Insulation Cost Guide (2026)
Updated November 2026
Insulation is priced two ways and quoted as one number: $1,400–$6,300 for a whole house in Bob Vila's national band (average $2,900), or $0.5–$7 per square foot depending on material and access. The same attic can quote at $1,500 with blown-in fiberglass or $10,000 with closed-cell spray foam — the material and the R-value target are the quote, not the square footage.
Insulation cost at a glance
| Type | Installed total | Unit rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blown-in / loose-fill | $975–$5,500 | $1–$1.5/sq ft | Per installed job; attic-focused bands from Fixr |
| Batt / roll (fiberglass, mineral wool) | $500–$2,400 | $0.5–$1.5/sq ft | Per installed job; material from ~$0.50/sq ft |
| Spray foam (open / closed cell) | $10,000–$30,000 | $1–$3.5/sq ft | Whole-home; open cell $0.44–$0.65/board ft, closed cell $1–$1.50/board ft |
| Rigid foam board | Priced per board foot | $0.25–$1/sq ft · $0.25–$2/board ft | Per board foot; one of the pricier options per board foot |
Whole-home and per-square-foot bands come from different projects in the source pages — they are not two views of the same quote. Never add a material rate to a labor rate and call it an installed price.
Cost by location
Access is the multiplier. An open attic floor is the cheapest square foot in the house; a finished wall or a low crawl space can double it.
| Location | Typical total | Per sq ft | What moves it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attic | $1,500–$6,000 | $1–$7/sq ft | Most common project; Fixr puts a 1,000 sq ft attic at $2,000–$3,250 (avg $2,500) |
| Walls | Per-area pricing | $1–$4/sq ft | Cavity fill ~$1–$2/sq ft; exterior rebuild pushes to the top of the band |
| Crawl space | Per-area pricing | $1–$5/sq ft | Vapor barrier/encapsulation adds scope; Fixr spray-foam crawl spaces $1,000–$5,900 |
| Basement | $1,400–$6,300 | $1–$1.5/sq ft | Moisture and vapor management drive the top of the band |
| Roof deck | $1,500–$6,000 | $0.5–$3/sq ft | Roof-deck (spray foam) costs more than blowing into the attic floor |
Spray foam: board feet, not square feet
Spray foam is often quoted in board feet (one square foot, one inch thick) because the price scales with depth. Open-cell runs $0.44–$0.65/board ft; closed-cell $1–$1.5/board ft. A 1,000 sq ft attic at R-49 needs far more depth than the same area at R-19 — ask for the depth and R-value on the quote, then compare the board-foot math.
Labor, removal, and the DIY delta
- Labor: $40–$100 per hour. On a simple attic blow-in, labor is a smaller share than on spray foam or wall retrofits.
- Removal: $1–$3 per sq ft when old insulation is wet, compacted, or contaminated. Removal is a separate line — confirm it's on the quote.
- DIY: HomeAdvisor estimates $575–$750 saved on a typical job. Batt in an open attic is genuinely DIY-able; spray foam and wall cavities are not.
What actually changes the price
- Material — blown-in and batt are the value tier; closed-cell spray foam is the premium tier.
- R-value target — climate zone sets the depth; deeper costs more per square foot.
- Access — attic hatch vs finished wall vs crawl space changes labor hours dramatically.
- Air sealing — the cheap add-on that makes insulation perform; ask whether it's included.
- Removal and disposal — old material, especially vermiculite or asbestos-era insulation, adds abatement scope.
- Region — labor rates vary; the bands here are national.
How to compare insulation quotes
- Match the R-value — two quotes at different R-values are different jobs. Get the target in writing.
- Check the depth — installed depth and settled depth differ; ask for the installed number.
- Confirm air sealing — it's often a separate line item and it's the highest-return part of the job.
- Ask about removal — if old insulation stays, the quote should say so explicitly.
- Verify the rebate — utility and federal incentives change the net price; confirm eligibility before signing.
Related cost guides
- HVAC cost guide — insulation and air sealing decide how hard your furnace or AC has to work.
- Roof replacement cost — attic insulation is usually replaced or topped up during a re-roof.
- Window replacement cost — the other half of the envelope — windows and insulation are quoted together.
- Electrical panel cost — spray foam and attic work often surface knob-and-tube or panel issues.
FAQ
How much does it cost to insulate a whole house?
Bob Vila puts whole-home insulation at $1,400–$6,300 with a national average of $2,900; HomeAdvisor's typical homeowner spends ~$1,852, with most projects between $498 and $4,500. The gap is scope: a single attic top-up is a few hundred dollars, while spray-foaming an entire house lands at $10,000–$30,000.
Is blown-in insulation cheaper than spray foam?
Yes, on almost every job. Blown-in loose-fill runs $975–$5,500 installed ($1–$1.5/sq ft), while spray foam runs $10,000–$30,000 whole-home ($1–$3.5/sq ft). Spray foam buys air sealing and a higher R-value per inch — that's what the premium pays for, not just the material.
What does insulation cost per square foot?
Across types the guide band is $0.5–$7/sq ft — deliberately wide because it spans material-only batt work to a full spray-foam attic. Use the per-type rows: blown-in $1–$1.5, batt $0.5–$1.5, spray foam $1–$3.5, rigid board $0.25–$1 per square foot.
How much does insulation labor cost?
Installers run $40–$100 per hour (HomeAdvisor $40–$80; Fixr spray foam $50–$100). Removing old insulation adds $1–$3/sq ft. HomeAdvisor estimates a $575–$750 DIY saving on a typical job — real, but only if you're comfortable in an attic.
How much can insulation save on energy bills?
We don't publish a savings percentage here because it depends on your climate zone, current R-value, air sealing, and fuel prices. The honest method is to get the R-value target for your zip code from the DOE/ENERGY STAR map and ask each contractor for the before/after R-value in writing; a top-up from R-11 to R-49 is a different investment than sealing a well-insulated attic.
Does old insulation need to be removed?
Not always. If it's dry, intact, and not contaminated, most crews blow new insulation over it. Removal is quoted at $1–$3/sq ft when it's wet, compacted, pest-infested, or asbestos-containing. Asbestos insulation is hazardous-material abatement, not ordinary insulation work — it needs a licensed abatement contractor.
Sources
- HomeAdvisor - Insulation Cost — retrieved October 4, 2026.
- Bob Vila - Insulation Cost — retrieved October 4, 2026.
- Fixr - Attic Insulation Cost — retrieved October 4, 2026.
- Fixr - Spray Foam Insulation Cost — retrieved October 4, 2026.
Publisher bands are kept separate and never averaged. Several aggregator pages were bot-walled on the 2026-10-04 pass, so the dataset cites only pages that returned HTTP 200; the whole-home averages from Bob Vila ($2,900) and HomeAdvisor (~$1,852) use different project scopes and are flagged rather than blended. Estimate only — get local written quotes.