The average cost to rent a blown-in insulation machine is between $100 and $500, with a national average of $320. Be sure to budget for the cost of material, too.
The cost to rent a blown-in insulation machine can range between $50 and $880, though most people pay an average of $320. However, you’ll also need to purchase materials as well if you plan to take on this job as a DIY.
An under-insulated home can cause you to bundle up indoors while your furnace works overtime. Many hard-to-reach areas are built with full rolls of insulation, but you can replace them with machine-blown materials.
Blown-in insulation takes the form of one of three material types: loose-fill, cellulose, and rock wool. Each insulation has different properties. Ensure the blower you rent is designed for the material you want, as different types of home insulation aren’t always interchangeable between blowers.
Costs don’t vary much between blowers for different insulation types; however, total project costs are partly driven by the cost of the material you choose.
This light and fluffy material is manufactured from thin glass fibers and is primarily used as wall or attic insulation. Installing blown-in loose-fill fiberglass costs $0.50 to $1.10 per square foot, plus labor fees.
The most common insulation for blown-in installations, cellulose, is an eco-friendly material made from finely shredded recycled cardboard or newspaper that’s been treated to resist mold and fire. Installing blown-in cellulose costs $0.60 to $2.30 per square foot, plus labor fees.
Rock wool is made from an iron byproduct combined with other minerals and spun into an airy wool-like form. Connecting walls and floors between homes and additions commonly use rock wool insulation because of its excellent fire resistance features. Installing blown-in rock wool costs $1.40 to $2.10 per square foot, plus labor fees.
The total cost of your insulation blowing machine rental includes not only the rental fee but potentially the insulation cost, professional labor, or the tools and equipment needed for a DIY installation. Here’s how those costs break down:
Daily rental costs can range from $50 to $210 but expect to spend around $100 to $200 per day on average. Weekly rental costs can range from $300 to $880. Some insulation manufacturers or rental stores offer machine rentals for free with the purchase of a certain number of bags of insulation—the minimum purchase in order to get a free rental is usually 20 to 30 bags of insulation.
The cost to rent a blown-in insulation machine varies depending on where you rent it from and for how long. You’ll find the best daily rates at home improvement stores, while rental yards occasionally offer better value for weekly rentals.
Here’s a rough breakdown of how much you might pay at a rental yard vs. a home improvement store. The second figure shown for the home improvement store is the average price expected if you purchase the minimum number of insulation bags—at least 20, but sometimes 30.
| Half Day (4 hours or less) | $200 | $35–$50 / $0 |
| Full Day | $200 | $50–$100 / $0 |
| Week | $500–$880 | $350 / $300 |
| Month | $1,500 | $1,400 / $1,350 |
Insulation materials vary in thickness and thermal resistance, meaning you’ll need different amounts of each to fill the same-sized space in your attic or walls. The average cost per square foot for each of the most common blown-in insulation materials is as follows:
| Material | Cost per Square Foot |
|---|---|
| Loose-fill fiberglass insulation | $0.50 – $1.10 |
| Cellulose insulation | $0.60 – $2.30 |
| Rock wool insulation | $1.40 – $2.10 |
If you hire a local insulation contractor to install your insulation professionally, labor alone costs about $40 to $70 per hour. Expect higher labor rates if you have an older home or if you’re installing thicker insulation. The pro you hire will likely bring their own blower, so you don't have to pay a separate machine rental fee.
Most blown-in insulation jobs can be done in 4 to 8 hours for a total labor cost of $160 to $560. Wall insulation is more complex and can take at least 20 hours for a total labor cost of $800 or more.
If attempting a DIY blown insulation installation, you’ll need specific tools and equipment. Below are the items you’ll need and the average cost of each if you don’t already have them around your house:
| Tool / Equipment | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dust masks | $20 per pack |
| Protective eyewear | $15 per pair |
| Protective gloves | $10 per pair |
| Plywood boards to balance on | $20 each |
| LED headlamp or work light | $25 each |
You don’t need special skills to blow insulation into an easily accessible attic. A pro can do this type of smaller project in one or two days, but you can tackle it as a DIY with a bit more time. This can save you $160 to $560 on total labor costs, but you will need to pay $100 to $200 per day for a blower rental and $0.50 to $2.10 per square foot for insulation.
You may also need to purchase extra equipment to keep you safe, including a dust mask, eyewear, gloves, plywood boards to lay down on joists and balance on, and a battery-operated headlamp or work light to help you see all of the space.
If your project takes up a large surface area or involves working around electrical wiring, outlets, drywall, pipes, and other obstacles, it’s best to hire a local blown-in insulation contractor. While you’ll pay labor costs of $800 or more, you’ll save on the cost of renting a blower.
Most insulation blower machines are powered by electricity, so ensure that the machine is plugged in. Familiarize yourself with all of the machine's control buttons, including the power and kill switches. Ensure the hose is connected to the machine and place the other end of the hose pointing toward the area you want to fill with insulation.
Next, add the insulation material by dumping it into the top of the machine so it fills it about halfway. Press the “power on” button, and point the hose where you want the insulation to be blown. Ideally, you'll have a partner to help with this process, but it is doable for a solo DIYer. Continue using the hose to blow the insulation in the areas that you want to fill, and power off the machine if you need to refill it. Once you’re finished, turn the power off and unplug the machine.
When you’re renting an insulation blower, there are several things you can do to help keep your costs down:
Before picking up your blower, ensure that you have all your materials and supplies set up in your installation space to maximize your rental time.
Home improvement stores tend to offer better rates than rental yards, so shop around at different stores in your area to find the best price.
Some rental facilities will loan you the blower for free with the purchase of a certain number of bags of insulation material.
Homeowners in some states can take advantage of state tax credits when improving their home insulation. Check the U.S. Department of Energy DSIRE website to see if you qualify.
A DIY blown-in insulation project in a typical attic should take you no more than a week to complete. Experienced homeowners can blow an entire attic in one or two days.
Most homeowners installing blown-in insulation as a one-off DIY project should simply rent a blower. They tend to be very heavy, and contractor-grade machines can cost $13,000 to $16,000.
You can purchase bags of cellulose and loose-fill fiberglass blown-in insulation from the same local home improvement store where you rent your blower. If you want to use rock wool insulation, you may need to special order it.
The amount of insulation you need will vary depending on where you live. Energy Star recommends certain minimum insulation values in different geographic regions. In most cases, however, even adding a little insulation is better than not adding any.
