Hey everyone! I live right across from a lake on some old swamp land, and I always seem to have water pooling in my crawlspace after snow melts or heavy rain. My current sump pump usually handles it, but some puddles stick around.
I've had a couple of companies give me quotes for drain tile installation in the crawlspace—one even suggested encapsulating it. I'm also planning on installing new gutters, as my current setup is just leaking into the back of the house.
Here are the details:
**Company A** offers:
- 140' of traditional drain tile with gravel
- New crock and sump pump
- Buried discharge line to the crock outside
- Dehumidifier
- Crawlspace clean out
- Drill weep holes
- Shock soil
- Drainage mat (dimple mat)
- Seal vents with foam
- Concrobium mold fogging
- Lifetime warranty
- Total cost: $18,000
**Company B** presents:
- 130' of NDS EZ flow drain tile just dug in and covered back up
- Open to traditional drain tile but not sure how it affects the price
- Claims prefab is better in sandy soil
- Grade dirt in crawlspace
- New crock and sump
- Discharge line to a pop-up emitter outside
- Dehumidifier
- Crawlspace clean out
- Drill weep holes
- Spot spray Concrobium for mold
- Seal vents with foam
- No drainage mat
- Complete crawlspace encapsulation
- 25-year warranty
- Total cost: $19,000
I'm curious if Company A is right about Company B's drain tile being less effective and the concerns about not having a drainage mat causing issues with water under the vapor barrier. Honestly, these prices seem really high for what I'm getting, and I'm thinking of trying new gutters and sealing the blocks first, but with the high water table, is drain tile my only real solution if that doesn't work?
1 Answer
First off, definitely finish your gutter work and make sure you get the discharge away from your foundation. Grading is crucial too! Aim to have the ground sloping away from the house, ideally at least 8 inches down at the foundation level. A quarter inch per foot sloping is a good goal. You might want to discuss with local landscapers since soil types can vary.
Wait to see how those changes impact the water situation before jumping to drain tile. It might just be enough to solve the problem!
Thanks for the tips! I’m a bit tight on space with my neighbors, though, so I'm not sure how much grading I can actually do. Plus, with the lake so close, will that even make a difference? What’s the typical cost for regrading a yard? I currently have small rocks around the foundation, so moving those might be a hassle.