Cost Of Crawl Space Encapsulation In Pennsylvania

You want to encapsulate your crawl space. You’ve heard about the benefits of encapsulation: a more comfortable home, better indoor air quality, and lower energy bills, among other things. The biggest hurdle you have to face now is the cost of encapsulation. Can you afford to encapsulate your crawl space?

Every crawl space is different, which makes estimating costs online tricky. While we cannot tell you exactly how much encapsulation will cost in your case, we can empower you to calculate a range of pricing based on the size of your crawl space. This guide is accurate for homes near Greencastle, Harrisburg, Hagerstown, York, and Martinsburg.

By the end of this article, you will know:

• Why online encapsulation estimates cannot be more precise
• The minimum price of encapsulating your crawl space
• The maximum price of encapsulating your crawl space
• Which price range is more likely for your situation

Why Can’t I Estimate Encapsulation Costs Exactly?

For many of our services, calculating costs can be broken down into manageable pieces. Using our guides, you can understand the cost behind insulating your basement walls or attic floors. We explain the concept of board feet and give you our rates per board foot. A rough estimate is simple as long as you know the square footage.

Compared to other spray foam insulation jobs, encapsulation is a complex process. Accurately breaking down every aspect and variable of encapsulation costs would involve many steps. While we thoroughly cover these variables in another article, here is a simplified list of the complexities related to encapsulation.

1. Removal of existing insulation
2. Accessibility of the crawl space
3. Height of the crawl space walls
4. The foundation material
5. Thickness of the vapor barrier
6. Addition of optional dimple mat
7. Number of support pillars
8. Installation of dehumidification system

Any of these factors can drive the cost of encapsulating your crawl space up or down. It would take 64 examples to address every possible combination of these factors.

Instead of drowning you in examples, this article will teach you how to calculate an estimate with the lowest, average, and highest costs. Based on these factors, we’ll determine which range is the most accurate for your crawl space.

The cost per square foot for a crawl space encapsulation is between $4 and $8.

• Lowest encapsulation cost: $4 per square foot
• Average encapsulation cost: $6 per square foot
• Highest encapsulation cost: $8 per square foot

In our service area, the average crawl space is between 1,100 and 1,400 square feet. However, every crawl space is unique. Some are smaller than 700 square feet, and others push 2,700 square feet.

Most of the crawl spaces we encapsulate cost in the low and medium price points. It is rare for a crawl space in our service area to be in the high price range.

Let’s examine a few sample crawl spaces and estimate the lowest, highest, and average costs to encapsulate them.

Sample Small Crawl Space Estimate

This crawl space is below average for our service area, so we are classifying it as small.

1. Find Square Footage

When we encapsulate a crawl space, we put materials on the crawl space floor and walls. However, when you are estimating, you only need to know the square footage of the floors. The square footage of the floor communicates everything except the height of your walls. Wall height is a variable that influences the cost per square foot.

The floor is 27 feet long and 23 feet wide, meaning the square footage of the floor is 621 square feet.

[27 ft x 23 ft = 621 sq ft]

2. Calculate Cost By Price Per Square Foot

After finding the square footage, we can calculate the possible prices. The lowest cost is $4 per square foot. A crawl space at this price likely does not need a dehumidification system or dimple mat. The minimum price to encapsulate this crawl space is $2,484.

[621 sq ft x $4 per sq ft = $2,484]

The average cost of encapsulation is $6 per square foot. At this price, the crawl space likely has existing insulation that must be removed. It may also need a thicker vapor barrier. The average cost to encapsulate this crawl space is $3,726.

[621 sq ft x $6 per sq ft = $3,726]

The highest cost of encapsulation is $8 per square foot. If this crawl space has many support pillars and a stone foundation, it could fall into this price range. The need for a dehumidification system and dimple mat would also contribute to the cost. The maximum price to encapsulate this crawl space is $4,968.

[621 sq ft x $8 per sq ft = $4,968]

Sample Large Crawl Space Estimate

The square footage of this crawl space is on the higher end of average for our service area. This crawl space also has taller than average walls, which will increase the materials cost for the spray foam insulation.

1. Find Square Footage

Like our previous example, we start by finding the square footage of just the floor. The floor is 40 feet long and 34 feet wide, which means the square footage of the floor is 1,360.

[40 ft x 34 ft = 1,360 sq ft]

2. Calculate Cost By Price Per Square Foot

We can calculate the possible prices now that we have the square footage. The lowest cost is $4 per square foot. For a crawl space to be encapsulated at this price, the foundation is concrete and there is no existing insulation to remove. The crawl space would also not need a dehumidifier.

However, this crawl space has tall walls. It is unlikely that this crawl space would cost $4 per square foot, even with a concrete foundation and without a dehumidifier. The minimum price to encapsulate this crawl space is $5,440.

[1,360 sq ft x $4 per sq ft = $5,440]

The average cost of encapsulation is $6 per square foot. At this price, the crawl space may have some support pillars which complicate encapsulation. The space may also require a dimple mat. The average cost to encapsulate this crawl space is $8,160.

[1,360 sq ft x $6 per sq ft = $8,160]

The highest cost of encapsulation is $8 per square foot. Because this crawl space has taller walls, it may fall into this range. A stone foundation, thick vapor barrier, or dehumidification system would also increase the price tag. The maximum price to encapsulate this crawl space is $10,880.

[1,360 sq ft x $8 per sq ft = $10,880]

Sample Expansive Crawl Space Estimate

This crawl space is much larger than the average crawl space in our service area. This crawl space also has short walls, which could cause some accessibility difficulties for an insulation team.

1. Find Square Footage

We begin with the square footage of the floor. With a length of 60 feet and a width of 40 feet, the square footage of the floor is 2,400 square feet.

[60 ft x 40 ft = 2,400 sq ft]

2. Calculate Cost By Price Per Square Foot

We’ll use the square footage to calculate the possible prices for this above-average crawl space.

The lowest cost is $4 per square foot. Given the short walls of this crawl space, there should be no existing insulation to remove. The crawl space should also not require a dimple mat or thicker vapor barrier. Because the space is so vast, there are likely many support pillars. This crawl space would only fall into this category if it had a concrete foundation and did not require a dehumidifier. Meeting all these criteria, the minimum price to encapsulate this crawl space is $9,600.

[2,400 sq ft x $4 per sq ft = $9,600]

The average cost of encapsulation is $6 per square foot. This is a more realistic price for this crawl space. The space likely will need a dehumidification system. The average cost to encapsulate this crawl space is $14,400.

[2,400 sq ft x $6 per sq ft = $14,400]

The highest cost of encapsulation is $8 per square foot. This is the most realistic price bracket if this crawl space needs a dimple mat and a thicker vapor barrier. A crawl space this big could house HVAC equipment and a dehumidifier, necessitating a studier floor. The maximum price to encapsulate this crawl space is $19,200.

[2,400 sq ft x $8 per sq ft = $19,200]

Which Estimate Is Most Accurate For Me?

If you peek into your crawl space with a flashlight, you can learn a few details about it. These details will help you determine whether the lowest, highest, or average cost is most appropriate for your situation.

Take note of the humidity in your crawl space. You will likely need a dehumidification system if the space feels damp and the air is heavy with moisture. High humidity levels necessitating a dehumidifier will raise the costs of encapsulation. Plan on estimating $8 per square foot.

Look for support pillars in your crawl space. If there is a substantial amount of support pillars, estimate $8 per square foot.

What does the foundation look like? Is it even and flat, with concrete blocks? Or does it look more organic with stones of different sizes? If you have a stone foundation, estimate $8 per square foot.

Do you see any existing insulation in the crawl space ceiling or on the floor? If there is any existing insulation, it will have to be removed, which will raise costs.

Is there any HVAC equipment in the crawl space? If so, your crawl space must be accessed regularly for routine maintenance. Crawl spaces that see more foot traffic need thicker vapor barriers and dimple mats on the floor, which will increase the price.

When you look into the crawl space, do you feel claustrophobic? The tighter your crawl space, the less accessibility the professional team has to encapsulate. Accessibility issues can delay the encapsulation process, which will raise the price.

How tall are the walls of your crawl space? The taller your walls, the more materials will be needed to cover your walls. However, especially short walls can contribute to accessibility issues, which would also raise the cost of encapsulation.

When in doubt, you can estimate the average cost of $6 per square foot. When a professional completes a site visit and gives you a quote, the price may be higher or lower. If the quote is significantly higher than you expected, calculate at $8 per square foot and see if there are significant discrepancies.

The Bottom Line About The Cost Of Crawl Space Encapsulation

Crawl space encapsulation is the best method for addressing crawl space issues in our climate zone, Climate Zone 5. Encapsulation is more expensive than alternative methods but solves every problem an icky crawl space can create.

Costs are difficult to estimate sight unseen. There are so many variables that can influence the price of encapsulation. On average, crawl spaces cost $6 per square foot to encapsulate. However, unique aspects of your crawl space could increase or decrease the cost.

Now that you know how much crawl space encapsulation costs, your next step is to:

• Learn why homeowners trust South Central Services for encapsulation
• Discover whether crawl space encapsulation is worth the cost