State of the Closed Crawlspace Market: The Ones For the Job

Closing a crawlspace is a service that some might consider to be “on the fence” between the sweet spot occupied by PMPs and the one held by HVAC professionals.

Both HVAC and pest professionals are in homes on a daily basis as part of their livelihood. But the difference between the roles these two play is overwhelming when looking specifically at crawlspaces.

HVAC technicians diagnose, repair, and control a home’s heating and air conditioning system, inspecting it for safety and effectiveness and delivering routine maintenance. Pest control professionals inspect the entire home’s property, assess pest levels, and formulate a game plan for control, trapping, exclusion, monitoring and more.

Simply put, the PMP is familiar with almost every nook and cranny of a home while the HVAC professional focuses directly on the heating/cooling system.

Phillip Lautsch of Northwest Exterminating says that while both are talented in their own right, PMPs have a skill set that fits for crawlspace work.

“Pest professionals are going to be there on a regular basis and you’re always looking for conducive pressures relating to pests,” Lautsch said. “HVAC pros are there for an assessment for their machine essentially. Throughout inspections, with pest control you’ve already known the family and most of the problems they have throughout the house and there’s always stuff that pops up, but you know what’s going on with that particular structure.”

Crawlspace Depot’s Billy Tesh says Lautsch is spot-on with his assessment, agreeing that pest management professionals are the natural choice for performing crawlspace work.

“The main reason is PMPs are the ones in the crawlspace more than any other companies,” Tesh said. “They understand a home’s functionality from a pest management standpoint and how to treat for termites and pest control. They’re the most likely professional to handle crawlspaces because they’ve been there.”