I recently bought a house about a year ago, and after checking the crawl space, I found some standing water in the low areas due to recent heavy rains. The crawl space doesn't have a sump pump—just a vapor barrier. I got three quotes from different companies for the same work: installing a perimeter drain and a sump pump for better drainage. Each quote had similar work included, but the prices varied quite a bit.
- Quote 1: $6200
- Install 4" perimeter drain, connect to a new sump pump
- Drill weep holes into the block foundation
- Replace the existing vapor barrier with a new 12mil barrier
- Quote 2: $7400 (+$450 for electrical work)
- Install 4" perimeter drain and a new sump pump
- Replace existing vapor barrier with a 6mil barrier
- Needs additional electrical work for the sump pump, costing an extra $450
- Quote 3: $6500
- Install 4" perimeter drain, connect to a new sump pump
- Drill weep holes into the block
- Work around the existing vapor barrier; new one costs $2000 for a 20mil barrier
I'm wondering why Quote 1 is so much cheaper despite offering more work and a thicker vapor barrier. Is this level of price difference normal, or am I overthinking it? All three companies are reputable local businesses.
2 Answers
Your quotes are pretty close in price. Did the companies specify which sump pump they would use or how long the job might take? I once got quotes for electrical work that ranged from 5k to 15k. I picked the cheapest one based on a referral and he had less overhead since he didn’t really advertise. The more expensive company advertised a lot and could start right away, but they weren’t worth it in the end. So, it depends on a lot of factors, including company size.
Have you considered checking your exterior drainage instead of jumping right into crawlspace work? Sometimes just moving a downspout further from the house can solve water issues.
I appreciate the tip! All my downspouts already direct water away from the house. The front yard is elevated a bit, and both side yards have swales. The yard behind the house is leveled but slopes away, so there aren’t many other options for external drainage.
Quote 2 had specifics about the pump, but not the others. They all said they could start in about 2 weeks and the job would take around 2 days. I think Company 1 is smaller, so they might be trying to build up their reputation and have lower overhead.