Insulation Services
Insulation is the rare home upgrade that pays for itself — a properly insulated and air-sealed home typically cuts heating and cooling bills 10-20% while evening out drafty rooms and ice dams. Professional installers matter because R-value on the bag is not R-value in the attic: gaps, compression, and skipped air sealing quietly erase most of the benefit.
Insulation Types and Where They Belong
The right insulation depends on where it's going and what problem you're solving:
- Blown-in (loose-fill): Fiberglass or cellulose blown over attic floors — the workhorse of attic upgrades, filling irregular spaces and topping up existing insulation.
- Batts and rolls: Fiberglass or mineral wool for open walls, rims, and floors during remodels and new construction. Cheap and effective when cut and fitted carefully; poor when stuffed and compressed.
- Spray foam: Open-cell for sound and interior use, closed-cell where you need the highest R per inch plus an air and moisture barrier — rim joists, crawl spaces, and cathedral ceilings.
- Injection/dense-pack: Cellulose or foam injected into closed wall cavities from small holes — the practical way to insulate existing walls without gutting them.
- Air sealing: Caulking and foaming the leaks — top plates, can lights, chases, and attic hatches — before insulation goes in. It's the highest-return step and the one low bids skip.
Good contractors treat the attic as a system: seal first, ventilate correctly (baffles at the eaves), then insulate to the target R-value for your climate zone.
Insulation Costs
Typical installed pricing:
- Attic blown-in (top-up to R-49/R-60): $1.50-$3.50 per square foot — $1,500-$3,500 for most attics
- Air sealing an attic: $350-$1,500 depending on leak count and access, often bundled with blown-in work
- Batt installation: $1-$3 per square foot in open cavities
- Spray foam: $1.50-$4.50 per board foot; rim joists $500-$1,500; full attics or crawl spaces $3,000-$10,000
- Dense-pack existing walls: $2-$4.50 per square foot of wall area
- Old insulation removal: $1-$2 per square foot, required when insulation is wet, moldy, or rodent-contaminated
Many utilities offer rebates for attic insulation and air sealing, and federal energy-efficiency tax credits frequently cover a portion of insulation costs — ask contractors to itemize eligible work on the invoice.
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Tell us about your project and we'll match you with licensed, insured contractors in your area — usually within 24 hours.
Hiring an Insulation Contractor
Insulation quality is mostly invisible after the job, so vet the process:
- Expect an inspection, not a phone quote. A real bid follows an attic look: current depth, air leaks, ventilation, and any moisture or wiring issues (knob-and-tube must be addressed before covering).
- Air sealing should be a line item. If a bid jumps straight to inches of fluff, you're buying half the benefit.
- Get the target R-value and coverage in writing. Blown-in bids should state finished depth, bag count per the manufacturer's coverage chart, and attic ruler markers to verify depth.
- For spray foam, ask about prep and off-gassing. Proper jobs mask the area, ventilate during cure, and have you out of the space for the re-entry window the manufacturer specifies.
- Check credentials. BPI or RESNET certification signals building-science literacy; insurance and license basics apply as with any trade.
Questions homeowners ask us first.
Short answers to the things we hear most in insulation intake conversations.
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How much insulation should my attic have?
Most U.S. climate zones call for attic R-values of R-49 to R-60 — roughly 14-20 inches of blown fiberglass or cellulose. If you can see your ceiling joists across the attic floor, you're well below target and a top-up will pay back quickly.
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How much can insulation lower my energy bills?
The EPA estimates homeowners save about 15% on heating and cooling (around 11% of total energy costs) by air sealing and insulating attics, crawl spaces, and rim joists. Homes starting from very little insulation see the biggest gains; comfort improvements — fewer drafts and more even temperatures — arrive immediately.
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Is spray foam worth the extra cost?
In the right places, yes. Closed-cell foam delivers the highest R-value per inch and doubles as an air and vapor barrier, which makes it the best answer for rim joists, crawl spaces, and tight cathedral ceilings. For open attic floors, blown-in insulation plus dedicated air sealing usually achieves similar performance for far less money.
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Can I add new insulation over old insulation?
Usually yes — blowing new insulation over existing dry, clean material is standard practice. The exceptions: wet, moldy, or pest-contaminated insulation should be removed first, and any attic with knob-and-tube wiring needs an electrician's sign-off before it's buried.
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Does insulation help in the summer too?
Yes. Attic insulation slows heat radiating from a hot roof deck into living spaces, easing air-conditioning loads and second-floor stuffiness. Pairing insulation with proper attic ventilation and sealed attic bypasses keeps cooling costs down in hot climates just as it holds heat in cold ones.