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The Safe & Dry Crawlspace

Portland Crawlspace Repair & Earthquake Retrofit.

We bolt your house to its foundation, seal the crawlspace from moisture and insulate the floor. The work takes 1–3 days, the price is fixed in writing, and we pull the permit. It's built for Portland-area homes from before 1980. Packages start at $4,995.

Book My Free Crawlspace Inspection Call (503) 962-9293
Photo report within 24 hours Fixed written price Permit handled for you CCB #262386
Finished crawlspace encapsulation with heavy-duty vapor barrier on the ground and walls, wrapped piers and post supports — Portland, Oregon
A sealed, dry crawlspace: heavy-duty liner on the ground and walls, wrapped piers, and supported framing.
What's Under Your Floor

Most Older Portland Homes Have the Same Three Problems Down There.

Homes built before about 1980 often just sit on the foundation with nothing holding them down. Add Portland's wet season and a vapor barrier that tore or went missing decades ago, and you end up with a house that can slide in an earthquake and pulls damp air up through the floor.

If any of these sound familiar, your crawlspace is telling you something:

  • Floors are cold in the winter, even with the heat on
  • A musty or damp smell comes up into the house
  • Mice, rats or droppings in the crawlspace
  • Insulation is sagging, falling down or missing
  • The ground under the house is bare dirt, or the plastic is torn
  • You can't see anchor bolts on top of the foundation wall
  • A home inspector flagged the crawlspace or the foundation
Cross-section of a Safe & Dry crawlspace The floor framing sits on a cripple wall and sill plate. Anchor bolts tie the sill plate to the concrete foundation, plywood braces the cripple wall, insulation fills the floor joists, and a sealed vapor barrier covers the soil. Your floor 3 Floor insulation 1 Anchor bolts into concrete 2 Plywood-braced cripple wall 4 Sealed vapor barrier
What a finished Safe & Dry crawlspace looks like (simplified).
Pick Your Package

Crawlspace & Seismic Retrofit Cost: Three Packages, Clear Prices.

Most contractors won't tell you a price until they've been in your house for an hour. We will. Your final number comes in writing after the free inspection, and it's the number you pay.

Earthquake Protection

Quake-Ready

Starting at $4,995

For homes that just need to be tied down to the foundation.

1–2 days on site
  • Anchor bolts tie the sill plate to your concrete foundation
  • Plywood bracing on cripple walls so they can't fold over
  • Steel connectors where the framing meets the sill
  • Built to Portland's prescriptive retrofit plan, so most homes don't need an engineer
  • Permit pulled and inspection scheduled by us
  • Before and after photo record of every connection
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Most Popular
Quake + Moisture + Comfort

Safe & Dry

Starting at $11,995

One visit fixes the three big crawlspace problems: earthquake, moisture and cold floors.

2–3 days on site
  • Everything in Quake-Ready, plus:
  • Old insulation and debris removed and hauled away
  • New full-coverage vapor barrier with taped seams, run up the foundation walls
  • New floor insulation with proper supports so it stays up
  • Air sealing of rim joists and gaps where pipes and wires come through the floor
  • Vents screened and access door secured to keep critters out
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The Full Fix

Total Crawlspace Shield

Starting at $17,995

For wet crawlspaces, rodent problems, or owners who want it done once and done right.

3–4 days on site
  • Everything in Quake-Ready, plus:
  • Old insulation and debris removed and hauled away
  • Rodent cleanup and exclusion: droppings removed, the area sanitized and entry points sealed
  • Air sealing of rim joists and gaps where pipes and wires come through the floor
  • Sealed crawlspace (encapsulation) with a heavy-duty liner on the ground and walls and the vents sealed
  • Crawlspace dehumidifier installed to keep humidity in check year-round
  • Insulation designed for a sealed crawlspace, so your floors stay warm
  • Heating ducts in the crawlspace sealed and insulated
  • 1-year return visit to check the crawlspace after a full wet season
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Starting prices are for a typical crawlspace up to about 1,200 sq ft with normal access. Bigger or tighter crawlspaces, hidden rot, and electrical work by a licensed electrician are quoted separately. You'll see every line item before you decide.

Included Free With Every Package

You Get More Than the Work.

Full crawlspace inspection + photo reportWe crawl the whole thing and text you photos of what we find within 24 hours, even if you never hire us.
$250 value
Permit paperwork and inspection schedulingWe file the paperwork, meet the city inspector and handle the back-and-forth.
$300 value
Before and after photo binderProof of the work for your insurance company, and for buyers when you sell.
$150 value
Rebate checkWe tell you which Energy Trust of Oregon or City of Portland programs your home may qualify for, before you sign.
Free
Clean-up and haul-awayEverything we remove leaves with us. Your house is protected from the crawlspace access to the curb.
$200 value
Total bonuses included
$900+ free
Our Promises

We Take the Risk. Not You.

These are in writing on every Safe & Dry contract.

Guarantee 01

Fixed Price, In Writing

The price on your quote is the price you pay. If we open something up and find hidden damage like rot, we stop, show you photos, and nothing changes without your OK.

Guarantee 02

Pass Inspection or We Fix It Free

If the city inspector doesn't sign off on our earthquake retrofit work, we correct it at no cost to you until it passes.

Guarantee 03

On Time or $100 a Day Off

We finish in the number of days on your quote, or we take $100 off your bill for every day we run late. Change orders you approve don't count toward the clock.

Who This Is For

Built for Three Kinds of Owners.

Homeowners

You own an older home in Portland, Gresham or the east side and want to stop worrying about the big one, the damp smell and the cold floors.

Home Sellers

The buyer's inspector flagged the crawlspace or foundation. We fix it fast and give you photos and permit records, so it doesn't become a repair credit at closing.

Landlords & Property Managers

Protect the building, cut down on tenant complaints about cold floors and pests, and have documentation on file. Ask about multi-property pricing.

How It Works

Five Steps. Most Jobs Wrap in Under Two Weeks.

1

Free Inspection

We crawl it, measure it and photograph everything. It takes about 45 minutes.

2

Report + Price

Within 24 hours you get photos, what we found and a fixed price in writing.

3

We Pull the Permit

For earthquake work, we file with the city using the prescriptive plan.

4

1–3 Day Install

We work from the crawlspace access. You can stay home the whole time.

5

Sign-Off + Photos

City inspection, a final walkthrough and your before and after binder.

Rainy season is here.

Crawlspaces take on the most water from October through April.

We book a limited number of crawlspace installs each month so the owner is on every job. Get on the schedule before the wet months do more damage.

Free · No Obligation

Book Your Free Crawlspace Inspection.

Tell us a little about your home. We'll call within one business day to set a time.

✅ Got it. You're on the list. Jacques or someone from the JOCS crew will call within one business day to schedule your inspection. Want to talk sooner? Call (503) 962-9293.
Name please.
Phone please.
Email please.
Address or city please.

No cost, no pressure. We never sell your info.

Where We Work

Crawlspace Repair Across the Portland Metro.

Earthquake bolting, vapor barriers, encapsulation and floor insulation for older homes in:

Common Questions

Crawlspace Repair & Earthquake Retrofit FAQ.

How much does an earthquake retrofit cost in Portland?
A standard bolt-and-brace retrofit (Quake-Ready) starts at $4,995 for a typical home. Safe & Dry, which adds a vapor barrier, floor insulation and air sealing, starts at $11,995. After the free inspection you get an exact fixed price in writing.
Do I need a permit?
Yes, earthquake retrofit work needs a building permit. Most one- and two-family homes up to three stories with a continuous concrete foundation qualify for the City of Portland's prescriptive plan, so no engineer is needed. We handle the paperwork and meet the inspector. Homes on steep slopes may need an engineer, and we'll tell you at the inspection.
How long does it take? Do I have to leave?
Quake-Ready takes 1–2 days, Safe & Dry takes 2–3, and Total Crawlspace Shield takes 3–4. We work from the crawlspace access, so you can stay home, work from home, and keep your pets inside.
Are there rebates?
Sometimes. Energy Trust of Oregon and City of Portland programs offer incentives for floor insulation and air sealing on qualifying homes. Program rules change, and some incentives require a participating contractor, so we'll tell you up front what your home may qualify for.
Will it lower my energy bills?
A lot of an older home's heat escapes through an uninsulated floor and air leaks into the crawlspace. Insulating and air sealing the floor usually makes rooms feel warmer and cuts heating waste. Savings depend on your home and heating system.
I'm selling. Is it worth doing before I list?
Often, yes. Buyers' inspectors regularly flag unbolted foundations and wet crawlspaces, and that usually turns into a repair credit or a lower offer. Fixing it first, with photos and permit records in hand, keeps you in control of the number.
What is crawlspace encapsulation?
Encapsulation seals the crawlspace off from outside air and ground moisture: a heavy-duty liner covers the soil and foundation walls, the vents are sealed, and a dehumidifier keeps humidity in check. It is the most complete fix for wet or musty crawlspaces and is included in our Total Crawlspace Shield package.
How do I know if my house is bolted to the foundation?
Look at the top of the concrete foundation wall from inside the crawlspace. If you see anchor bolts with nuts and washers every few feet holding the wood sill plate down, it is bolted. Many Portland homes built before about 1980 have none. Our free inspection checks every wall and shows you photos.
What areas do you serve for crawlspace repair?
Portland (all quadrants), Gresham, Troutdale, Milwaukie, Happy Valley, Beaverton, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Sandy and the rest of the Portland metro. Our shop is on SE 177th Ave on the Portland–Gresham line.
Do you work on rentals?
Yes. We work with landlords and property managers across Portland and Gresham, and we can schedule around tenants. Ask about pricing for multiple properties.

Find Out What's Under Your Floor. Free.

A 45-minute inspection, a photo report within 24 hours, and a fixed price. No pressure.

Book Free Inspection Call (503) 962-9293
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