Anderson is the Electric City, named for the hydroelectric plant that brought power to town in 1895 (city history). It’s the Anderson County seat, it has eight historic districts, and 59.7% of its homes were built before 1980, with a median year of 1975 (American Community Survey via Census Reporter).
Do you really come to Anderson?
Yes, and we’ll be straight about the distance. Anderson is about 21 miles southeast of Seneca in a straight line and farther by road, the longest trip on our list. There are crawl space companies based closer to you, and it’s worth comparing. What we bring is a price range you can read before anyone visits, and humidity and wood moisture readings before we give a firm number.
Is radon lower in Anderson County?
On average, yes. Homeowner test kits through June 2022 averaged 1.7 pCi/L in Anderson County, against 3.0 in Pickens and 5.0 in Oconee, where we’re based (SC DES radon table). Those are kit results, and a county average is no promise about any one house. EPA’s action level is 4 pCi/L.
Encapsulation is not radon mitigation, and EPA does not recommend sealing alone (EPA Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction). What a sealed crawl space vapor barrier does give you is the base that sub-membrane suction is built on, should you ever need it. Test first.
Why do the historic districts matter?
Because that’s where the oldest houses are, and older houses were far more likely to be built on crawl spaces. In 1971, 38% of new single-family homes in the South went on crawl spaces; now 88% go on slabs (Census Survey of Construction). Those older vented crawl spaces breathe summer air with a mean August dew point of 67.2°F at Greenville-Spartanburg airport (NOAA normals), and that air turns damp as it cools under the floor.
Closing them up helps the power bill as well as the framing. In the Advanced Energy study, closed crawl spaces saved 15% to 16% of energy over 11 months. If you’re weighing a full job against plastic on the dirt, read encapsulation vs. a vapor barrier. And if your house is out toward Lake Hartwell on a lot that falls toward it, fix gutters and grading first, then look at drainage and a sump pump for any water that still gets in.
How much is it in Anderson?
On a 2,000 sq ft crawl space, our estimator gives $8,350–$11,650 for a 12 mil liner, sealed vents and a dehumidifier; at 1,500 sq ft the range drops to $6,650–$9,200. If water calls for a drain line and sump pump, budget about $2,200 more. These ranges come from our estimator. They’re a ballpark, not a quote, and the firm price comes after we’ve seen the crawl space.
If you’re in Anderson and want an opinion from outside town, send us the details or call, and we’ll set a time to look under the house.
