How Much Does Attic Insulation Cost? A Helpful Guide
Like many things in life, insulating an attic with blown in insulation is something none of us do very often and generally have no idea what it could/should cost. If you are trying to budget for this project and/or decide to install attic insulation yourself, this guide will help give you a range to work with.
I’m going to be an insulation industry rebel and actually give you some real attic insulation cost guidelines to work with.
There is no way to be exact about this, because every house is different, but attic insulation for homes with a full attic generally costs between $1800 for a small house and $4500 for larger ones. Cape Cods and other knee wall houses with finished attics typically lean towards the higher side of that range, if done correctly, check out my blog entry on knee wall houses. You didn’t expect me to spit that out that fast, did you?
Rebates and incentives vary drastically around the country, but for most Cleveland/Akron for 2012 they will run from $500-$1250 with the local gas utility. Cape Cods run on the higher side of rebates as well, which helps offset their higher upfront cost. Check out Energy Savvy to find your local rebates.
Tax Credit: The tax credit was dead for 2012. The tax credit is back as part of the fiscal cliff negotiations. It is 10% of materials up to $500 and is retroactive into 2012. If you used the credit in the past, you don’t have any more to work with, it’s a one time gig. OK, on with the show…
Want to know specifics? Read on.
Cost of Blown In Fiberglass vs Cost of Blown In Cellulose
At the present time, blown in fiberglass and blown in cellulose are pretty close in price per square foot at the wholesale level, +/- 15%. That means installed costs for cellulose and fiberglass blown in insulation will be similar too. (Keep in mind that could still be a few hundred dollars difference between fiberglass and cellulose. Cellulose was half what fiberglass was about 15 years ago.)
Rolled fiberglass insulation (known as batts in the industry) will probably cost more because the material itself is more expensive and it costs more to install because of higher labor costs. Unless of course it is a fly by night operation, then they’ll be cheaper. Please don’t use them, you will call me in a year when you still have ice dams and now you have mold. (Plus rolled fiberglass doesn’t do as good of a job as any blown insulation, but that’s for another post.)
A Few Other Notes Before the Nitty Gritty
Even this broad range can vary substantially in the industry, but it’s a good start. Some are less and others are more, but 90% or so of our jobs fall in that ballpark. Foam insulation will typically increase this estimate by 50-300%. If someone is a lot less, buyer beware, you are probably getting what you pay for, which isn’t much.
The $1800-$4500 also includes air sealing and ventilation, which are basically inseparable pieces of the puzzle. Any good home performance contractor (an advanced insulation contractor) who does blown in attic insulation will agree. If they don’t, look elsewhere.
If you want an exact number, you’ll obviously have to get a free quote, or home performance evaluation as I call them, click here if you are interested.
Now that you have an idea, let’s talk about why that range is so wide.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Attic Insulation
1. Size of Attic
Shockingly, larger attics usually cost more, you heard it here first, folks. This cost is for raw attic insulation, not including air sealing and ventilation. Pricing is heavily related to how many square feet your attic has.
$900 – $2500 – Cost of blown in attic insulation, either cellulose or fiberglass
2. Amount of Existing Insulation
If you only have 2″ and we’re shooting for an R-49 (15-19″ depending on product), it’s going to cost more. If you already have 10-12″ (R-30 or so), you won’t need as much and the cost will be lower.
Same as #1.
3. Complexity of Air Sealing
Do you have ductwork in your attic? A whole house fan, recessed lights, multiple bathroom fans, a chimney through the attic, pull down stairs, knee walls, lots of ceiling fixtures, or even speakers in the ceiling? The more you have, the more complex it is to seal it up, and the more it costs. Complexity is the driving factor for air sealing cost.
$350 – $1500 – typical cost of attic air sealing
4. Bathroom Fan Ventilation
A shocking number of bathroom fans vent straight into the attic. That hot, moist air can, and often does, cause mold and rot. Fans should be vented out the wall or through the roof. If anyone tells you otherwise, don’t hire them. Also, it is code in Ohio to run bathroom fans out the soffit. Venting bathroom fans out the soffit can cause mold, watch this video.
$150 – $250 cost per fan to vent bathroom fans outside the house through the wall or roof
5. Attic Ventilation
Ventilation is rather counter intuitive, if you want a tight house, why do you want a loose attic? Basically, to let moisture and excess heat out. You may need roof ventilation (can, turtle, or ridge), gable ventilation, soffit ventilation, or some combination thereof. If the needs are too complex or the roof too steep, we will refer you to a roofer, where the price might be higher because it’s a tougher job. Check out our attic ventilation page for more info.
$300 – $1000 cost for ventilation on most jobs, but $3000 is not unheard of if you need new soffits & ridge vent
6. Other Costs
You may need a hatch or 3 to access an attic area or areas. You may want a storage platform above the insulation so you can continue to keep your Christmas decorations there. You may have to remediate mold (we don’t do that). You may want a bunch of other things. We provide a bunch of other things.
$0 – $500, mold remediation can cost $1000-$3000, or more if you have a particularly nasty problem
So there you go, the cat is out of the bag.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors that go into the cost of attic insulation. So it’s not that simple of a question. Still, now you have an idea.
Would you like to thank me for giving you this awesome information? (Hint, say yes!) Then please pick one of these options:
1. Like my Facebook page or sign up for the blog on the top right. I like to think I am both funny and interesting, so you won’t regret your decision. (Kidding!) If you disagree, leave a comment below, we can heckle each other. (Kidding! Mostly.)
2. Ready to find out exactly how much your attic will cost to insulate? Our home performance evaluations are free (don’t you dare call them a quote!) and take 1.5-2 hours of drinking from the fire hose intense education. You’ll discover the hows and whys of insulating your attic. Plus you find out how much to solve all your problems (ok, maybe not ALL your problems). You’ll be shocked it’s free. Just call 330-524-6495.
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