The Time Is Ripe for Closed Crawlspace Services

Remember that old saying, it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity? People have long recognized that too much moisture in the air, coupled with high temperatures, can cause physical discomfort. Increasingly, they’re coming to understand that humidity can be far more detrimental when left unchecked in their homes. This realization is giving rise to growing interest in closed crawlspace services.

“The market potential is really great,” said Billy Tesh, president of Crawlspace Depot and Pest Management Systems Inc. in Greensboro, N.C. “As new homes are being constructed, builders are electing to go with closed versus vented crawlspaces. They understand that it’s the best way to protect homes from moisture damage, especially as hot, humid summer months are causing crawlspaces to sweat more.”

Older homes are prime prospects for closed crawlspace services as well. Jon Statom, branch manager at Palmetto Exterminators in Greer, S.C., shared, “It used to be something you saw in high-end construction only, but we’ve done encapsulation jobs in houses that are by no means high-end. It’s because these houses sometimes need this solution even more than the high-end ones because of older, inefficient [HVAC] equipment and inadequate insulation.”

Sam Makhani, technical director at GreenMind Pest Consulting in Irvine, Calif., said that homes in colder climates can benefit from crawlspace services, too. “The crawlspace treatment business is a lot better in regions that are colder than here in Southern California. I believe the growth will be there in the next few years due to climate changes. More rain and moist conditions will strengthen demand, especially in colder parts of the U.S. and in Canada.”

PMPs IN THE MARKET. According to the 2023 PCT State of the Closed Crawlspace Market survey, 28 percent of PMPs offer closed crawlspace services. On average, they’ve been doing so for over 13 years; however, one in three (33 percent) have begun closing crawlspaces in just the past five years — likely because they’re seeing greater business potential than in the past.

“The need has always been there, but now that more people have heard of it, demand is growing,” said Statom. “We’ve done four houses on one street alone, and now a fifth homeowner has called because the neighbors are talking to each other, saying, ‘We had this work done. It was a lot of money, but now that we’ve done it, we can’t believe we didn’t do it sooner. It’s changed our house.’ This isn’t a luxury item; it’s something that literally improves people’s homes and their quality of life, plus it eventually it pays for itself.”