Frequently asked questions
Straight answers on the work, the warranties, the financing, and what it costs to get started — which is nothing.
Typical price ranges in Middle TennesseeGeneral
Do you offer free assessments or estimates?
Yes. We provide free, no-obligation assessments and written estimates for all of our services.
What areas do you serve?
We proudly serve homeowners throughout Middle Tennessee and the surrounding region — everywhere within about 100 miles of our shop in Baxter. That includes Cookeville, Sparta, Lebanon, Crossville, Gainesboro and the towns between them. See the full list
How long does a typical project take?
Most crawlspace and waterproofing projects are completed in 1–3 days. Larger foundation repairs may take longer depending on the scope.
Who actually does the work?
We’re entirely family run. Our family assesses your home and writes the estimate, and our own crews do the work — not a commissioned salesman handing your job to a subcontractor.
What is FoundationScan®?
We take the guess work out of structural settlement and movement with our FoundationScan technology. A full report with topo heat map is generated on site, allowing us to determine exactly where foundation and structural systems need support. It comes with every job we do at no extra cost, or on its own for $650 — credited in full if you have us do the work — and a fresh scan is part of the $250 annual service call. How it works
Do you work outside Tennessee?
Yes, inside our 100-mile radius. Bowling Green, Kentucky is on our list of service areas, and every town we cover has its own page with the drive time from our shop in Baxter. Bowling Green, KY
Crawlspace & moisture
What is crawlspace encapsulation?
Encapsulation seals your crawlspace with a heavy-duty vapor barrier to keep out moisture, humidity, and pests — improving air quality and protecting your home’s structure.
How do I know if I need crawlspace encapsulation?
Signs include musty odors, high humidity, mold growth, standing water, sagging floors, or increased allergy symptoms.
Do I need a dehumidifier as well?
In most cases yes. Sealing removes the bulk of the moisture load, but a Tennessee summer still drives humidity up, and a properly sized unit is what holds the space in range year round. It appears as its own line item on your estimate.
Can you seal a crawlspace that has standing water?
Not until the water is dealt with. Encapsulating over active groundwater traps the problem rather than solving it, so drainage and a sealed sump go in first. See the full system
Why does my ductwork sweat under the house?
Summer air in a vented crawlspace is hot and humid, and the ducts carrying cold air from your AC run well below its dew point. Moisture condenses on the metal and drips onto the insulation, the framing and the ground below. Sealing the crawlspace and controlling the humidity stops it at the source.
What humidity should a crawlspace stay at?
Below 60 percent relative humidity. That is the line the EPA gives for keeping mold from growing indoors, and air from the crawlspace ends up in the rooms above it. A vented crawlspace in a Tennessee summer often runs well above that, which is why a sealed crawlspace gets a dehumidifier.
Why is my crawlspace damp when it hasn’t rained?
Usually two things. Bare soil gives off moisture all the time, and humid summer air pulled in through the vents condenses on the cooler joists, ducts and ground. Water that pools after a dry spell can also mean a plumbing leak, so that is worth ruling out first.
Basement water
Can gutters and downspouts cause basement water?
Often they are part of it. A clogged gutter, or a downspout that empties right beside the wall, puts roof water into the soil exactly where the basement is, and grading that slopes toward the house does the same. Those are the cheapest fixes on the list, and we flag them in the report from the assessment. See basement water systems
Is some dampness on basement walls normal?
A little, in summer. Block and poured concrete pass moisture as vapor even when they are dry to the touch. Water you can see, damp patches that grow after rain, white mineral deposits or a wet line where the wall meets the floor are signs of water moving through the wall, and that is worth an assessment.
Why does my basement leak in some storms and not others?
It comes down to how full the ground already is. After a long wet spell the soil around the foundation is saturated, and the next hard rain pushes water through the weakest point in the wall. In a dry month the same storm soaks into the ground before it builds that pressure.
Floors & foundation
How do I know if my home has a foundation problem?
Common signs include cracks in walls or floors, uneven or sloping floors, doors or windows sticking, bowing or leaning basement walls, gaps around trim, doors, or exterior brick, and water seepage in the crawlspace or basement. If you notice any of these, it’s best to have a professional assessment.
Why are my floors sagging or uneven?
This is often caused by weakened floor joists, rotted support beams, or foundation settlement beneath the home.
Can sagging floors be repaired without replacing them?
Yes. In most cases we stabilize the existing framing with adjustable steel supports on engineered footings and new beams rather than tearing out floors. See floor support systems
What’s the difference between piers and wall bracing?
Piers address vertical movement — a foundation that has settled into soil that can’t carry it. Wall bracing addresses lateral movement — a wall being pushed inward by soil pressure. The scan tells us which one you have, and a house can have both.
Is a bowing basement wall urgent?
It’s the most time-sensitive thing on this page. A wall that is still deflecting keeps moving on a schedule you don’t control, and the repair gets larger the longer it goes. If you’re seeing this, call rather than fill out a form.
Can I put a jack under a sagging floor myself?
We’d advise against it. A screw jack from the hardware store, set on a block or on bare soil, can push one spot up unevenly, crack the plaster and tile above it, and sink as the ground under it gives way. Supports need footings sized for the load and setting to measured elevations, which is what the assessment and the FoundationScan® are for. See floor support systems
Timing & upkeep
When is the best time of year for crawlspace or foundation work?
Work inside a crawlspace doesn’t depend on the weather, so any time of year works. Summer is when humidity problems are easiest to see and measure, and digging outside the house goes best in drier weeks. If water is coming in or a wall is moving, the best time is now.
Should floor repairs happen before or after encapsulation?
Before. Water control comes first, then structural repairs to rotted posts, damaged joists and sagging framing, and only then the liner, the vent seals and the dehumidifier. Nobody wants to reopen a finished crawlspace to fix the floor above it.
How do I look after an encapsulated crawlspace?
Keep the dehumidifier powered and its filter clean, keep gutters and downspouts carrying water away from the house, and ask anyone who goes under the house, such as a plumber or an HVAC tech, to leave the liner intact. The annual service call, $250 a year, covers a service on the equipment we installed and a fresh assessment.
How often should a sump pump be replaced?
Plan on about every ten years, sooner if it runs constantly. Test it a couple of times a year by pouring a bucket of water into the pit and watching it switch on and empty. A pump that has quit is usually found during the storm that needed it.
Cost, warranty & value
How much does crawlspace encapsulation cost in Tennessee?
Price comes down to the square footage of the crawlspace, how much groundwater has to be managed before anything gets sealed, whether there is existing damage to repair first, and whether a dehumidifier and drainage system are part of the scope. A small, dry crawlspace that needs a liner and sealed vents is a very different job from a wet one that needs drainage, a sump, rotted framing replaced and humidity control. That’s why we won’t quote a number over the phone — you get a written, line-item price after the assessment, and every item on it is something you can see in the photos and the scan report. See typical price ranges
How much does foundation repair cost?
Foundation work is priced per pier or per brace, so the total depends on how many the structure actually needs and how deep they have to go to reach load-bearing soil. This is exactly what the FoundationScan® report settles before pricing — it shows which sections have moved and by how much, so the count is based on measurement instead of a guess. Two contractors quoting wildly different numbers on the same house usually disagree about the count, not the price per unit. See typical price ranges
What makes one quote so much higher than another?
Usually scope, not markup. One quote may include drainage and a dehumidifier where another is only a liner; one may include the structural repairs the crawlspace needs before it can be sealed. Compare quotes line by line, and ask each contractor what they measured. If nobody can show you why they arrived at their scope, the number underneath it is an estimate of an estimate.
Do you charge for the assessment or the FoundationScan® report?
The assessment and the written estimate are free, with no obligation. The FoundationScan® report comes with any job we do at no extra cost. On its own — for a house that is going on the market, say — a standalone scan is $650, and that $650 is credited in full if you later have us do the work.
Can I pay monthly instead of all at once?
Yes. We understand that foundation and waterproofing projects can come out of nowhere, and many customers are not prepared to pay out of pocket for significant repairs. Our financing partners offer the ability to get your work done now and pay over time, including plans as low as 0% for those who qualify. You can check your rate before you commit to anything. Check your rate (opens in a new tab)
Is crawlspace encapsulation worth the money?
It pays back in three places: the structure stops absorbing moisture, so you aren’t replacing framing later; the air in the house improves, because air moves upward from the crawlspace into your living space; and your HVAC stops fighting humid air pulled from under the floor. It also removes a line item that shows up on nearly every home assessment at sale time.
Does homeowners insurance cover foundation repair?
Usually not. Most policies exclude damage from settlement, soil movement and long-term moisture, which covers the majority of what we repair. Sudden events like a burst pipe are sometimes a different story. Check with your carrier — and if a claim is in play, our documentation and scan report give you something concrete to submit.
Will this help when I sell the house?
Yes. Unrepaired foundation or moisture issues can lower property value and cause problems during a home sale or assessment. Repaired and documented is a much better position to negotiate from than discovered by the buyer, and the annual service call gives you a written record of the structure over time.
Can I do part of the work now and the rest later?
Often, yes — and we’ll tell you the right order. Some things genuinely can’t be split: sealing a crawlspace that still takes on water, or bracing a wall without relieving the pressure behind it, means paying twice. Where phasing does work, we’ll say which part is urgent and which can wait.
How soon can you come out?
Call or text 931-650-5859 and we’ll get you on the schedule. If a basement wall is actively bowing or you have water coming in, say so when you call and we’ll do our best to get out there quickly.
Do I need to be home for the assessment?
We’d prefer it. A good part of the value is walking you through what we found — the photos, the moisture readings and the scan — while we’re standing in front of it. If that isn’t possible we’ll send the report and go through it with you by phone.
Will encapsulation fix my sagging floors?
No — it stops the cause from continuing, but it doesn’t restore support. Sagging floors need structural work: replacing failed supports and adding adjustable steel on engineered footings. The two usually go together, because the moisture that softened the framing is still there. See floor support systems
Is a vapor barrier the same thing as encapsulation?
No. A vapor barrier is one component. Encapsulation is the whole system — groundwater handled first, a heavy liner across the floor and up the walls with sealed seams, vents and penetrations closed, and humidity controlled. A thin sheet loose-laid over dirt is not encapsulation, and it won’t perform like it.
Do you offer financing?
Yes. We offer flexible financing options to make repairs affordable, including plans as low as 0% for those who qualify. Check your rate (opens in a new tab)
Are your services guaranteed?
Yes. All of our work is backed by warranties on both materials and labor for peace of mind.
Can foundation problems affect my home’s value?
Yes. Unrepaired foundation or moisture issues can lower property value and cause problems during a home sale.
What happens after the job is finished?
Our service doesn’t end with installation and final payment. We’re here for the long haul. Our annual service call — $250 a year — covers a service on all equipment we installed, a fresh assessment and a new FoundationScan® report, so changes are caught before more damage can occur. No contract required, though many homeowners lock in three to five years up front and hand that record to the buyer when they sell.
Still have a question about your house?
Call or text and ask. If it takes a look to answer properly, the assessment is free.
Family owned & operatedFree estimatesFinancing as low as 0%Annual service calls available