Moisture in crawlspace; contractor bids are absurd, please advise

[Jack Gray]

Hello BP community,
I was wondering if I could get some help from some of the experts in the room.

A house I just purchased in central Virginia has a 900 sq ft crawl space with a poorly installed, torn vapor barrier. I noticed this during the inspection but didn't think it was a serious problem. Here's what the crawlspace looks like:

• White efflorescence on about half the concrete foundation blocks, indicating some water intrusion
• White mold in small patches in 1 or 2 spots on the floor joists
• A few droppings indicating a mouse or other pest is living there
• Condensation dripping off the AC duct work into a small puddle on the vapor barrier, plus one other small standing puddle with no visible source (not a leak, maybe recent heavy rain)

I obtained 3 bids from different companies to remove the existing vapor barrier and fully encapsulate the crawl space and install a dehumidifier (2 bids came in at $15k and $16k, one came in for $26k which also included mold remediation and a sump pump and trenching).
All 3 companies took air humidity readings and moisture readings of the wood joists and warned me about the long-term danger of my floor joists warping since they are made of composite wood.

To me, these 3 bids seem absurd, especially since as near as I can tell, I have a very normal crawlspace with just a tiny bit of water here and there and very little mold. I haven't noticed any issues with floors squeaking or doors out of alignment or foundation or drywall cracks.

4 Questions:

1. Is any of this even a problem? Should I be concerned?

2. What, if anything, should I do about this?

3. What is a fair price to for the work?

4. How should I find a reputable, and affordable repair company? I tried Angie's List already.  

Thank you for any help anyone can provide!

[Bruce Woodruff]

As you guessed, this is all BS. I used to do Home Inspections and 1) even in sunny SoCal, there was efflorescence in just about every crawlspace we saw. 2) Also mold, even in the dry weather. 3) Call an exterminator for the pests 4) Call HVAC company to check the settings

Main points are to 1) make sure that the surrounding ground is sloped away from the house or has good drainage and water capture. 2) Ensure that the crawlspace has good ventilation. 3) No need to do anything else.

You should not pay more than $3000 to get everything fixed. IMHO.