Why I Started a Crawl Space Company After Working for the Big Guys

The Path That Led Me Here

The path from selling RVs to doing crawl space work probably sounds random. And honestly, for a long time, it felt that way to me too.

But looking back now, I can see how every piece fits. The family business taught me work ethic. The failed ventures taught me I wasn't ready to lead yet. HVAC taught me about home systems and indoor air quality. And working for the big corporate crawl space companies taught me exactly what I didn't want to become.

If you're trying to figure out which crawl space company to trust with your home here in Mahomet or Central Illinois, understanding my journey might help. Because I've been on the inside of those big operations. I know how they work, what they push, and why they charge what they charge.

And that's exactly why Chris and I do things differently.

Finding HVAC (And My Wife's Health Crisis)

I found a sales job with an HVAC company in 2017. Honestly, I took it just to make ends meet. I didn't know anything about heating and cooling—couldn't even tell you what an evaporator coil was.

And I hated it at first. Absolutely hated it.

But faith is a big part of my life, and I kept praying that if this was where I was supposed to be, God would help me fall in love with it. And somehow, I did. By 2018, I realized I wanted to stay in home services for the rest of my career.

The thing that really opened my eyes was indoor air quality. My wife has an autoimmune disease, and I went down a deep rabbit hole trying to figure out how to make our home as healthy as possible for her. I learned that about 50% of the air you breathe upstairs actually comes from your crawl space.

That changed everything.

When I started going into crawl spaces as part of my HVAC work, I'd occasionally find one that was encapsulated. And even though I didn't fully understand what I was looking at, I could see the results. The humidity was lower. The air was cleaner. I could actually downsize the air conditioner because the home wasn't fighting moisture from below.

I didn't know it yet, but those crawl spaces were planting a seed. This wasn't just about HVAC systems. This was about protecting families' health from the ground up.

Working for the Big Corporate Companie

Eventually, I found my way to Foundation Recovery Systems, a subsidiary of Groundworks. They do crawl space encapsulation, floor supports, concrete lifting—the whole foundation repair world.

And I loved it at first. This was the most fulfilling work I'd done because I was actually providing something I believed in. I wasn't just selling—I was helping people transform their homes in ways that genuinely mattered.

But the longer I worked there, the more I saw how the corporate model worked. And it didn't sit right with me.

The pricing was built for maximum profit, not fair value. I started running the numbers on what materials and labor actually cost, and I was shocked at the markup. We were charging two, sometimes three times what the work actually required.

The push was always toward bigger solutions. Even when a homeowner only needed a targeted fix, the training was to design these massive, comprehensive jobs. Everything had to hit a certain ticket size to make the corporate overhead worthwhile.

And then they hired a new sales manager. He and I were like oil and water. The pressure to oversell got worse. The focus shifted even more toward maximizing every job instead of actually solving the customer's problem.

That's when the light bulb went off: I could do this work myself. I could price it fairly, keep it local and small, and still make a good living. I didn't need the corporate infrastructure. I just needed the skills, the integrity, and a truck.

I started looking seriously at what it would take to start My Guys with Chris. The only problem was my non-compete agreement.

Why "My Guys" Exists

The name "My Guys" actually comes from my HVAC days. My mentor at that first heating and cooling company taught me something that stuck: when you leave a customer's house, your goal should be to become "their guy."

Not just their HVAC company. Their guy. The person they call when anything goes wrong with their house, whether it's your specialty or not. Because if you build that level of trust and rapport, the actual sale becomes easy. They're not price shopping anymore—they're calling someone they know and trust.

That's what Chris and I wanted to build. We wanted to be Mahomet's guys. The people homeowners call because they know we'll show up, do the work right, and treat their home like our own.

We started with handyman work in late 2024 because of my non-compete. I couldn't touch crawl space work for a year after leaving Foundation Recovery Systems. So we built the business doing the smaller jobs—ceiling fans, outlet repairs, minor plumbing fixes.

Then in early 2025, Illinois changed their non-compete laws. Groundworks ended up nullifying all their non-compete agreements, including mine. Suddenly, we were free to do the crawl space work I'd been preparing for.

And we've been doing it the right way ever since. Small, local, owner-operated. Fair pricing. Chris or me on every job. No corporate pressure, no overselling, no rushing to the next appointment.

Just honest work for our neighbors.

What I Learned From the Corporate World

Working for a big corporate crawl space company taught me a lot. Mostly, it taught me what not to do.

The corporate model pushes maximum solutions because they need maximum revenue per job. They've got massive overhead—multiple crews, office staff, regional managers, franchisee fees. Every job has to carry that weight.

So even when a homeowner just needs a targeted fix, the training is to design the comprehensive package. Not because it's wrong—most of what they offer is beneficial. But because a $5,000 job doesn't work in their system. They need $15,000, $20,000, $30,000 tickets to keep the machine running.

We don't have that problem. Our overhead is minimal. Chris and I can do excellent work at fair prices and still make a good living because we're not feeding a corporate structure.

They send whoever's on the schedule. You get Chris or me—the actual owners who live right here in Mahomet.

They've got salespeople trained in a few weeks. I've got over a decade in HVAC and foundation work, plus all those years learning business the hard way.

They disappear after the sale to hit the next territory. We see you at the grocery store, at our kids' games, around town. Our reputation isn't just business—it's personal.

The biggest difference? They optimize for profit per job. We optimize for doing right by our neighbors. And yeah, sometimes that means we win last. But if you win, we're okay with that.

Ready to Work With a Company That Puts You First?

If you're tired of high-pressure sales tactics and inflated prices from the big guys, we're here. Chris and I will come out, do a thorough inspection, and give you an honest assessment of what's actually going on under your home.

No corporate runaround. No pushing solutions you don't need. Just straightforward answers from someone who's been on both sides and knows the difference.

We're right here in Mahomet, and we're ready to help.

Give us a call. Let's talk about your crawl space.