Crawl Space Repair
Encapsulation, waterproofing, vapor barriers, drainage, sump pumps, insulation, and mold remediation for Portland-area crawlspaces.
Crawl Space, Basement and Foundation
Solutions for Portland-Area Homes
Three categories, nine specific services. Connect with licensed Oregon CCB and Washington L&I contractors for a free in-home inspection and a written, line-item quote.
By Category
Pick the Category That Matches Your Project
Each category links to the specific service pages with full Portland metro pricing, signs to watch for, and how a licensed contractor approaches the work.
Basement Waterproofing
Interior perimeter drains, sump pumps, crack injection, wall membranes, and dehumidification for Portland basements.
View basement waterproofing details →
View Basement Waterproofing category →Foundation Waterproofing
Exterior membranes, drainage boards, and footing drains for new construction, major remodels, and hillside lots.
View foundation waterproofing details →
View Foundation Waterproofing category → Which One Do You Need?
Match the Symptom to the Category
Here's the short version. If your house has a dirt-floor or gravel space under it that you'd have to crawl through, you're in crawl space repair territory, and that covers the majority of homes in the metro built before 1990. If you have a finished or semi-finished below-grade level with a concrete slab, leaks and seepage point to basement waterproofing. And if you're building, doing a major remodel, or excavating around the foundation anyway, that's the one time exterior foundation waterproofing makes financial sense; nobody digs up a finished yard just to apply a membrane.
One opinion worth stating plainly: don't buy a bigger scope than your symptoms justify. A musty smell with a dry floor doesn't need a sump pump, and a single winter puddle doesn't need a $20,000 encapsulation. The licensed contractors in this network write line-item quotes precisely so you can see which line solves which problem, and you can check any of their license numbers against the Oregon CCB database before you sign anything.
Not sure where your house lands? The December 2022 ice storm and the January 2024 ice storm both produced waves of burst pipes and flooded crawlspaces across the metro, and plenty of those homeowners discovered their actual category only after a contractor crawled under the house. A free inspection settles it faster than guessing.
Fast routing by symptom
- Musty smell upstairs → encapsulation or mold remediation
- Standing water under the house → drainage + sump pump
- Cold floors in winter → insulation replacement
- Wet basement walls → basement waterproofing
- New build or excavation → foundation waterproofing
Questions, Answered
Solutions FAQ
- Encapsulation seals the crawl space from humid outdoor air and ground moisture using a vapor barrier, sealed vents, rim joist insulation, and a dehumidifier or supply air. Waterproofing focuses on stopping liquid water using interior drains, sump pumps, and foundation crack repair. Many Portland homes need both, often in one project.
- It depends on what's under your house. Basement waterproofing applies to homes with a habitable or semi-habitable below-grade level with a concrete floor slab. Crawl space waterproofing applies to homes with a dirt-floor or sealed-dirt crawl space under 4 feet of clearance. A free contractor inspection determines which scope is right.
- A licensed CCB contractor crawls or enters the space, photographs existing conditions, measures square footage and clearance, identifies the moisture source, and provides a written line-item scope with materials, labor, and pricing. There is no obligation to proceed; you keep the inspection report regardless.
- Most inspections are scheduled within two to five business days. Active emergencies, such as standing water in the crawlspace, are typically scheduled within 24 to 48 hours by flood-trained crews.
- Yes. Oregon projects are referred only to CCB-licensed contractors with active bond and liability insurance. Vancouver, WA projects are referred to Washington L&I licensed contractors. License status is verified before any contractor is added to the referral network.
- Usually, yes. A wet crawlspace with a leaky basement wall on the same foundation is one project for most of the contractors in the network, and bundling it into a single scope is almost always cheaper than two separate mobilizations. Where it splits is specialty trades: if the inspection turns up something like active rot in a beam or a failed sewer line under the house, the contractor will tell you it needs a structural or plumbing specialist and say so in the written scope rather than absorbing work they're not set up to warranty. That honesty is a condition of staying in the referral network.
- For the first visit, yes; the contractor needs access and you'll want to hear what they find while they're still under the house.
Ready to Fix Your Crawlspace?
Get matched with a licensed Oregon CCB contractor for a free in-home inspection, with no obligation.