Vapor barrier installation in Hollister CA - a drier crawl space under your house
Cold floors or a musty smell coming up from below? We seal heavy plastic over the crawl space dirt so ground moisture stays down there.
I look under your house myself
When you call, I'm the one who crawls in with a flashlight and looks before anything gets priced. Our crew lays and seals the plastic, and I check the work myself before we call it done.
In business here since 2017
I spent school summers crawling attics on an insulation crew and kept at it on other people's crews before starting this business in Hollister in 2017. I'd rather tell you a job isn't worth doing than sell you one.
Fully licensed and insured in California
We're fully licensed and insured. The state's Contractors State License Board caps a home improvement down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less, so hold anyone you hire to that. Call (831) 245-4007 to set up a look.
Vapor barrier installation in Hollister
A vapor barrier is heavy plastic laid over your crawl space's dirt floor and sealed to the walls and piers, so ground moisture stays out. If your house sits over a dirt crawl space, it also helps keep soil gases out of the rooms above.
Most calls start upstairs, with cold floors or a musty smell that won't clear. The cause is often under the floor, where bare dirt gives off moisture and some of that damp air works its way up into the house. Nobody goes down there for fun, so problems tend to sit for years before anyone looks. That's why I look first, and then we talk about plastic.
What moves the price is mostly the size of the floor in square feet, how heavy a plastic you choose, and whether we're patching old plastic or laying a new sealed layer. Anything that has to be fixed first adds to the job. The schedule turns on that same list, plus how easy the crawl space is to get into and how much is stored down there. Your written estimate lays out what needs fixing first and what we'd do.
Vapor barriers and the work around them
Problems fixed before plastic goes down
Laying plastic over standing water, mold, rotten wood or anything hazardous only hides it, and hiding a problem isn't what you're paying for. So I look for those first, and your estimate says how each one gets handled before any barrier goes in. Sometimes that's a small fix. Sometimes it's the bigger part of the job, and you should know that before you agree to anything. Either way, the plastic goes down over a floor that's ready for it.
Heavier plastic, sealed at the edges
Guidance calls for plastic at least 6-mil thick, and thicker, reinforced sheeting holds up better. Plain 6-mil needs protecting where people crawl through to work on pipes or ducts, so if your crawl space gets regular visits, heavier plastic is worth it. We seal the sheet to the walls and piers, which helps hold back ground moisture and soil gases such as radon. The state's radon potential map covers only part of California, so you can check whether your area shows up on it.
Closed crawl spaces and related work
Some owners go further and close the crawl space off. That's a different setup, and guidance on closed crawl spaces lists a way to dry the air, such as a dehumidifier or air fed from your heating and cooling system, so it adds equipment and cost. For most houses the plastic is the place to start. Air that comes up from below tends to leave through the top of the house, so attic air sealing often pairs well with a barrier, and if the floors stay cold, retrofit insulation adds insulation to what's already built.
Get an estimate for your crawl space barrier
Send the crawl space's rough square footage, whether it has vents and any standing water or mold, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out to look myself, and the on-site estimate is free with no obligation.
(831) 245-4007How a vapor barrier job goes
Call or send the form
You call (831) 245-4007 or send the form, and we get back to you. I come out and look at the crawl space myself. We're based in Hollister and work in the cities around it, so ask if you're not sure we reach you.
Your written estimate and prep
You get a written estimate listing what needs fixing first and what we'd do. We sort out any permit with the right office before we start. Clear out stored boxes so the plastic can cover the whole floor.
Crew installs, I check it
Our crew puts the barrier in. I check the work, then we walk through it with you so you can see the seams and edges for yourself. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Vapor barrier questions from Hollister owners
Do I need a vapor barrier if my crawl space has vents?
Yes. The plastic ground cover should go in whether your crawl space is vented or not, so open vents are a reason to add a barrier, not a reason to skip one. Vents move some air, but they don't stop moisture rising out of bare dirt. I'll look at what's down there now and tell you what yours needs.
How much does a crawl space vapor barrier cost in Hollister?
Across the US, a basic vapor barrier with plastic over the dirt floor and nothing else usually runs about $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot. That's the market's range, not our price. Heavier plastic, sealing it to the walls and piers, and fixing water or mold first all take a job past basic, and your estimate spells out each piece.
Can my old crawl space plastic be repaired instead of replaced?
Often, yes. An old 6-mil barrier that's loose or unsealed can be repaired by taping tears and seams and fastening it to the walls and piers, though a new sealed layer over it is more durable. I'll look at yours and tell you whether patching makes sense or the new layer is worth paying for.
Will a vapor barrier stop water coming into my crawl space?
No. A barrier handles moisture rising from the soil, and in vented crawl spaces most of the water comes in through poor grading, missing drainage around the house or how the yard gets watered. If water's getting in from outside, we'll tell you, since plastic won't fix bad grading. That gets sorted first, then the barrier goes down.