare one. Outside, a wall that an excavator can reach costs less to expose than one behind a deck.
What has to be undone first
Clearing and repair can equal the main job. Removing wet insulation and old plastic, cleaning framing, replacing soft joists or subfloor, and hauling it all away are each a line of their own. So is taking down and rebuilding the lower part of finished basement walls. Ask for these to be itemized so you can see what is repair and what is prevention.
How much water there is
A crawl space that is only humid needs a liner and a dehumidifier. One that takes in water also needs drains and a pump, and possibly work in the yard. A basement with one leaking crack is a small repair. One with water along three walls is a system.
This is why diagnosis matters to the price. If the cause is a downspout, the cheap fix is the right one, and a company should say so.
Materials and equipment
- Liner. Thicker, reinforced sheet costs more and lasts longer under foot traffic.
- Pumps. A single pump is the base. A backup pump, battery and alarm add to it.
- Dehumidifier. Capacity, and whether a remote display and condensate pump are included.
- Wall insulation. Foam board on crawl space walls is an addition some proposals include and others leave out.
- Membranes and drainage board. For exterior work, the product and the depth of wall it covers.
Trades and permits
A new electrical outlet for a pump or dehumidifier is an electrician's work. Moving a water heater or an air conditioning unit brings in a plumber or a heating and cooling contractor. Putting a finished room back together is carpentry and painting. Check which of these are inside the price and which you would arrange separately. If the city requires a permit for any part, the fee and the time to obtain it belong in the proposal too.
Comparing two proposals fairly
Line them up item by item. Are both treating the same walls? The same liner thickness? Does one include a backup pump and the other not? Does one include wood repair and the other assume there is none?
When the scopes match, the prices can be compared. When they do not, the cheaper one may simply be doing less. Ask each company to explain what the other has left out or added. Their answers tell you a lot about both.
Ask about payment terms as well. Some companies offer financing through a lender. Read those terms as carefully as the contract itself.
Price questions
Can someone give me a rough figure by phone?
A company may give a broad idea from your description, but it will not be reliable until someone has seen the space. Treat any phone figure as a guess.
Is there a charge for the company to come and look?
That is each company's own policy. Ask when you book the visit, so there are no surprises.
Does homeowners insurance pay for waterproofing?
Policies differ, and this site cannot tell you what yours covers. Preventive work is commonly treated differently from sudden damage. Your insurer or agent is the one to ask.
Is the most expensive proposal the most thorough?
Not necessarily. Compare what each one actually includes, as described above.