Bare dirt or torn plastic under the house? We lay a ground cover that keeps ground moisture down and fits how your crawl space works.
A crawl space vapor barrier in Chico is a plastic ground cover we lay over the dirt under your house, and when it's done well it helps keep ground moisture and soil gases like radon from rising into the space under your floors.
Most calls start with cold floors, a musty smell under the house, or old plastic that's torn and bunched up in the corners. I go under the house first, because the right fix depends on what's down there. Damp dirt is one job and water sitting in a low spot is another. If you already have plastic down, I'll tell you whether repairing it makes sense or whether it's time for new.
The price mostly follows the size of the crawl space, how thick the plastic is, how far it runs up the walls and piers, and whether you keep the vents open or seal the space, which adds work. The schedule turns on what I find, like a leak a plumber has to fix before we start. The written estimate I leave you gives your own figure.
Once you've picked open vents or a sealed space, a few details decide whether the barrier does its job. These are the ones worth asking about on any quote you get.
For a sealed crawl space, the plastic should be at least 6 mil thick, and double that or more is better. A mil is a thousandth of an inch, so the numbers look small, but a thicker sheet stands up better to people crawling over it. When you compare quotes, ask what thickness each one uses.
The plastic doesn't stop at the dirt. It runs up the foundation walls and around the piers and footings, so moisture can't slip past the edges. Those spots take the most time and are the easiest to rush, so ask each contractor how they'll finish them and how the sheet gets fastened.
One supplier's instructions stop the wall plastic below the sill plate, the wood board the house framing sits on. That leaves a strip of bare foundation where a pest inspector can still look for termite signs. Ask whether a quote leaves that strip open, because covering it makes the next inspection harder.
Water under a house usually already has a path it follows, and the barrier shouldn't block it. It's fair to ask any installer how they'll lay the sheet so it doesn't get in the way of that drainage, and what they'll do if they find a spot where it already isn't working.
Here's how a vapor barrier job goes with us, from the first call to the walk-through at the end, and who you'll be dealing with along the way.
Call (530) 399-1513 or use the form, and tell us what you've noticed under the house. We'll set a time for me to come out and take a look.
I go under the house, note anything that has to be fixed first, and write up an estimate that spells out the plastic, how far it runs up the walls and whether we're sealing.
Our crew lead and installers lay the plastic over the floor, run it up the walls and piers, and close the seams. Anything that needed fixing first is already done before they start.
I check the work before we call it finished, because a loose corner or open seam is easy to miss. Then we walk you through what we did and what to keep an eye on.
The first choice is yours, and I'll help you make it. You can lay a ground cover and leave the foundation vents open, or seal the crawl space shut. Sealing adds more than plastic, because a sealed and insulated crawl space has to have its air conditioned, both to meet code and to end the moisture problem. I'll walk you through what that adds before you decide.
Standing water gets handled before any plastic goes down, because plastic over a puddle just hides it. One distributor's guide puts a sump pump, a small pump that pushes water out, in the low spot before the space gets sealed. If your crawl space needs that, or a leak fixed by a plumber, I'll tell you and we'll wait until it's done.
If moisture is a problem in other parts of the house too, our page on vapor barrier installation covers that work. And when cold floors and drafts are the complaint, the crawl space is only half of it. Gaps up top pull air up through the house from below, so it's worth having me look at attic air sealing on the same visit.
The plastic covers the dirt and the vents keep doing their job. It's the simpler, cheaper job, and when nothing but dirt and pipes lives down there, it's usually the one I'd point you to.
The vents get closed, the plastic runs up the walls and piers, and the air down there gets conditioned. It costs more and adds work, but it makes sense when your ducts or furnace run through the crawl space.
We reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look under the house and write up a free estimate on site, with no obligation to go ahead. It helps if your message mentions any standing water or stored items down there.
(530) 399-1513California's energy rules say a crawl space with no vents, anywhere in the state, must have a vapor retarder over the dirt floor, to cut down moisture and keep condensation off the insulation. So if you seal yours, the plastic isn't optional. With the vents open it's a practical call, and general guidance says vented crawl spaces tend to do fine where summers are hot and dry, even with cold, damp winters. Weigh that for your own house.
I won't guess about whether your job needs a permit. The City of Chico's building division is the place to ask, and contractors applying there for the first time need a city business license and a California contractor's license number. If your job needs a permit, we handle the application and inspection with the city or county office that covers your address, and we'll tell you which office that is.
We're based in Chico and work in the cities around it, including Durham and Oroville. A lot of our crawl space calls come from older houses on raised foundations, where the plastic that's down there has been torn up over the years by plumbers and cable installers crawling across it.
I started this business in Chico in 2020, after learning insulation on other contractors' crews. I grew up on a farm where you fixed things right the first time, and I run crawl space jobs the same way. I'm the one who comes out, crawls under your house and writes the estimate, so the person pricing the job is the person who saw it.
We're licensed and insured. Our crew lead and installers lay the barrier, and I check it before we're done, because I'd rather find a problem now than have you find it later. If something down there needs another trade first, I'll say so instead of covering it up. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
If you want me to take a look, call (530) 399-1513 or send us a message.
For moisture control in other parts of the house, beyond the plastic on the crawl space floor.
When drafts and cold floors hang on, closing the gaps in the attic stops the house from drawing air up from below.
Chico is home base, and we do crawl space work in the cities around it too. If your city isn't in the list below, give us a call and ask.
A crawl space vapor barrier is a plastic sheet over the dirt that, when done well, helps keep ground moisture vapor and soil gases like radon from rising into the space under your house. It covers the floor and runs up the walls, columns and footings so the edges stay covered too.
If nothing but dirt and pipes is down there, a ground cover with the vents open is usually enough and costs less. Sealing is worth it more often when ducts or the furnace run through the crawl space, keeping in mind it needs conditioned air. I walk through both with you when I come out.
Installing a crawl space vapor barrier across the US usually costs about $1,200 to $4,000 per job. That's the market range, not our price. Where yours lands depends on the size of the space, the plastic thickness, how far it runs up the walls and whether you seal it, and the estimate I write on site gives your figure.
In California, the state Contractors State License Board requires a license for anyone who builds or alters a structure when the job needs a building permit, uses employees, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Most crawl space barrier jobs with a crew cross at least one of those lines, so ask any contractor for their license.
Clear out stored items and debris from the crawl space so the plastic can cover the whole floor. If you're not sure what's down there, let me know when you call, and tell me if you've seen standing water so I can plan for it before the crew comes.
Often, yes. An existing ground cover can be repaired rather than replaced when most of it is still in good shape. If it's torn in a lot of places, sitting in water or missing from the walls, new plastic is usually the better buy, and I'll tell you which I'd do.
Most of the schedule depends on what's under the house, not the plastic itself. Water or a leak has to be fixed first, and a sealed crawl space takes longer than a ground cover because the walls, piers and air all get handled. I'll tell you what your schedule turns on when I write the estimate.
We answer (530) 399-1513 every day from 8 AM to 9 PM, and if you tell me what you've seen down there, I'll know what to look for.
