Crawl space insulation in Reno NV - warmer floors over a crawl space that stays dry
Cold floors and a high power bill usually trace back to the crawl space. We insulate it so your house holds its heat.
- Service
- Crawl space insulation
- Call
- (775) 447-1048
How can you tell your crawl space needs insulation?
Cold floors underfoot
If the floors over the crawl space feel cold through your socks, heat from the house is usually soaking down into the space below because the insulation is missing, thin or full of gaps. Leave it, and you keep paying to heat the dirt under your house every winter.
Insulation sagging between joists
Batts, the pink or yellow blankets, that hang down or lie on the ground have stopped doing their job, and they usually came loose because they got wet or were never held up properly. The longer they sit there, the more damp they hold against the wood and the colder the floor above gets.
A musty smell from below
A damp, earthy smell in the house or in the closets near the access hatch usually means moisture is building up in the crawl space. Insulating over it only hides the problem, and while you wait, the wood and any old insulation keep soaking it up.
What does crawl space insulation in Reno involve?
Crawl space insulation in Reno goes either on the walls of a closed crawl space or under the floor above it, and either way it keeps the heat in your house so the floors stop feeling cold. It only works when the insulation and the air barrier, the layer that stops drafts, have no gaps, because gaps are what bring back the cold floors and the higher bills.
Most calls start with cold floors or a bill that seems high for the size of the house, and the crawl space under it has usually been out of sight for years. What moves the price is how big the space is and how easy it is to crawl through, whether old insulation has to come out, whether there's damp to deal with or a crawl space vapor barrier to put down, and whether we insulate the walls or the floor. The schedule mostly turns on whether moisture or gas equipment has to be sorted out before any insulation goes in, and on whether your job needs a permit. We're fully licensed and insured, and when your job needs a permit we take care of applying for it. After I've been down there, the written estimate gives you your own figure and the order the work goes in.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough size of the crawl space
- Vents in the foundation walls
- Gas furnace, water heater or ducts below
- Damp spots, standing water or musty smell
How we handle crawl space insulation
Closing up a crawl space takes more than blocking the vents, so I start by looking at the whole space, including any moisture and any gas furnace or water heater down there. Then we work out with you whether the walls or the floor above get the insulation, and if your ducts or furnace live in the crawl space, I usually lean toward the walls because that keeps them on the warm side of the house. On install day our crew pulls out old insulation that's wet or full of droppings instead of covering it, seals the gaps around pipes, wires and the rim joist, the band of framing that sits on top of the foundation, and fits the new insulation tight with no thin spots at the edges. Before we pack up, I go back down to check the work and make sure the access hatch closes properly.
Cold floors aren't always the whole story. If the rooms above still feel drafty, air sealing closes the gaps around outlets, the attic hatch and plumbing so air stops moving through the house, and if a room over the crawl space has bare outside walls, wall insulation is usually the next piece. I'll tell you which of those is worth doing now and which can wait.
Other work that often goes with it
Air sealing services
If you can feel air moving at the baseboards, outlets or attic hatch, sealing those gaps stops a draft that insulation alone won't fix.
Wall insulation
Rooms that stay chilly even after the floors warm up often have walls with little or nothing inside them, and filling them evens out the house.
What happens after you call about your crawl space
Call or send a message
Call (775) 447-1048 or use the form below, and we'll set up a time that works for you. Tell us which rooms feel cold and where the crawl space access is, so I know what I'm walking into.
I look at the crawl space
I come out myself, go down into the space and check the insulation, the vents, any damp and any gas equipment. Then I walk you through what I found and what I'd do first.
You get a written estimate
The written estimate spells out whether the insulation goes on the walls or the floor, what has to happen before it and what it costs. If a moisture fix should come first, it says so, so you're not paying for insulation that won't help yet.
We handle permits and install
Once you say yes, we check which city or county office covers your address and settle the permit question with them. The crew and I do the work and go over it with you at the end, and it's backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions before you insulate your crawl space
How much does crawl space insulation cost in Reno?
Insulating a crawl space in Reno usually costs about $1,500 to $7,000 per job, and that's the typical range for the area, not a price list of ours. Where your job lands depends mostly on the size of the space, walls versus floor, and whether old insulation or damp has to be dealt with first. We work across Reno, Sparks and the cities around them, and I'll give you your own figure once I've seen the space.
If my crawl space walls are insulated, do I need floor insulation too?
No, not when rigid foam board covers the walls of a closed crawl space. Federal building guidance says the floor above then doesn't need its own insulation, so you can plan and budget the job around the walls alone. That only holds if the space stays closed and has a way to dry out, which the damp question below covers.
Can I just close my crawl space vents?
Not by themselves. Sealing the vents alone can raise the moisture in a crawl space, and if a furnace or water heater down there burns fuel and relies on natural venting for its air, closing it up can create a deadly situation. Turning a vented crawl space into a sealed, dry one means planning for the whole space, so that equipment gets dealt with before any vent is closed.
How do I apply for a building permit in Reno?
You apply online, because the City of Reno issues building permits for most construction projects that need one and takes every application through its online permitting portal. If work that needed a permit goes ahead without one, the city charges compliance fees on top of the permit fees, so it pays to settle the question before anyone starts. If you're doing the work yourself on a home you live in, not one you're selling or renting out, the state contractors board lets you apply for a licensing exemption.
How do I keep a closed crawl space from getting damp?
Give it a way to dry out, because national guidance says a closed crawl space must always have one. One of the most effective is sending a small amount of conditioned air from your heating and cooling system into the space, and the same guidance has plastic sheeting called a vapor retarder, which slows moisture, laid over the crawl space walls and floor before the walls get insulated. After that, most crawl space insulation needs no regular upkeep, but it's worth a look now and then for water, pests and damp.
Does foam board insulation in a crawl space need to be covered?
Usually, yes. Some foam insulation can give off toxic or flammable gases when it's heated, so most codes require a covering such as drywall over it, though some foam products are designed and tested to lower those risks. If you're comparing foams, ask whether the product is one of those or will get a barrier over it, and your local building office can tell you whether a given foam meets code.
Get a written estimate for your crawl space
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come out myself for a free look at your crawl space, then send you a written estimate, and there's no pressure to book.
Explore our services and areas
Services
- Spray foam insulation
- Attic insulation
- Blown-in insulation
- Home insulation
- Insulation removal
- Wall insulation
- Air sealing services
- Basement insulation
- Closed-cell foam insulation
- Open-cell foam insulation
- Commercial insulation
- Crawl space vapor barrier
- Vapor barrier installation
- Attic air sealing
- Retrofit insulation
Find out what's going on under your floors
One look tells you whether the cold floors start in the crawl space at all, before you spend money on the wrong fix.