Crawl space help for Greenville, North Carolina

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us your town in Pitt County and what you're noticing in or under the house.

2. We connect you

   Your call goes to an independent crawl space company that serves Greenville, NC and nearby towns.

3. They call you back

   They inspect the crawl space and quote the work directly.

Who is this for?

Homeowners, buyers and landlords in Greenville, Winterville, Ayden, Farmville and the rest of Pitt County in eastern North Carolina. This is Greenville in the 252 area code, home of East Carolina University and the Tar River, not Greenville, South Carolina. A big share of houses here sit on block foundations over a crawl space, from older homes near Uptown and the ECU campus to rentals and newer subdivisions out toward Winterville. If you can see foundation vents along the outside walls, you almost certainly have one.

Why are crawl spaces in Greenville so often damp?

The short answer is the air and the ground. Greenville has a humid subtropical climate and averages a little over 53 inches of precipitation a year. Through the summer, outside air is warm and loaded with moisture. In a traditional vented crawl space, that air flows in through the foundation vents, meets cooler ground, ducts and floor framing, and the moisture condenses. U.S. Department of Energy research notes that in humid climates the outside air is often more moist than the crawl space air, so vents can add moisture instead of drying things out.

The ground is the other half. Pitt County sits on the coastal plain, and its soils range from well-drained sands to poorly drained clays where the seasonal high water table is at or near the surface. On wetter soils, groundwater and rain that pools against the foundation can keep the dirt floor of a crawl space damp for long stretches.

Warning signs of crawl space trouble

• A musty or earthy smell inside the house, especially in summer
• Fiberglass insulation sagging or falling out from between the floor joists
• Condensation dripping from ductwork or water pipes under the house
• Standing water or mud on the crawl space floor after rain
• Floors that feel soft, bouncy or out of level, or doors that start to stick
• A torn, missing or partial plastic vapor barrier
• Visible growth on wood framing, or wood that crumbles when probed

What can be done about it?

Most crawl space work in Pitt County falls into a few categories, and many jobs combine more than one:

• Encapsulation or closing the crawl space. Sealing the vents, lining the ground (and often the walls) with a vapor retarder, and adding a way to control humidity. More on encapsulation.
• Dehumidifiers. A dedicated crawl space dehumidifier is one of the moisture-control methods the North Carolina Residential Code recognizes for closed crawl spaces. More on dehumidifiers.
• Drainage and sump pumps. Grading, gutters, interior drains and a sump for crawl spaces that collect water. More on drainage.
• Floor and joist support. Added piers, supplemental beams or sistered joists where floors sag. More on floor support.

Do I need a permit to close my crawl space in North Carolina?

Yes. The NC Office of State Fire Marshal, which publishes the state's building code interpretations, says a permit is required to convert a conventional vented crawl space to a closed crawl space regardless of the cost of the job. That's because the moisture-control methods in Section R409 of the North Carolina Residential Code involve changes to the HVAC or electrical systems. In Greenville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, building permits come from the city's Inspections Division. Winterville and Farmville issue their own, and Pitt County handles unincorporated areas. The crawl space company should know which office covers your address.

What about flooding?

People in Greenville remember Hurricane Floyd. In September 1999 the Tar River at Greenville crested at 29.72 feet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and flooding damaged homes and much of the ECU campus. If your crawl space has taken on floodwater, from a hurricane or just a heavy summer storm, wet insulation and a soaked vapor barrier usually need to come out, the space needs to dry, and the framing should be checked before anything is sealed back up. What to do about a wet crawl space.

Buying or renting out an older house?

Have someone look under the house before you close. A licensed North Carolina home inspector will typically report on the foundation and visible structure, and a crawl space company can follow up with a closer look at moisture, the vapor barrier, insulation and framing. If you own rentals near ECU, a crawl space that's kept dry is easier on floors, ductwork and indoor air between tenants.

Are you a crawl space company?

No. Greenville NC Crawl Space is a referral service. We connect you with an independent crawl space company that serves your address, and that company inspects, quotes, performs and stands behind the work. Read our tips for hiring a crawl space contractor and the Greenville, NC crawl space guide before you sign anything.

Areas we cover

• Greenville
• Winterville
• Ayden
• Farmville

Planning ahead? Read our Greenville, NC crawl space guide.