If you’re looking to have insulation installed, and want pricing for foam, blown in, or batt insulation in Central TX, then this article is for you.
Stellrr Insulation sponsored an independent research group to determine the average investment of having insulation installed in the geographically specific area of Central TX. The research group acquired quotes from 43 companies that install insulation in the central Texas hill country. Quotes contained pricing for each type of insulation on various residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
The researchers also called upon 761 people who had insulation installed in the last 12-24 months to determine what people actually paid. They also noticed that the price of installation is going up along with the increased demand due to the growth of the ATX metro and the city’s green initiatives.
Meeting Insulation Installation Cost Minimums
On almost every project, it was found that people were required to meet at least a $1,500 minimum, and many of the professional insulation companies required a $2,000 minimum.
What the minimum means is that if you only need someone to come out and install a few square feet of insulation, you are still looking at $1,000+ for the pros to come and do it. With that minimum in mind, you may try to find more areas for the contractor to improve. For example, if you are having a little insulation blown into a wall, you might as well also have them upgrade your attic insulation at the same time. That way you get more insulation for your money.
Here are the survey results of insulation price ranges:
Investment By Types of Insulation Materials
Foam Spray Insulation Cost
Foam is a popular type of insulation. Why? Because it seals air leaks and fills all the nooks, crannies, and gaps in walls where other types of insulation fail.
There are two primary types of polyurethane foam: open cell and closed cell. Open cell has an average R-value of R3.5 and closed cell insulates at up to R6. Foam requires significantly less space in your building than does blown cellulose and fiberglass.
How to calculate the estimated price of foam:
The cost of installing foam is calculated using the board foot, which measures 12” wide x 12” long x 1”thick.
To determine how much you need, multiply the space that you want insulated by the depth of those inches. Measured as: square foot x inches deep = board feet needed. For example: 2,500 bd. ft. of space at 0.50 = $1,250.
- Open-cell in Central Texas usually ranges from $0.55 to $0.85 per board foot
- Closed-cell in Central Texas usually ranges from $2.00 to $3.45 per board foot.
Don’t forget attic insulation spray foam cost need to include the roof pitch. When estimating attic insulation cost for having insulation applied to the roof deck, you have to factor in the roof pitch. Here is what that means: Let’s say the pitch of your roof is 5/12, and your attic square footage is 1,000. Then you would do 1,000 x 1.08 (the factor for a 5/12 roof pitch) to get the actual number of square feet on the roof deck. You can learn more about roof pitch factoring here.
How much polyurethane do you need to get the right R-value?
- If you have 2×4 wall cavities, you can fill the cavity with open cell foam for about R-13. You would require 4-board feet per square foot of wall space.
- If you have 2×6 wall cavities, then open cell foam gets you about R-20. You would need 6 board feet per square foot of wall space.
- With closed cell foam, you are at about R-6.7 with 1 inch, R-14 at 2 inches, and R-20 at 3 inches, and R-27 at 4 inches.
Blown Insulation Cost
Attic blown installation cost around Central Texas:
- $0.16 per board foot (12″x12″x1″). Easy access, open blow TruSoft Cellulose is R-3.7 per inch. Energy Star Recommends R-60. Code required minimum is R-49.
Drill and Fill Cellulose
- Dense packing existing sheet rocked walls is $4.50 – $9.00 per sq ft.
- Dense packing a garage ceiling is $9 – $12 per sq ft.
- Dense packing a cathedral ceiling is $9 – $11 per sq ft.
- Dense packing a cantilever is about $20 / sq ft.
HEALTH RISK WARNING:
Working in a 130-150 degree attic for more than 30 minutes can cause serious health risks including heat stroke. You will need proper nutrition, water, and breaks to avoid a trip to the ER. Also, don’t do it alone. You will need help nearby in case of emergency. Also, your phone will not likely work after a so many minutes because of the extreme heat. So have another method of communication with you in case you need to call for help.
Fiberglass Batt Cost
Fiberglass batts is just about the cheapest option to insulate a building when the wall cavities area open, like an attic. However, fiberglass batts are one of the poorest air sealers. Fiberglass batts cost between $1.10 and $3.50 per square foot.
Radiant Barrier Cost
This method reflects heat away from the building’s roof similar to aluminum foil. It only insulates against 1 of the 3 types of heat transfer so is always be used in conjunction with an R-value insulator like fiberglass, cellulose, or foam.
The cost of radiant barriers is by the square foot and ranges from $1.75 for a traditional foil barrier up to $2.75 for a SunChuter Radiant Barrier.
Insulation Cost for Each Part of a Building
The research team broke down the costs so you can know the average price a specific project area. An average home in the ATX area is 2,500 square feet and the ones built after the 1980’s tend to be two stories. Here is what we found:
Wall Insulation Cost
Many existing buildings are poorly insulated and the most feasible method for insulating drywalled walls is with blown-in cellulose. A 2.5-inch hole is cut in the wall in each stud bay, insulation dense packed, and the hole is closed. The cost most recently averaged about $4.5 – $9 per square foot for cellulose, and blown rock-wool quite a bit higher.
Roof Deck – Spray Insulation Cost
If a vented attic is becoming a sealed attic, you must ensure the proper steps are taken to ensure your HVAC and Water Heater have the proper ventilation. This is a problem Stellrr fixes everyday with ventilation ducting and building of ventilated attic utility closets. Before insulating the roof deck, all existing insulation must be removed, which costs between $2.00 and $4.0 per sq ft. Insulating the roof deck with open cell at R-25 is about $4.15 per sq ft. When measuring, be sure to include the roof pitch, and gable walls for accurate attic insulation spray foam cost.
Garage Door Insulation Cost
A garage door will cost around $400 per car (1 car, 2 car, 3 car), for foam board insulation.
Crawl Space Insulation Cost
Vented crawl spaces cost about $3.97/sq ft for R13 closed cell foam installed on the underside of the floor decking. However, a much smarter option is to create a sealed crawlspace with insulation on the crawlspace walls, and a CleanSpace liner on the floor. This will cost $4.15/sq ft of walls, plus $5 – $7/sq ft of floor space, depending on what type of moisture barriers are installed.
Attic Floor Joist Insulation Cost
Blowing fire and pest resistant TruSoft Cellulose on the attic floor costs about $0.19/ board foot (12″x12″x1″). We recommend 16 board feet per square foot to achieve R-60. R-60 is the Energy Star recommended level. R-49 is the code required minimum standard. Of course, insulating without air sealing is Mal-practice. Air sealing costs $1.35 – $3.21/sq ft
Rebates and Savings
Improving your building’s energy performance will save your money on bills. If done right, and to the extent required, you may qualify for government tax credits and rebates. Check out your city’s website for full details. Local Energy companies have several rebates but you must qualify and rebate opportunities expire and generally they are just a few cents per sq ft of insulation..
*** Please note: these prices are not specific to Stellrr’s prices. The costs are a range of what insulation companies around Central Texas have charged the last 12-24 months for different services.
HERE IS WHAT TO DO NEXT!
Take the next step, give us a call at (512) 710-2839 to learn more about our services or download the complimentary e-books today.
