Insulation Cost Calculator
Homeowners who hired a professional to add or replace insulation reported a median cost of $2,800 in 2026 prices; half of the jobs cost $1,100 to $5,700.
United States · hired a pro
$2,800median cost
Half of these jobs cost between $1,100 and $5,700.
383 real jobs from 2021 to 2023, in 2026 prices.
Is your insulation quote high or low?
| Cost of the job | Share of jobs |
|---|---|
| $500 or less | 10% |
| $1,000 or less | 20% |
| $1,500 or less | 31% |
| $2,000 or less | 38% |
| $3,000 or less | 54% |
| $4,000 or less | 65% |
| $5,000 or less | 70% |
| $7,500 or less | 82% |
| $10,000 or less | 88% |
| $15,000 or less | 95% |
The survey does not record the type of insulation (batts, blown-in, spray foam) or the area that was insulated, so a higher quote is not necessarily too high.
Insulation cost by home size
Size of the whole home, not of the job.
| Home size | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000–1,499 sq ft | $1,800 | $1,000–$4,500 | 75 |
| 1,500–1,999 sq ft | $3,000 | $1,300–$5,100 | 91 |
| 2,000–2,499 sq ft | $2,800 | $900–$6,800 | 83 |
| 2,500–2,999 sq ft | $2,300 | $1,300–$5,700 | 45 |
| 3,000–3,999 sq ft | $4,500 | $2,000–$6,400 | 48 |
Fewer than 30 jobs, no figure: 750–999 sq ft (10), 4,000 sq ft or more (20).
By home value
| Home value | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $200,000 | $2,300 | $1,000–$5,100 | 47 |
| $200,000–$349,999 | $1,900 | $1,000–$5,100 | 81 |
| $350,000–$599,999 | $2,300 | $1,100–$4,500 | 103 |
| $600,000 or more | $5,100 | $2,600–$8,200 | 141 |
Insulation cost by region and metro area
| Region and division | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | $2,300 | $1,000–$6,000 | 75 |
| New EnglandConnecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont | $1,600 | $560–$4,500 | 41 |
| Middle AtlanticNew Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania | $3,400 | $1,100–$7,700 | 34 |
| Midwest | $2,600 | $1,400–$4,500 | 73 |
| East North CentralIllinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin | $2,300 | $1,100–$4,500 | 53 |
| South | $3,200 | $1,300–$6,400 | 128 |
| South AtlanticDelaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia | $3,400 | $1,700–$7,700 | 72 |
| West South CentralArkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas | $2,600 | $1,300–$5,100 | 48 |
| West | $3,400 | $1,200–$6,400 | 107 |
| PacificAlaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington | $4,000 | $2,600–$9,000 | 78 |
Fewer than 30 jobs, no figure: West North Central (20), East South Central (8), Mountain (29).
No metro area has 30 or more of these jobs in the survey.
Insulation cost per square foot by type and R-value: federal laboratory estimates
Estimates by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (U.S. Department of Energy) per square foot, installed in an existing home. Not costs that homeowners reported.
| Type and R-value | Low | Middle | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blown-in (loose fill), R-19 | $0.61 | $0.97 | $1.70 |
| Blown-in (loose fill), R-30 | $0.81 | $1.37 | $1.96 |
| Blown-in (loose fill), R-38 | $0.95 | $1.66 | $2.14 |
| Blown-in (loose fill), R-49 | $1.15 | $2.06 | $2.40 |
| Batts, R-19 | $1.98 | $2.35 | $4.00 |
| Batts, R-30 | $2.38 | $2.88 | $4.64 |
| Batts, R-38 | $2.66 | $3.27 | $5.11 |
| Batts, R-49 | $3.05 | $3.80 | $5.75 |
| Open-cell spray foam, R-19 | $4.18 | $7.44 | $11.51 |
| Closed-cell spray foam, R-19 | $5.76 | $8.32 | $17.01 |
| Closed-cell spray foam, R-30 | $9.09 | $13.12 | $26.85 |
| Closed-cell spray foam, R-38 | $11.51 | $16.60 | $34.02 |
| Type and R-value | Low | Middle | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batts, R-13 | $1.49 | $1.73 | $3.35 |
| Batts, R-19 | $1.71 | $2.01 | $3.68 |
| Batts, R-21 | $1.78 | $2.11 | $3.79 |
| Open-cell spray foam, R-13 | $2.91 | $5.07 | $7.79 |
| Open-cell spray foam, R-19 | $4.18 | $7.44 | $11.51 |
| Open-cell spray foam, R-21 | $4.61 | $8.23 | $12.75 |
| Closed-cell spray foam, R-13 | $3.94 | $5.71 | $11.63 |
| Closed-cell spray foam, R-19 | $5.76 | $8.32 | $17.01 |
| Closed-cell spray foam, R-21 | $6.36 | $9.20 | $18.80 |
| Rigid foam board (XPS), R-13 | $2.48 | $3.28 | $6.99 |
| Rigid foam board (XPS), R-19 | $3.31 | $4.46 | $8.53 |
| Type and R-value | Low | Middle | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batts, R-13 | $2.07 | $2.35 | $3.94 |
| Batts, R-19 | $2.28 | $2.64 | $4.29 |
| Batts, R-30 | $2.67 | $3.17 | $4.94 |
| Open-cell spray foam, R-13 | $3.75 | $7.12 | $13.43 |
| Open-cell spray foam, R-19 | $5.02 | $9.49 | $17.15 |
| Closed-cell spray foam, R-13 | $3.94 | $5.71 | $11.63 |
| Closed-cell spray foam, R-19 | $5.76 | $8.32 | $17.01 |
| Closed-cell spray foam, R-30 | $9.09 | $13.12 | $26.85 |
| Type and R-value | Low | Middle | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batts, R-10 | $1.39 | $1.59 | $3.18 |
| Batts, R-13 | $1.49 | $1.73 | $3.35 |
| Batts, R-19 | $1.71 | $2.01 | $3.68 |
| Rigid foam board (XPS), R-5 | $1.36 | $1.69 | $4.93 |
| Rigid foam board (XPS), R-10 | $2.06 | $2.68 | $6.22 |
| Rigid foam board (XPS), R-13 | $2.48 | $3.28 | $6.99 |
| Rigid foam board (XPS), R-19 | $3.31 | $4.46 | $8.53 |
Example: 1,000 square feet of R-38 blown-in (loose fill) insulation on an attic floor is $950 to $2,100, middle estimate $1,700.
Source: National Laboratory of the Rockies, "National Residential Efficiency Measures Database", version 4.0.0, released April 3, 2024; retrofit costs, 2023 dollars multiplied by 1.13 for 2026 prices. 5 types with a small sample or few sources are left out. More about these estimates
How homeowners paid for insulation jobs
| Paid mainly with | Share | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash from savings | 70% | $2,600 | $1,200–$5,700 | 278 |
| Cash-out refinance | 3% | too few jobs | 11 | |
| Home equity loan | 4% | too few jobs | 18 | |
| Insurance settlement | 4% | too few jobs | 10 | |
| Credit or store card | 7% | too few jobs | 29 | |
| Contractor financing | 3% | too few jobs | 14 | |
| Other | 8% | too few jobs | 21 |
Insulation: hiring a pro or doing it yourself
57% hired a professional; 43% did most of the work themselves.
| Who did most of the work | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hired a professional | $2,800 | $1,100–$5,700 | 383 |
| Did most of the work themselves | $600 | $340–$1,700 | 302 |
A do-it-yourself cost leaves out the household's own time.
How often homeowners add or replace insulation
3.5% of owner-occupied homes had this job done in the two years before the survey, by a professional or by the household.
| Year the home was built | Share of homes | Homes surveyed |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 5.6% | 2,839 |
| 1940 to 1959 | 4.3% | 3,854 |
| 1960 to 1979 | 4.4% | 6,448 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 3.6% | 3,691 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 3.0% | 3,718 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 2.1% | 4,106 |
| 2010 or later | 1.2% | 2,690 |
Insulation cost by year, as reported
| Year | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $3,000 | $1,000–$5,000 | 104 |
| 2022 | $2,000 | $1,000–$4,000 | 177 |
| 2023 | $3,000 | $1,200–$7,200 | 100 |
Not adjusted to 2026 prices; 2021 and 2023 are covered only in part. How the price adjustment works
What counts as an insulation job in this data
Counted:
- Fiberglass batts and loose materials, and foam or other materials blown into walls, ceilings or attics.
- Caulking and weather stripping, only when all or most of the doors or windows were treated.
Not counted:
- Plastic film put over windows or doors for the season.
- Routine minor work such as painting or decorating.
Survey category: "Added or replaced insulation". Costs the Census Bureau filled in (28% of the professional jobs) are left out.
Where these numbers come from
American Housing Survey 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau and HUD), in 2026 prices by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index for home improvements. Estimates by type of insulation: National Laboratory of the Rockies, U.S. Department of Energy. The calculations are our own; no agency has reviewed or endorsed them. Methodology · Data source