Sump pumps and crawl space water
Many older Savannah homes sit on piers or block crawl spaces close to the water table. Here's how to get water out and keep it out.
Raised houses are common in Savannah's older neighborhoods for good reason: they keep living space above wet ground. But the space underneath sits right where rainwater and ground water collect. When the yard outside is saturated, water can seep in through block walls or rise through the dirt floor, and it stays because there's no lower place to go. A sump pit at the low point, with a pump and a discharge line, lifts it out.
Start outside
A pump treats the symptom. Overflowing gutters, downspouts at the foundation and soil sloping toward the house all feed water under it. Fixing those first can shrink the problem a lot, and a good contractor will look at the yard before recommending a pump.
What's in a typical setup?
- A perimeter or interior drain channel leading to the pit
- A lidded pit with a pump sized for the water you're seeing
- A check valve and discharge line ending well away from the house
- A dedicated outlet, plus an optional high-water alarm or battery backup for storm outages
Signs of water under the house
- Standing water or mud on the crawl space floor after rain
- A musty smell that comes up through floor registers
- Sagging insulation, rusty straps or sweating ductwork
- Soft spots in the floor or stains on the piers
High ground water limits
In the lowest parts of the county, the water table itself can rise in a wet season. A pump can keep up with that, but it may run a lot, and there's no point digging a pit far below the surrounding water level. Ask where the discharge goes: not back against the foundation, not onto a neighbor's lot and not into a sewer cleanout. Ask who handles the wiring and whether it needs an electrical permit.
Pricing comes from the contractor after a site visit, once they've seen how the lot sits, how high the ground water is and where the water can be sent. We don't quote prices, and any figure given over the phone before someone walks the yard is only a rough guess.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Is a vapor barrier enough?
Not if water is standing under the house. A vapor barrier slows moisture from the soil, but liquid water needs a drain or pump.
How do I test my sump pump?
Pour a bucket of water into the pit and watch the pump start and empty it. If it hums without moving water or never shuts off, have it checked.
Related services
More background: Chatham County drainage guide.
Yard still underwater a day after the storm?
Call now and a local drainage contractor will help you work out where the water should go.