What size dehumidifier for a crawl space? 70 pints per 1,000 sq ft, and every certified model

The 2018 IRC sizing figure for crawl space dehumidifiers, worked out for 500 to 3,000 sq ft, and all 21 ENERGY STAR whole-home dehumidifiers with the area each covers.

By BuyerDecisionUpdated 17 October 2026

Sizing figure from the 2018 International Residential Code as summarised by Knox County, Tennessee; models from ENERGY STAR open data. We have not tested any dehumidifier. How we research | How links work

The short answer

Plan on 70 pints a day for every 1,000 sq ft of crawl space: about 70 pints for 1,000 sq ft, 105 for 1,500 and 140 for 2,000. That is the dehumidifier option for sealed crawl spaces in the 2018 International Residential Code. Your local code may differ, and South Carolina's version says to size per the maker's specifications instead. No ENERGY STAR portable model reaches 70 pints (the largest is 50), so the realistic choice is one of the 21 certified whole-home units below.

Title card: crawl space dehumidifier size, with rising bars — Illustration, not a photograph of a specific product.

Your crawl space

1,500 sq ft: about 105 pints a day

4 certified whole-home models reach that.

Pints by crawl space size

Crawl space floor area	Pints a day at 70 per 1,000 sq ft	Certified whole-home models that reach it	Source
500 sq ft	35	21	2018 IRC, ENERGY STAR
1,000 sq ft	70	10	2018 IRC, ENERGY STAR
1,500 sq ft	105	4	2018 IRC, ENERGY STAR
2,000 sq ft	140	1	2018 IRC, ENERGY STAR
2,500 sq ft	175	0	2018 IRC, ENERGY STAR
3,000 sq ft	210	0	2018 IRC, ENERGY STAR

Above about 2,450 sq ft no single certified unit is enough, so you would need two units.

Every certified whole-home model

All 21 ENERGY STAR whole-home dehumidifiers for the US, largest first. "Covers up to" is the crawl space area at 70 pints per 1,000 sq ft, rounded down to 10 sq ft. Yearly cost is ENERGY STAR's certified kWh a year at the July 2026 US average of 18.31 cents per kWh.

Brand	Model	Pints a day	Covers up to	Efficiency (L per kWh)	kWh a year	Cost a year	Most Efficient	Source
Santa Fe	4046180	172.1	2,450 sq ft	3.12	1,188	$218	Yes	ENERGY STAR
Santa Fe	4047300	127.5	1,820 sq ft	3.26	842	$154	Yes	ENERGY STAR
Aprilaire	E130	105.0	1,500 sq ft	2.35	926	$170	Yes	ENERGY STAR
Healthy Climate	HCWHD#-130	105.0	1,500 sq ft	2.35	2,808	$514	Yes	ENERGY STAR
Santa Fe	4047200	102.7	1,460 sq ft	2.63	565	$103	Yes	ENERGY STAR
Honeywell Home	DHM120R4000/U	94.3	1,340 sq ft	2.22	556	$102		ENERGY STAR
Santa Fe	4047100	85.6	1,220 sq ft	2.45	419	$77	Yes	ENERGY STAR
Aprilaire	E100	85.0	1,210 sq ft	2.35	821	$150	Yes	ENERGY STAR
CARRIER CORPORATION	DEHXXCDA1100*	85.0	1,210 sq ft	2.35	2,391	$438	Yes	ENERGY STAR
Healthy Climate	HCWHD#-100	85.0	1,210 sq ft	2.35	2,391	$438	Yes	ENERGY STAR
Aprilaire	E080	65.0	920 sq ft	2.35	632	$116	Yes	ENERGY STAR
CARRIER CORPORATION	DEHXXCDA1080*	65.0	920 sq ft	2.35	1,023	$187	Yes	ENERGY STAR
Healthy Climate	HCWHD#-080	65.0	920 sq ft	2.35	1,023	$187	Yes	ENERGY STAR
MOISWELL	Admiral W160	65.0	920 sq ft	2.25	628	$115		ENERGY STAR
MOISWELL	Admiral WP160	65.0	920 sq ft	2.25	628	$115		ENERGY STAR
MOISWELL	Director W160	65.0	920 sq ft	2.25	628	$115		ENERGY STAR
MOISWELL	Director WP160	65.0	920 sq ft	2.25	628	$115		ENERGY STAR
MOISWELL	Marshal WD160	65.0	920 sq ft	2.25	628	$115		ENERGY STAR
MOISWELL	Marshal WP160	65.0	920 sq ft	2.25	628	$115		ENERGY STAR
Honeywell Home	DHM090R4000	64.2	910 sq ft	2.22	556	$102		ENERGY STAR
Honeywell Home	DHM065R4000/U	52.1	740 sq ft	2.23	503	$92		ENERGY STAR

Only ENERGY STAR certified models are listed. Crawl space units that are not certified, or certified as portable, are not in this table; 32 portable models reach the portable maximum of 50 pints and are on our basement page.

What the code says

For an unvented (sealed) crawl space, the 2018 International Residential Code, section R408.3, allows a dehumidification system "sized to provide 70 pints of moisture removal per day for every 1,000 square feet of crawl space floor area", in place of a conditioned air supply. This is how Knox County, Tennessee, summarises it. It is one of several options, with the soil covered by a vapor retarder.

States adopt their own version. South Carolina's rule for the same section says "Dehumidification sized in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications" instead of a fixed figure. Ask your building department which edition applies. The code does not say which test the 70 pints refers to, and the figures here use the DOE rating ENERGY STAR publishes.

Next step

Measure the crawl space floor, multiply by 70 per 1,000 sq ft, and shortlist units from the table that reach it. Then check the maker's page for the lowest operating temperature, the height (to fit the access opening) and the drain or pump setup.

Common questions

Can I use a regular portable dehumidifier in a crawl space?

Under the 2018 IRC figure, even the biggest certified portable (50 pints a day) covers only about 710 sq ft. ENERGY STAR also warns that below about 65 F frost can form on the coils, and crawl spaces are often that cool. Check that the maker specifies the unit for low temperatures.

Does the building code require a dehumidifier in a crawl space?

Not always. The 2018 IRC lists dehumidification as one of several options for an unvented crawl space, alongside a conditioned air supply or exhaust ventilation, with a vapor retarder over the soil. States and towns adopt and amend the code, so check with your building department.

Are crawl space pint ratings comparable with basement ones?

Not directly. DOE rates whole-home units at 73 F and portable units at 65 F, both at 60% relative humidity, so the same machine would rate a little higher on the whole-home test.

Method

Size. Floor area x 70 pints a day per 1,000 sq ft, the 2018 IRC R408.3 figure. We use it because it is the only published number in a model code; it is not a rule for every home.
Models. Every dehumidifier ENERGY STAR certifies as whole-home with the US among its markets. Where the dataset lists the same brand and model twice, we show it once.
Yearly cost. Certified kWh a year x the EIA US average residential price for July 2026.
Not covered. We did not read the ICC's own code text, because its site blocked our reader. We have not measured any unit.

Sources

Changes

2026-10-17: Published. 21 ENERGY STAR whole-home dehumidifiers from the dataset updated 16 October 2026.