Why Is Crawl Space Encapsulation So Expensive?

You want to encapsulate your crawl space, but you've heard encapsulation is really expensive. What's worse is that you can't find straight answers online about how much you'll end up paying. You know it will cost several thousand dollars, but what makes the difference between paying $4,000 and $16,000?

South Central Services has insulated hundreds of homes with spray foam insulation. We are also committed to transparent pricing for spray foam insulation. Crawl space encapsulation is an expensive insulating method, and there are a ton of factors that affect the final price. While there is no way for you to precisely estimate encapsulation pricing online, you can learn the factors that affect pricing.

This article will break down every factor that influences the cost of encapsulation.

Don't have time to read right now? Check out everything you need to know at a glance.

Why Pay For Crawl Space Encapsulation?

There are many reasons why homeowners in Franklin County, PA should consider encapsulation for their crawl space. Crawl space encapsulation offers better indoor air quality, lower energy costs, and increased resale value, among other benefits.

Encapsulation is also a permanent crawl space solution that will only require some maintenance over time for dehumidifier systems or vapor barrier tears.

Factors That Impact Crawl Space Encapsulation Cost

Jobs that require more materials and take longer to complete will be more expensive. But where do you look in your crawl space to see if your project will need more materials and take more time? That's where the factors specific to crawl spaces come into play.

Eight factors affect the cost of crawl space encapsulation. These factors are features of the crawl space that influence the timeline and materials costs of encapsulation. Here is a preview of those crawl space features.

1. Existing insulation
2. Accessibility
3. Wall height
4. Support pillars
5. Dehumidification
6. Vapor barrier thickness
7. Use of dimple mat
8. Foundation type

Let’s examine each of these in more detail.

1. Is There Existing Insulation To Remove?

The encapsulation process does not allow any old insulation to remain. Most crawl spaces have some ineffective batt insulation stuffed in the crawl space ceiling. This insulation must be removed before the encapsulation process can begin.

Depending on the size of the crawl space, removing the existing insulation can add as much as a day to the job timeline. The more insulation that must be removed, the higher the encapsulation cost.

2. Is The Crawl Space Difficult To Navigate?

Crawl spaces are called "crawl spaces" for a reason. Many of these areas are beneath a home and must be navigated on hands and knees. When walls or sections of a crawl space are shorter than 3 feet, accessibility can become a serious consideration. Even trained installer teams will take longer to install insulation when their movement is restricted.

The tighter the crawl space, the longer it will take a team to complete the encapsulation job.

3. How Tall Are The Crawl Space Walls?

While the wall height impacts accessibility, it also determines the quantity of materials necessary for encapsulation. When encapsulating a crawl space, the walls are covered with two to three inches of closed cell spray foam. The taller the crawl space walls, the more materials are necessary.

4. How Many Support Pillars Are In The Crawl Space?

Every support pillar in a crawl space must be wrapped. Wrapping the pillars requires more materials and can be time-consuming.

The more pillars in your crawl space, the more expensive your encapsulation will be.

5. Does The Crawl Space Need A Dehumidification System?

A dehumidification system can be used in a crawl space to maintain a particular climate. The dehumidifier can draw moisture from the crawl space air, preventing any excess vapor from entering your home's living space.

We recommend a dehumidifier in every crawl space that doesn’t have HVAC ductwork running through it. For crawl spaces with HVAC ductwork, the ductwork can be tapped into to add some conditioned air into the crawl space.

Dehumidification systems can raise the cost of your encapsulation by several thousand dollars, depending on the size and brand of the dehumidifier.

6. How Thick Should The Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Be?

Our team at South Central Services does not install vapor barriers below 12 mil. We also do not recommend installing a vapor barrier below 12 mil. Any plastic sheathing thinner than 12 mil risks not acting as a true vapor barrier. The thinner the plastic, the lower the chances of the vapor barrier standing the test of time.

For our customers, we install 12 mil or 20 mil vapor barriers. 20 mil is a thicker vapor barrier that can withstand tearing better due to its thickness. However, 20 mil is also more expensive than 12 mil.

Will your crawl space experience foot traffic or need to be accessed for HVAC equipment repair? If so, you'll need a heftier vapor barrier, and your encapsulation will be more expensive.

7. Does The Crawl Space Need A Dimple Mat?

In some crawl spaces, our team installs a dimple mat. A dimple mat can help with drainage and create an additional barrier between the crawl space floor and the vapor barrier.

Dimple mats are most often used in spaces that experience more vapor or will experience foot traffic. If your crawl space needs a dimple mat, it will raise the cost of your encapsulation.

8. What Type Of Foundation Does The Crawl Space Have?

Homes in our service area have either stone, concrete, or block foundations. For houses with stone foundations, encapsulation tends to be more expensive.

It is harder for contractors to mechanically fasten the vapor barrier to stone. Stone foundations also have more surface area than concrete or block foundations. Both of these aspects of stone foundations increase the amount of materials needed. If your home has a stone foundation, your encapsulation will cost more.

Using Factors to Practically Estimate Encapsulation Costs

Using these factors, you can estimate whether your crawl space would be more or less expensive to encapsulate.

For example, a crawl space with a concrete foundation, few support pillars, and no existing insulation should be less expensive than a crawl space with a stone foundation and lots of batt insulation to remove.

However, if we account for the height of the walls, the price could change again. The concrete crawl space may have short enough walls to save on material costs, but walls that are so short as to cause accessibility issues.

The Bottom Line About Why Crawl Space Encapsulation Costs So Much

Encapsulation is an insulating method that can permanently address problems in the crawl space. While crawl space encapsulation is a long-lasting solution, it is also expensive.

Unfortunately, because no two crawl spaces are the same, estimating encapsulation cost is nearly impossible for the homeowner. This list of factors can help you to determine if your encapsulation is on the lower or higher price point.

Now that you understand why encapsulation is so pricey, your next step is to:

• Calculate a rough estimate of encapsulation for your crawl space
• Discover if DIY crawl space encapsulation is an option for you
• Learn why you should invest in encapsulation for your crawl space