What affects the price
There are no price lists on this site, because honest ones do not exist. Two houses on the same street can need very different work. What can be said is which things push a proposal up or down, so you can read one with a clear eye.
Crawl space work
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Floor area and wall length | More liner, more tape, more hours. |
| Headroom | A space you can kneel in is quicker to work in than one you must lie flat in. |
| Number of piers | Each one is wrapped and sealed by hand. |
| How wet it is | Damp soil needs a liner. Standing water needs drains and a pump before the liner. |
| What has to come out | Old plastic, soaked insulation and debris take time to remove and haul away. |
| Condition of the wood | Cleaning, drying and replacing damaged timber is priced apart from the liner. |
| Liner grade and height | Thicker, reinforced material run to the top of the wall costs more than a thin sheet on the floor. |
| Drying equipment | A dehumidifier, its drain and any new electrical outlet. |
| Vents and door | Each opening is sealed. A warped hatch may be replaced. |
Basement and outside work
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Length of drain | Interior systems are priced largely by the run of wall they follow. |
| Floor thickness and what sits on it | A thick slab, a furnace or a staircase in the way all slow the work. |
| Finished walls | Cutting back and later replacing wall finishes adds to the job, often through another trade. |
| Pumps | One pump or two, battery backup, and how far the discharge has to travel. |
| Depth of dig | For outside work, a full-height basement wall means far more soil moved than a short one. |
| What is in the way outside | Decks, steps, paving, planting and air conditioning units. |
| Putting things back | Topsoil, turf, shrubs and paths, if they are included at all. |
| Where the water can go | A long buried line to a suitable outlet costs more than a short one. |
Reading a proposal
- Ask for separate lines for drainage, liner, drying equipment, wood repair and electrical work.
- Check that two proposals cover the same area and the same height of wall before comparing totals.
- Find the exclusions. Something left out is not cheaper. It is postponed.
- Ask what running costs follow: electricity for a dehumidifier or pump, filters, a battery, a yearly check.
- Ask how payment is staged, and what is due before work starts.
Choosing a company covers the contract itself.
Spending in the right order
If the budget will not stretch to everything, the order that protects the house is usually this: move roof and yard water away, drain any standing water, repair damaged wood, then seal and dry the space. Each stage is useful without the next, and none has to be undone later. Ask the company to stage its proposal that way.
Tell someone what you are seeing
Call and describe what is going on under the house or in the basement. You will be put through to an independent local waterproofing company that works in your part of Tuscaloosa County.
Calls may be recorded. The company pays this site for the introduction. See the referral disclosure.