Soft, sagging floors or a damp, musty crawl space? Get a free look under the house and a written price from a local crew. Most people get a call back the same day.
✓Water close to the topThe Chatham County plan calls the county flat, with soil that drains poorly and water close to the top. USDA soil maps show water 12 to 30 inches down for months each year in Ocilla soil. In Leon soil it can be just 6 to 18 inches down. Many crawl spaces are only a couple of feet deep. So in a wet season, the ground under the house can stay damp or even puddle.soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov
✓Damp summer airWarm, humid air comes in through crawl space vents in summer. As it cools near the ground, it gets even damper. Building science studies show this. That damp air settles on wood, pipes and ducts, and over time it feeds mold and rot.energyvanguard.com
✓Storms fill them upHurricane Irma pushed the Fort Pulaski tide gauge to 12.24 feet in 2017, says the National Weather Service. In August 2024, Tropical Storm Debby dropped about 10 inches of rain on Savannah. When water gets under a house, it soaks the wood. It can also wash soil away from the base of the piers.weather.gov
✓Old homes, old woodArdsley Park, begun in 1909, is all wood-framed houses. Part of it was built on a filled-in bog, says its U.S. historic record. Thomas Square in Midtown lists wood, brick and concrete foundations. In the Historic District, many houses sit on raised basements of Savannah grey brick.npgallery.nps.gov
✓County flood vent ruleIn flood zones outside Savannah city limits, the Chatham County flood law covers the space under a raised home. It needs at least two flood vents on different walls. They must give one square inch of opening for each square foot of that space. The bottom of each vent can be no more than one foot above the ground. The law also says sealing that space and cooling the air in it goes against its intent. Ducts and equipment must sit at least three feet above the flood line.cdn.chathamcountyga.gov
What it costs
Typical published ranges for Savannah. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.
A soft spot in the hall. A kitchen floor that slopes toward the back door. A musty smell that gets worse each summer. In a raised house, the cause of all three is often right under your feet. It is in the crawl space.
The crawl space is the short open area between the ground and your floor. Piers or short walls hold up wood beams. The beams hold up the floor joists. When the wood rots, a pier sinks or water collects, the floor above starts to move.
Most people never go under their house. So problems grow quietly for years. The free inspection is a simple way to find out what is going on before it gets bigger.
What we can help fix
These are the crawl space problems Savannah homeowners call about most:
"The floor is soft or bouncy in one spot."
"The floor sags in the middle of the room."
"The house smells musty, and it is worse in summer."
"There is standing water under the house after it rains."
"The insulation under the floor is falling down."
"There is mold on the wood under the house."
"A pier under the house is cracked or leaning."
"The termite inspector found damage under the floor."
Why crawl spaces struggle here
In Savannah, the water sits close to the top of the ground. The air is damp most of the year. Storms push water under houses. And many homes are a hundred years old. The facts above show each of these. Put them together, and wood under a floor has a hard life.
How a crew fixes it
New supports
The most common fix is new steel posts or new piers under a beam that sags. The crew sets them on solid footings. Then they raise the beam in small steps until the floor is level. Going slowly helps protect the walls above.
New or doubled joists
Some floor joists are cracked, rotted or too small. The crew can bolt new full-length boards beside them. This is called sistering. Or they can replace the joists. Rotted beams can be swapped in sections. So can sill plates, the boards that sit on top of the foundation walls.
Pier repair
Old brick piers can crack, lean or lose their mortar. The crew can rebuild a pier or fill it with new mortar. They can also swap it for a stronger support. In old homes, the new brick may need to match the old.
Draining the water
If water collects under the house, it needs a way out. The crew can shape the ground so water runs to one low spot. A drain and a sump pump can then push it out. Fixes outside matter too, like gutters and the slope of the yard. See drainage fixes.
Keeping it dry
Once the space is dry and solid, the next step keeps it that way. That can mean a ground cover, sealed duct leaks or fixed vents. It can also mean new insulation or a dehumidifier. A fully sealed space works well in the right house. In a flood zone, though, the county rules come first.
Flood zone rules
This part is special to the Savannah area. It changes what a crew can do.
Wilmington Island, Whitemarsh Island and Isle of Hope are outside city limits. For homes there in a flood zone, the county flood law applies. It calls for flood vents so water can flow in and out. And it does not want the space sealed and cooled.
So in a flood zone, a sealed, cooled crawl space may not be allowed. The plan to keep it dry has to work with flood vents. A good crew checks your flood zone and the current rules first. If your home is not in a flood zone, you have more choices.
Flood insurance is one more reason to check. It pays only a limited amount for some things below the lowest raised floor. And how your home is rated can depend on having the right flood vents.
What a good inspection covers
Floor level readings in each room above the crawl space.
A look at every pier, beam and sill, with a probe to test for soft wood.
Damp readings on the wood and in the air.
Signs of water, like puddles, water lines or washed-out soil.
Insulation, ducts and vents.
Outside slope, gutters and downspouts.
Your flood zone, so the plan fits the rules.
Photos and a written plan.
What moves the price
These are typical ranges from the Fixr cost guides, not a quote. Four things move the price most. How much wood is rotted. How many new supports you need. Whether water needs to be drained. And how much room the crew has to work. A very low crawl space takes longer. See the full cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my floor feel soft or bouncy?
The most common causes are rotted or weak floor joists, a sagging beam, or a pier that sank or crumbled. In Savannah, damp air and wet ground under the house speed up rot. The crew finds the cause by going under the house.
Should I seal my crawl space?
It depends on where you live. On dry, high ground, a sealed space with a dehumidifier can keep the air dry. But in a flood zone outside city limits, the county flood law says sealing and cooling that space goes against its intent. Flood vents are required there. Ask the crew to check your flood zone first.
Is a plastic ground cover enough?
A ground cover helps keep damp from rising out of the soil. It does not fix standing water, rot or a sagging beam. If water collects under the house, it has to be drained first. If not, the plastic just holds a puddle.
My crawl space flooded in a storm. What now?
Get the water out and the space drying as soon as you can. Then have it checked for soaked insulation, wet wood and soil washed from the piers. Call your flood insurance company too, since claims have deadlines.
Does flood insurance pay for crawl space damage?
Flood insurance pays only a limited amount for some things below the lowest raised floor. The limits depend on your flood zone and when the home was built. Read your policy or ask your agent before work starts.
Can you fix the floor without tearing up my house?
Most of the time, yes. Most crawl space repairs are done from under the house. New supports and new joists rarely touch the rooms above. The only inside work is often patching cracks once the floor is level.
Do termites cause crawl space problems in Savannah?
They can. Termites and rot both harm wood under the floor, and both like damp wood. The crew will point out damage they find. But a termite check and treatment is a separate job for a licensed pest company.
How long does crawl space repair take?
New supports or a few new joists often take a day or two. Long beams, new drains or a full moisture system can take several days. Your written price should list the schedule.
Book your free crawl space check
Rot and damp do not fix themselves. And the next big storm is never far off. Call (912) 771-1041 or send the short form. A local crew will call you back, most often the same day. They will go under the house and give you a written price before any work starts.