Crawl space vapor barrier in San Angelo TX - a ground cover that reaches every wall
Musty smell or damp dirt under the floor? We cover the ground under your house so moisture from the dirt stops rising into the space.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Does your crawl space need a vapor barrier?
A crawl space vapor barrier is a plastic ground cover our crew lays over the dirt under your house, so less moisture rises off the soil into the crawl space and the floor above it. We're based in San Angelo and put them in for homeowners here and in the cities around it.
Most people call because of a musty smell, cold floors, or bare, damp dirt somebody saw when they went under the house. Plastic on that dirt cuts down the moisture coming off it, and if the insulation under your floor is sagging or wet, I'll look at crawl space insulation on the same visit. The price comes down to how big and how tight the space is, how many walls and posts the sheet has to climb, and how much old plastic and junk has to come out first. The schedule mostly turns on whether water from outside has to be dealt with before the plastic goes in. I'll give you your own figure at the estimate, and usually a clear answer before I leave.
How we put in a crawl space vapor barrier
I start outside, not under the house. The plastic stops moisture coming up from the dirt, but it can't fix water running in from outside, so I look at how the ground slopes at your foundation and where rainwater goes before anything else. Once the water side is right, our crew clears out old plastic and debris, then covers the ground edge to edge and into every corner. We turn the sheet up onto the walls and around each post, and overlap every seam so no bare dirt shows between sheets.
A ground cover is one piece of keeping a house dry. If you need a moisture barrier somewhere other than the crawl space, such as in walls or an addition, that's our vapor barrier installation work. And when the house is drafty, leaks at the top usually pull air up from below, so attic air sealing, closing the gaps around lights, pipes and the hatch, often belongs on the same list.
Ground cover in a vented crawl space
This suits most older houses that breathe through vents in the foundation walls. The vents stay as they are, and the plastic takes care of what comes up from the dirt.
Ground cover in a sealed crawl space
This fits when the vents are closed off and the walls are insulated, so the crawl space is treated like part of the house. The sealing at the walls takes more care, which is why it usually goes with insulation work.
Concrete over the plastic
Building guidance notes that pouring concrete over the sheet adds durability, which suits a crawl space people walk through to reach plumbing or ductwork. It costs more, so I only suggest it when the space gets that kind of traffic.
What a crawl space vapor barrier job takes in San Angelo
The City of San Angelo's Building Permits & Inspections office issues permits here, and any electric work in the city needs an issued electrical permit. If your job adds wiring, like a circuit for a dehumidifier or a light down in the crawl space, that part needs one. Whether the plastic itself calls for a permit is up to the city, so we check with the office on each job and take care of any permit it asks for, and you don't have to chase it. If you'd like to ask them yourself, the office is at 325-657-4210.
Under a lot of the older pier-and-beam houses here, we find bare dirt, or an old sheet that stops short of the walls and has torn where someone dragged through. That kind of cover leaves dirt open at the edges, so we usually pull it and start over rather than patch it, the same as we do on insulation jobs across San Angelo.
Why San Angelo homeowners call J&M San Angelo Insulation Services about their crawl space
I look at every crawl space
I come out to look at each job and write the estimate, and our own crew does the install. You're dealing with the person who actually saw what's under your house.
In business since 2013
I learned this trade from my dad, crawling through attics as a kid, and started this business in 2013. We've been under plenty of houses and seen what a half-done cover leaves behind.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured. Under a house, a crew works around your plumbing, wiring and ductwork, and that's coverage you want in place before anyone crawls in.
A straight no when plastic won't help
If water is running in from outside, I'll tell you that before I sell you a roll of plastic. I'd rather talk you out of a job than put in one your house doesn't need.
Get the water sorted first and the plastic does its job. Send us your details or call (325) 285-1301, and I'll come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a free on-site estimate for your crawl space
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and done at your house, and there's no pressure to book.
What happens after you call about your crawl space?
Call or send the form
Call (325) 285-1301 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time. Let us know whether the way in is a hatch inside or an opening outside, so I come ready.
I look under the house
I check the dirt, the walls and posts, any old plastic, and how water moves around the outside. You get your price and, usually before I leave, a clear answer on whether plastic is the right fix.
Crew preps, then lays plastic
Once you say go, our crew does the prep and safety checks first, then clears the space and puts the cover down. Nothing goes in until any water problem from the estimate is settled.
We walk the finished job
When the cover is down, I walk the finished job with you. Look for plastic in every corner and up each wall and post, with no bare dirt at the seams.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a crawl space vapor barrier cost in San Angelo?
There's no set price, because every crawl space is a different size and shape, and I give you your figure when I come out to look. Pulling out old plastic, wrapping a lot of posts or pouring concrete over the sheet adds to it, while an open, dry space keeps it down.
Does a crawl space vapor barrier help with radon?
Yes, a well-installed ground cover helps cut down the soil gases, radon among them, that rise off the dirt into the crawl space. Well-installed is the key word, which is why full coverage and overlapped seams matter as much as the plastic.
Do I need a vapor barrier if my crawl space has vents?
Yes. Building science guidance says the ground cover goes in whether the crawl space is vented or sealed, so either way, plan on plastic over the dirt as the base of the job.
What causes water in a crawl space?
In a vented crawl space, most of it comes from outside, through ground that slopes toward the house, no drainage around the foundation, or sprinklers soaking the beds next to the wall. Louisiana research, from a more humid part of the country, found a ground cover can do more harm than good if rainwater ends up sitting on top of it. That's why I look outside before we put plastic down.
How do I get my crawl space ready for a vapor barrier?
Clear out anything stored down there, along with loose boards and debris, so the plastic can reach the whole floor. If something is too heavy or awkward to drag out, tell me at the estimate and we'll plan around it.
What is a termite inspection gap on a crawl space vapor barrier?
It's a strip left bare between the top of the foundation wall and the plastic, and one maker's guide notes that some building codes require it so the wall can be checked for termites. Ask about it before work starts, and I'll tell you how we plan to finish the top edge on your walls.
Other work that goes with a crawl space cover
Vapor barrier installation
For a moisture barrier in walls, a remodel or an addition, where the job is different from plastic on dirt.
Attic air sealing
Closes the gaps at the top of the house that pull damp crawl space air up through your rooms.
San Angelo, TX
Have the owner look under your house
Tell us your address, whether the crawl space has vents and any standing water you've seen, so I know what to look for before I get there.