Crawl space vapor barrier in Yakima, WA - a dry crawl space under sound floor joists
Musty smell, bare dirt or damp wood under the floor? We cover the ground wall to wall so moisture stays out of your floor joists.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Do you need a vapor barrier in your Yakima crawl space?
A crawl space vapor barrier is a plastic cover laid over the dirt under your house. In Yakima we put one in, and lay it carefully, because that keeps ground moisture from rising into the floor joists and rim joists, the beams that hold up your floor, where damp can lead to mold and rot.
You're probably here because you looked down the hatch and saw bare dirt or plastic in shreds, or because someone who went under the house told you it's damp down there. The price mostly comes down to how big the crawl space is, how much room there is to crawl, how much has to come out before the plastic goes down and how the cover gets held in place. The schedule turns on that clearing and on whether water coming in from outside should be fixed first, and I'll tell you both for your house once I've been under it.
How can you tell your crawl space needs a vapor barrier?
A musty smell indoors
You notice it most in rooms over the crawl space, or right after the furnace comes on. It usually means damp air under the floor is working its way up, and the longer it goes on, the more time mold has to settle into the wood.
Bare dirt under the hatch
If you look down and see dirt, or old plastic that's torn, bunched up or stops short of the walls, ground moisture has an open path into the air down there. Leave it, and the joists above keep sitting in that damp air year after year.
Dark or soft wood overhead
Stained joists, white fuzz on the wood, or a screwdriver that sinks into the rim joist along the edge all mean moisture has been at the framing for a while. At that point plastic alone isn't the fix, because damaged wood has to be dealt with before anything gets covered.
How we put in a crawl space vapor barrier
We start by clearing out what's stored down there, along with old plastic, scrap wood and other debris, so the new cover can lie flat over the whole floor. Then we cover the entire dirt floor, overlap the seams, and run the plastic out to the foundation walls and around the piers, the posts holding up the middle of the floor, so no strip of bare ground is left along the edges. Where someone walks to the furnace, building guidance suggests a vinyl runner or an extra layer of plastic so the path doesn't wear through. I also point out any grading or drainage outside that keeps sending water under the house, because plastic slows moisture but can't keep up with water that's still coming in.
Crawl space plastic is only one place a moisture layer goes, so if I see damp showing up in other parts of the house, we can talk about vapor barrier installation for those spots. If what's really bothering you is drafts and a hot or cold upstairs, the fix usually starts at the top of the house with attic air sealing, closing the gaps where heated air slips out, and I'll tell you if that matters more than the crawl space.
Lapped up the walls and piers
The plastic runs up the foundation walls and the piers and gets fastened there, so the edges can't creep back and leave dirt showing. It suits a crawl space you or a service tech go into, since the cover stays put when people move around on it.
Staked at the edges
The plastic is held to the ground with stakes around the edges of the crawl space instead of being fastened up the walls. It suits a crawl space nobody goes into much, where the cover mostly has to stay flat and stay put.
Get a free estimate for your crawl space vapor barrier
Send the form with your address and a note on what's stored in your crawl space. We'll get back to you within one business day, and I'll come out to write a free estimate with no obligation.
- Based in
- Yakima, WA 98901
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about your crawl space?
From your first call to the last look under the floor, here's who does what and what you'll have in hand before any work starts.
Call or send the form
Tell us your address and what's stored in the crawl space, because that tells me how much clearing the job needs. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I go under your house
I go into the crawl space myself, check the joists and the ground, and look outside for grading or drainage that's feeding water in. You get a written estimate that says what we'll cover, what should be fixed first and whether we need to check on a permit, so the price is on paper before we lift a thing.
We clear, cover and review
Our crew clears the space and lays the plastic while I check the work as it goes. Before we leave, I go over the finished crawl space with you so you know what's down there.
Why Yakima homeowners call C&D Yakima Insulation Solutions about crawl spaces
I look at every crawl space
I come out to see each job and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site checking the work while our crew does the install. You deal with the same person from the first visit to the final walk-through.
A carpenter's eye on your joists
I framed houses for years before I started this business in 2017, so I check the joists and rim joists for damp or soft wood before any plastic goes down. If the framing needs work first, I'll tell you plainly instead of covering it over.
Licensed and insured in Washington
We're licensed and insured, so you're not the one carrying the risk of a crew working under your floor. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
The plastic only does its job once the water feeding your crawl space is under control, and that's the first thing I'll look for. Ask for an estimate or call (509) 517-6081.
Crawl space vapor barriers, permits and code in Yakima
The City of Yakima issues simple permits straight from its online portal, but its list names jobs like reroofs, re-siding and woodstoves, not crawl space vapor barriers, so that list doesn't settle whether your job needs one. If we're not sure, we tell you that up front and check with the city's codes office at (509) 575-6126, or the county office if your address is outside the city, and if a permit is needed, we take care of the application. The cover itself isn't in question, because Washington's residential code calls for a plastic ground cover over the dirt in a crawl space, carried all the way to the foundation wall, unless the floor is a concrete slab at least 2 inches thick. That's why we run the plastic out to the walls instead of stopping where it gets hard to reach.
On jobs around Yakima, and the same in Selah and Union Gap, we often find old plastic that's torn or stops a few feet short of the wall, with boxes sitting right on the dirt. We work across Yakima and the cities around it, so if yours isn't named on this site, call and ask.
Questions about crawl space vapor barriers in Yakima
How much does a crawl space vapor barrier cost in Yakima?
Across the US, putting a vapor barrier in a crawl space usually costs about $1,200 to $4,000 per job, and that's the going range, not our price. Where your job lands depends on the size of the crawl space, how tight it is to work in, how much has to be cleared out and how the plastic is held in place. I'll give you our number in writing after I've been under your house.
What causes moisture in a crawl space?
In a vented crawl space, most of the water usually comes from outside, from ground that slopes toward the house, no drainage around the foundation, or sprinklers soaking the dirt next to the walls. Those fixes get planned alongside the plastic, because a cover alone can't keep up with water that keeps coming in.
Who is allowed to install a crawl space vapor barrier in Washington?
Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the state Department of Labor & Industries, and state law requires contractors to be bonded and insured to protect the public. Ask whoever you're considering to show you they're registered before they go under your house.
How long does it take to put a vapor barrier in a crawl space?
Most of the time goes into getting the crawl space ready, not laying the plastic. A big, crowded or low crawl space takes longer to clear and cover, and if water from outside needs fixing first, that comes before the plastic. I'll tell you how long yours should take once I've seen it.
Will a vapor barrier block the drainage in my crawl space?
It shouldn't, as long as it's laid to work with the way water already moves under your house. It's a fair question to ask any installer, and I'll show you where water runs down there and how the plastic will sit before we start.
Do I have to leave the house while a crawl space vapor barrier goes in?
No, you can stay home, because this is plastic sheeting laid by hand, not spray foam, so there's no waiting before you use your rooms. We do need a clear path to the crawl space opening, and it helps to keep pets away from it while we're going in and out.
Related work for a drier, less drafty house
Vapor barrier installation
When damp shows up in walls or other parts of the house, not only under the floor, a barrier placed there is worth a look too.
Attic air sealing
A dry crawl space won't fix a drafty upstairs, because warm air usually leaks out through gaps around lights, pipes and the attic hatch.
Cities we cover for crawl space work
C&D Yakima Insulation Solutions is based in Yakima, Washington, and the eight cities listed here include Terrace Heights and Sunnyside. If your city isn't on the list, call and ask.
Get your crawl space looked at
Catching damp before it reaches the joists keeps the job to plastic and drainage instead of framing repair.