Average cost of insulating a home, full guide (2023)

Most owners pay$1.25 to $2.00 per square footwhen the most common types of insulation are used and the recommended R-values, or insulation values, are achieved.

A properly insulated home is energy efficient and comfortable, two essentials for most homeowners.

This home insulation guide looks at the cost of insulating your entire home and breaks down insulation costs for different parts of the home, including the attic, walls, and basement or basement. You'll find links to pages with more detailed information on insulating each part of your home.

The last section of this guide presents cost factors to consider before starting your project, such as insulation types and DIY options.

Home Insulation Cost Overview

How much would it cost to insulate a house? This chart gives an idea based on the cost factors discussed on this Insulation Guides page.

How much does it cost to insulate a house?

The average cost to insulate a 2,000-square-foot home is $2,500 to $4,000, or about $1.25 to $2.00 per square foot of living space. This price includes all necessary materials plus professional installation.

Different parts of the house often require different types and amounts of insulation and therefore vary in cost. Below we take a closer look at the average cost of insulating different parts of your home.

Attic Insulation Cost

Average Cost of Attic Insulationit is about $2.00 per square foot.

We start here because home energy efficiency starts in the attic.

Having R-30 to R-60 insulation in the attic keeps the heat inside in the winter.

And this insulation prevents heat in summer. Just as vital, and perhaps even more so in hot climates.

Details:The cost of attic insulation materials plus labor is $1.30 to $2.30 per square foot for loose-fill insulation and $2.00 to $3.25 for batt insulation. The average cost to insulate an attic is $1,500 to $6,000. Why the high cost? Attics generally have about twice the insulation of other parts of the house, so the cost of materials will be higher than in other areas.

To be fair, the higher end of this cost spectrum is if you choose spray foam insulation and encapsulate the attic instead of just insulating it.

For full details on this topic, see ourAttic Insulation CostGuide.

Basement Insulation Cost

Homeowners who plan to finish their basement into a living space often do basement insulation. However, even if you're not finishing your basement, insulating it can help with energy efficiency and keep your utility bills low. The foundation walls of your home tend to be cold and damp year-round, so insulating them will prevent cold air from seeping into your home.

The average cost ofbasement insulationit is $1.45 to $2.25 per square foot for rigid foam and $1.80 to $3.50 per square foot for fiberglass batt or batt insulation. Spray foam insulation costs more, again, depending on how thick it is applied.

take a look at ourBasement Insulation CostGuide to learn more about this project.

Roof Insulation Cost

Not all roofs are insulated.

But there are times when homeowners want the roof to be insulated for multi-story climate control. If the ceiling is insulated, it is almost always done during construction of the house or if the ceiling cavity is exposed during a renovation where the room is “gutted”.

If you doinsulate the roof, this is similar towall insulation, but in a horizontal plane instead of a vertical one.

Average Cost of Roof Insulation by Type:

• Roll and Block: $0.90 - $3.35 per square foot.
• Loose Fill: $1.00 - $2.25 per square foot.
• Spray Foam: $1.47 - $8.65 per square foot.
• Rigid foam: $1.65 - $2.75 per square foot.

For more information on roof insulation, see ourRoof Insulation CostGuide.

Crawlspace Isolation Cost

The average cost percrawl space isolationis US$0.90 to US$1.30 per square meter per roll orjamb insulationand $1.80 – $3.80 for rigid or spray foam insulation.

Insulating a basement is important for the same reason as insulating a basement: to prevent moisture and cold air from seeping through the foundation walls and into the house. The basement ceiling of your house is the basement of the first floor of the house.

For a ventilated basement, just insulating the ceiling will help prevent air that passes through the basement from entering your home. For a crawl space without ventilation, be sure to insulate the walls as well. The best practice for an unventilated crawl space is to use rigid foam insulation on the walls and blanket or spray foam insulation on the ceiling.

OurCrawlspace Isolation CostGuide offers more details about this project.

duct insulation cost

Duct insulation, also known as HVAC insulation, is a great way to prevent air from escaping from ductwork and reduce energy efficiency. There is a specific material made for duct insulation that is fiberglass or mineral wool coated with an aluminum heat and moisture barrier. It is also sometimes called a duct wrap. The duct wrap is manufactured in the form of a blanket for easy installation.

Exposed ductwork is wrapped in insulation and the material is taped securely to stay snug in the ductwork. You can buy insulated ductwork, but if yours isn't insulated, this is a project that pays for itself quickly with lower energy costs.

Oaverage cost of duct insulationit is from US$0.95 to US$2.00 per square meter.

For a more detailed look at duct insulation, see ourduct insulation costGuide.

wall insulation cost

If you're wondering how much it would cost to insulate a home, walls are one of the first areas you'll probably think of. Walls make up the majority of the square footage of your home's insulation.

There are three main types of wall insulation commonly used in homes. These types are loose fill, fiberglass scrim or roll, and rock wool scrim. Of these three types, loose fill is the only one that can be installed in already constructed walls. The other two types must be installed before the drywall. Loose fill can be blown into constructed walls by drilling a small hole in the wall that is patched when the installation is complete.

Oaverage cost of wall insulationit is $0.90 to $1.65 per square foot for loose fill, fiberglass, or rock wool.

If you want to see more information on this topic, check our Wallinsulation costGuide.

Water Heater Insulation Cost

Water heater insulation is one of the easiest ways to make your home more energy efficient. When your water heater heats a tank of water that is not immediately used, the water sits in the water heater and cools until it is heated again. This standby heat loss is what water heater insulation is made for.

A water heating blanket reduces heat loss from the water in the tank so the water heater doesn't have to work as hard to heat it up again. The way to insulate a water heater is to install a water heater blanket, which is a fiberglass wool blanket covered with plastic or vinyl.

The average cost of a water heater blanket is $20 to $75.

You can find more details in ourWater Heater Insulation Cost Guide.

window insulation cost

Poorly insulated windows are one of the leading causes of heat loss and unwanted heat gain. In addition, the insulation blocks air leaks, which is vitally important.

The average cost of a window insulation kit is $2-$3 per window with do-it-yourself installation. If you are hiring a professional to install the window insulation kits, the price will be $5 to $8 per window.

take a look at ourWindow Insulation Cost Guidefor more details.

Cost Factors for Residential Insulation

The average cost to insulate a home is around $1.75 per square foot. There are several key cost factors to consider before beginning your home insulation project.

insulation type– The type of insulation you choose for your project will determine how much to budget for material costs. In most cases you will want to use multipletypes of insulationdepending on the area of ​​the house. For example, fiberglass insulation may be better for the walls in the living room, while spray foam will be a better choice for the crawl space.

Amount of insulation -The more of any type of insulation you use, the higher the cost of the project.

Valor R– The higher the R value, the better the insulating power. Therefore, insulation with a higher R-value will typically cost more per square foot. The R-value stands for "resistance value" and is a measure of how well an insulation withstands heat conduction. The R-value of an insulation generally depends on its thickness and density.

DIY or professional installation– Much of the cost of insulating a home is the price of labor. If you hire a professional to install the insulation, about half of what you pay is just labor costs. This is because installing insulation is a tedious job that can be difficult in hard-to-reach areas. However, if you're up to the challenge, you can save some money by doing the installation yourself.

Bottom line, insulating your home can be expensive BUT insulating it properly can save you a lot of money in the long run through reduced energy bills.

More insulation types and locations