Hawkins County
Church Hill: Crawl Space and Basement Waterproofing
Church Hill is in Hawkins County, west of Kingsport. What changes here is the paperwork: the city asks for it, and the county around it does not.
Call (423) 555-0114Your call goes to an independent local waterproofing company.
Call (423) 555-0114 to talk with an independent local waterproofing company about a damp crawl space, a wet basement or a failing pump in Church Hill.
City Hall wants to see the contractor's papers
Church Hill's permit page says that when someone other than the homeowner remodels a home, the city needs that person's business or contractor's license and workers' compensation insurance number. Use that. Before you sign, ask the company for both. A firm that cannot supply them will not be able to take out a permit in the city.
The city's builder questions page adds that a remodel needs a permit once the project passes a set value, and the permit page says grading requires one too. City Hall, at 300 East Main Boulevard, answers questions about a specific job on (423) 357-6161.
Outside the city: nobody checks but you
Hawkins County states that it issues no building permits and has no zoning or code enforcement. If your house is in the county and not in the city, no local inspector will look at a crawl space job when it is done. Three habits make up for that:
- Ask for photos of the crawl space before, during and after.
- Have the scope written down in enough detail that you could check it yourself with a flashlight.
- Hold back the final payment until you have looked, or had someone look for you.
Runoff north of town
The county manages stormwater in the built-up areas just beyond the city boundary, including New Canton and the neighborhoods near Volunteer High School. If a neighbor's grading or a building site is sending muddy water onto your lot and under your house, that is the office to report it to. The details are on the county's stormwater page.
What the work itself involves
The jobs are the same as anywhere: encapsulation, crawl space repair, basement waterproofing and sump pumps. Choosing a waterproofing company has the full checklist.