I live about .25 mile from the beach and my crawlspace gets flooded during very heavy rains due to a high water table. My crawlspace is the footprint of the whole house (2100 sq. Ft.) about 4 feet high with a concrete floor. The water comes up from the floor by the footings were the concrete has broken away and it appears that the floor is just a skim coating of concrete about 1.5 inches thick.

I have gotten several conflicting opinions/estimates about installing sump pumps (French drains are just too cost prohibitive, approx. $20,000) and I am hoping you can help. Some companies have suggested that I not install pumps - due to the high water table they would constantly be running and that it will possibly make the flooding worse by creating another opening for the water to enter the basement if the pumps fail or cannot keep up with the flow of water rising.

These companies suggest just using surface pumps when needed. This option would not stop the basement floor from getting wet and then i still have to deal with a wet vac for the puddles. Some companies have suggested shallow sump pits, just the height of the pump itself, others have suggested larger pits with two pumps in each, along with battery backup pumps. Some suggest holes on the sides of the sump liner, others not. Needless to say I am confused. I would like to keep the water out before the floor floods, but I certainly do not want to make the problem worse.

I have lived in the house for 6 years and we have flooded 3 times during a couple of Nor'easters and Hurricane Irene, so it is not a constant problem, but I would like to be better prepared for the next event. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!