Finally, An Honest House Insulation Cost Guide [2024]

The 6 Most Common Types of House Insulation by Price (Low to High)

Most American homes use one (or more) of these 6 types of insulation:

1. Loose fill insulation
2. Rolled insulation
3. Batt insulation
4. Foam board insulation
5. Radiant barriers
6. Spray foam insulation

Let’s discuss how each type of insulation is installed, the materials used in each process, and how much it costs to purchase them. Materials are sorted from lowest to highest price.

Loose Fill Insulation

Loose fill insulation is generally used in blown insulation projects. It’s a popular material due to ease of installation, helping homeowners properly insulate hard to reach areas. 

Materials used: Loose fill insulation is usually composed of recycled cellulose or fiberglass. Loose fill is generally made up of recycled materials.

Cost: Fiberglass loose fill insulation costs between $0.30 and $1.30 per square foot. Cellulose loose fill insulation costs between $0.50 and $1.70 per square foot.

We got the inside scoop from Dallas’ #1 rated blown insulation company in a recent HOMR Buying Guide. Read more about Blown Away Insulation in that article.

Rolled Insulation

Rolled insulation is best utilized to insulate attic and wall spaces. The material is sold in large rolls and is most often made from fiberglass materials.

Materials used: Rolled insulation is primarily made from fiberglass. Some rolled insulation is made from natural fibers like cotton or sheep’s wool, or minerals like rock wool.

Cost: Fiberglass rolled insulation costs between $0.30 and $1.30 per square foot.

Batt Insulation

Batt insulation is similar to rolled insulation, except it’s cut into sheets instead of large rolls. Fiberglass batt and cellulose batt insulation are easy to find, inexpensive materials.

Materials used: Batt insulation is usually constructed of fiberglass or recycled cellulose. Other batt insulation materials include rock wool and sheep’s wool.

Cost: Fiberglass batt insulation costs between $0.30 and $1.30 per square foot. Cellulose batt insulation costs between $0.50 and $1.70 per square foot.

Foam Board Insulation

Foam board insulation is often installed under your home’s exterior siding to help meet updated R-values in your local building code. Foam board provides a less invasive option to tearing up your attic or wall spaces to install more batt or rolled insulation.

Materials used: The most popular type of foam board insulation is made from polyisocyanurate — commonly called “polyiso”. This central layer of polyiso or polyurethane is wrapped with Kraft paper or clay-coated white paper.

Cost: Polyisocyanurate (polyiso) foam board costs between $0.50 and $0.75 per board foot.

Need foam board installed to get your home up to code? Start with a free quote!

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Radiant Barriers

Radiant barrier insulation consists of a highly reflective material that reduces radiant heat transfer in your home. The barrier reflects radiant heat away from its surface, rather than absorbing it like most other insulation materials.

HOMR recommends two-sided radiant barrier insulation. Unlike one-sided materials, having reflective material on both sides of your barrier helps keep your home’s internal temperature consistent while keeping external heat sources from penetrating your home.

Materials used: Radiant barrier insulation is made of a central woven fabric layer coated with metalized film to create a reflective surface.

Cost: Two-sided radiant barrier insulation costs between $0.70 and $0.90 per square foot. Installation costs are at the higher end of our national labor estimates ($70-$80 per hour).
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Spray Foam Insulation

Spray foam insulation is a chemical compound sprayed into attic, wall and crawl space areas. It’s primarily used by homeowners concerned with attaining excellent R-value in minimal space — it takes roughly half as much closed cell spray foam to achieve the same R-value as fiberglass.

Materials used: Spray foam is most commonly made of polyurethane. It may also be composed of isocyanate and polyol resins that combine into a foam.

Cost: Homeowners who opt for spray foam insulation generally utilize it in attic and 2x6 exterior wall spaces. This requires at least 3” of spray foam in most areas, which creates additional costs for materials and installation labor.

3” of open cell spray foam insulation costs between $1.35 and $1.95 per square foot. 3” of closed cell spray foam insulation costs between $3.00 and $4.50 per square foot.

How Much Home Insulation Do I Need? [Regional Data]

The National Building Code (and your local government) use a system called R-Value to determine how much insulation you need in different parts of your home.

R-value refers to how much heat enters and exits your home through air vents, gaps in insulation and poorly insulated areas. The higher the R-value a space requires, the more insulation is needed.

For example: your attic insulation must meet a higher R-value standard than insulation in your flooring and walls.

Chart: Regional R-Values for Home Insulation

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America is divided into 8 key Insulation Zones for home insulation guidelines. The colder your region generally gets, the more insulation your home requires. The above table indicates your Insulation Zone, as well as the R-value of insulation needed in each part of your house.

All new construction in each insulation zone must meet the current R-value code requirements for attic, ceiling, wall, floor and crawl space insulation. 

If your home’s existing insulation doesn’t meet current R-value code requirements, there are ways to improve insulation without tearing open your walls and attic. For example, many homeowners can supplement their existing insulation by installing foam board underneath their exterior siding to account for the difference.

Calculating R-value isn’t tough when you have the right tools! Check out this updated article to see how much insulation your home needs.

Table: How to Calculate Insulation Thickness By R-Value

Refer to our simple R-Value chart to measure the insulation thickness you require in different areas of your home. The chart specifies how many inches of each insulation material are needed to achieve each R-value, rounded up to the nearest ¼ inch.

Every type of insulation has a different R-value. Here are the following approximate R-values per 1 inch of popular types of insulation:

• Blown Insulation: approximately R-3.6 per 1 inch
• Batt Insulation: approximately R-3.4 per 1 inch
• Open Cell Spray Foam: approximately R-3.8 per 1 inch
• Closed Cell Spray Foam: approximately R-7 per 1 inch
• Polyiso Foam Board: approximately R-6.5 per 1 inch

Example: How much fiberglass batt insulation would you need for an attic in Insulation Zone 6?

Step 1: Determine your insulation R-value per inch. Fiberglass batt insulation carries an R-value of R-3.4 per inch of material. 

Step 2: Divide your Insulation Zone’s necessary R-value by your insulation’s R-value per inch. An attic in Insulation Zone 6 requires a minimum R-value of R-49. Divide 49 by 3.4 (fiberglass batt R-value per inch) to determine how much insulation you need.

Step 3: Round up to the nearest ¼ inch. 49 divided by 3.4 = roughly 14.412. In this case, you’ll need about 14 ½” of fiberglass batt insulation to properly insulate your attic.

Ready to hire a local insulation installer? Get a free quote from HOMR here!

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Proper House Insulation Reduces Your Energy Bill

It costs $3,500-$8,750 to fully insulate the average 2,000 square foot home. While this cost is a tough pill to swallow for many Americans, achieving proper R-value is a long-time energy saving proposition.

Approximately 25-35% of home heat loss and air leaks occur through uninsulated walls. Another 30% of home heat loss occurs through a poorly insulated roof and attic. 

Proper wall, roof and ceiling insulation levels can reduce your annual home energy bill by 18-20%.

Save more money on energy bills: Find out why switching to vinyl windows or fiberglass windows can reduce your home heating and cooling bills by another 12% (or more) every year!

The 3 Major Cost Drivers of Installing Home Insulation

There are 3 primary cost drivers of residential insulation installation projects:

• Insulation Type: Spray foam insulation has a higher R-value than cellulose and fiberglass, but can cost 4-5x as much. 
• Location of Insulation: Attic and 2x6 exterior walls require more insulation than 2x4 interior walls and flooring. This drives the cost of your installation project up.
• Square Footage: HOMR prices all its insulation jobs by square foot. 

These factors account for over 60% of your total insulation bill. The rest of your project cost is made up of labor, disposal of old insulation, and air sealing services.

Select Your Home Insulation Material - from Most to Least Expensive

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40-50% of the cost to install residential insulation is determined by what materials you choose. The most expensive popular type of insulation is closed cell spray foam insulation. The most budget-friendly form of insulation is blown-in cellulose insulation.

Why Does Spray Foam Insulation Cost so Much?

Spray foam insulation is expensive due to its costly manufacturing process — it costs more to operate and maintain chemical processing facilities than it does to produce fiberglass or cellulose.

You’ll also pay more to install spray foam insulation than other materials. Using spray foam isn’t a DIY project, so you’ll have to hire professional insulation contractors to perform the job for 3 key reasons:

• Spray foam application requires better personal protective equipment (PPE) than the average homeowner owns.
• Safe spray foam usage requires a professional to measure and maintain proper ventilation levels.
• Spray foam application is technical — experience is required to apply the proper amount in each area of your home.

So why do people still choose spray foam insulation? It offers a combination of exceptional R-value and condensed space requirements that other materials can’t beat. It only takes about 9 inches of closed cell spray foam to achieve an R-60 rating, versus nearly 18” of fiberglass batt insulation.

The average price of spray foam insulation is $1-$1.50 per board foot. A board foot is a unit volume of wood, measured at 12” length x 12” width x 1” depth. Spray foam labor costs are roughly $5 per square foot. 

Expect to pay between $6,000 and $6,500 to install 1,000 square feet of 1” spray foam insulation.

DALLAS HOMEOWNERS:We rated over 70 DFW insulation companies on service history, materials and price point. See our top picks for Dallas house insulation installation.

Fiberglass Batt Insulation is a Popular Mid-Range Material

Fiberglass batt insulation is a mid-range option for homeowners who prefer ease of installation and conventional materials. Batt insulation looks like old-school rolled insulation, except the fiberglass material comes in pre-cut sheets.

Handy homeowners with insulation experience can attempt DIY installation with the proper eyewear, gloves and long sleeves and pants to avoid contact with fiberglass. Hypoallergenic fiberglass batts are available for health-conscious buyers.

The average price of fiberglass batt insulation is $0.30-$1.30 per square foot, and labor costs are roughly $0.75-$1.75 per square foot. Expect to pay between $1,050 and $3,050 to install 1,000 square feet of fiberglass insulation in your home.

Budget-Conscious Homeowners Choose Cellulose Blown In Insulation

Installing blown insulation is exactly how it sounds — cellulose materials are blown into your attic, wall and floor spaces. Recycled cellulose is the most popular material option for blown insulation projects.due to its eco-friendly, easy to install nature.

Cellulose blown in insulation costs slightly more than fiberglass batt, but installation is simpler (and therefore generally cheaper). Cellulose also has a slightly higher R-value than fiberglass, so it takes less material to meet your zone’s building code requirements.

The average price of cellulose insulation is $0.50-$1.80 per square foot, and labor costs are roughly $0.70 to $1.60 per square foot. Expect to pay between $1,200 and $3,400 to install 1,000 square feet of cellulose insulation in your home. 

Blown insulation is a fast, eco-friendly option — get a free project quote through us!

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Why Attic Insulation Costs More Than Any Other Room

It costs more to install attic insulation than any other area of your home. This is because the current national building code requires more insulation in your attic than any other space.

30% of all home heat loss occurs through your attic. A poorly insulated attic lets more internal air out (and more external air in), making your attic the least energy efficient part of your home.

“A well insulated attic can save the average homeowner 18-20% a year on their home energy bills,” says Cody Bridwell of Blown Away Insulation in Dallas, TX.

The thickness of your insulation is directly determined by the R-value assigned to each area of your home. The exact amount of insulation you need in your attic, exterior walls, interior walls, flooring and crawl space is outlined later in this article.

How much insulation does your home really need? Use our easy R-value calculator to get accurate insulation estimates for wall insulation and attic insulation cost and thickness.

The Data: What Do Installation Installers Charge In Your Area? 

HOMR surveyed local installation installers in every IECC zone to obtain current price data for labor and materials. We also requested information about specialty insulation projects, like sealing air leaks and disinfecting your attic.

Cost Estimator Table: National nsulation Material Cost Averages

Here are the national average costs of popular insulation materials (not including labor):

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Table: National Average Cost of Insulation Labor

The average cost to hire an insulation contractor is $45-80 per hour.

Here are the current average costs of insulation labor in the United States:

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National Average Cost of Home Insulation Projects

The 2 most common insulation projects besides new installation are replacing old insulation and air sealing your attic.

Cost to Replace and Remove Old Insulation: It costs about $1.00-$2.00 per square foot to have existing insulation removed. Expect to pay roughly $1,500 to have 1,000 square feet of old insulation taken out of your home.

The average total cost to remove and replace 1,000 square feet of existing insulation with new fiberglass batt insulation is between $2,300 and $4,800. The difference in cost is driven by the complexity of your home’s fiberglass removal needs.

Cost to Air Seal Your Attic: An insulation company must remove all the insulation in your attic to find the source of air leaks and ventilation issues. Don’t forget to factor insulation removal labor into your estimated budget for air sealing your attic space.

Expect to pay $2.00-$4.00 per square foot to air seal your attic.

Want a free quote on your own home insulation job? Get it here with no hassle!

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