Carl here. Finn, do not panic, but do not ignore it. That standing water is a recipe for high relative humidity under your floor joists. In our Wake County summers, when the outdoor dew point climbs into the 70s, that damp crawlspace will stay at 90 percent humidity or higher.

This leads to wood rot, sagging floors, and eventually mold. That plastic sheeting is your vapor barrier. It needs to be at least 6 mil thick, taped at the seams, and run up the foundation walls. Get the standing water out first with a sump pump, then we can talk about a dehumidifier.

I am going to stop you right there, Carl. Before Finn spends thousands on crawlspace encapsulation, he needs to look up. Finn, where does your roof runoff go?

Ten to one your downspouts are dumping water right next to your foundation. Last year at my place in Apex, I had the exact same issue. I ran solid schedule 40 PVC drain lines from my gutters to the back of the lot, graded the soil so it slopes six inches over the first ten feet away from the house, and my crawlspace has been bone dry ever since. Water management starts at the roofline.

Aaron has the right of it on grading. Do not DIY buried drain lines if you do not know where your utility lines are. Call 811 first.

If you hire out the grading, expect to pay anywhere from 1500 to 4000 dollars depending on the yard. Do not let some guy with a bobcat tear up your yard without a plan. If you go the sump pump route, Raleigh requires a permit if you are tying it into the municipal storm sewer. Check the city code first.

Good advice from Ray. I am over in Hedingham near the Neuse River and our water table is always something to watch. When the creek levels rise after these big summer dumps, the ground just gets saturated.

If you are anywhere near a low zone, make sure your flood insurance is up to date, even if the bank did not require it. It is cheap peace of mind.

Wow, thank you all so much. I checked the gutters and one of the downspouts was completely disconnected and dumping right where the puddle is inside. I will get that fixed today and call around about the grading. Really appreciate the help.