How Much Does Insulation Installation Cost? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $1,066 - $2,636
The average U.S. homeowner spends about $1,851 to install insulation. Depending on the type of insulation, square footage, site location, and material, you might spend anywhere from $498 to $4,500.
Insulation can keep your home cozy and warm on long winter nights or cool and comfortable on hot sunny days. Most of your insulation expenses come from the type of insulation material you choose, but you also need to factor in the location, site prep, and labor. In this guide, we’ll explain the cost of insulation installation and some factors to consider along the way.
- Average
- $1,851
- Low end
- $498
- high end
- $4,500
Insulation Cost Factors
Insulation costs around $1,851 to install on average, but the price can range from $498 to $4,500, or between $0.30 to $6.75 per square foot of insulation. Your exact price will depend on a few different factors.
Insulation Material
Your material choice plays a major role in the price of your installation. You can pay anywhere from $0.40 and $6.75 per square foot for insulation on average, with fiberglass insulation tending to cost toward the lower end of that range and wood fiber insulation coming in at the upper end. The table below includes some average pricing for different insulation materials.
| Material | Cost per Square Foot |
|---|---|
| Cellulose | $0.60 – $2.30 |
| Fiberglass | $0.30 – $1.50 |
| Polystyrene | $0.25 – $0.50 |
| Mineral Wool | $1.40 – $4 |
| Wood fiber | $4.25 – $6.75 |
Cellulose
Cellulose insulation generally costs between $0.60 to $2.30 per square foot. This material is almost exclusively used in loose-fill or blown-in insulation. Cellulose tends to cost more than batts and rolls because it requires special equipment and an experienced technician to blow it into place. For this reason, it's a good idea to work with a professional for blown-in insulation.
Loose cellulose insulation provides an r-value of around 3.5 per inch of insulation. Since it’s loose, it’s ideal for use in unfinished areas, like between rafters in the attic.
Fiberglass
The cost of fiberglass batt insulation ranges between $0.30 and $1.50 per square foot, making it one of the most affordable options. In some instances, you can also use fiberglass for loose-fill insulation, which may fall at the higher end of this price range at $1 to $1.50 per square foot due to the added labor charges.
Fiberglass batts and rolls have an r-value of around 2.5, but it varies based on the brand and thickness. It comes in pieces that fit perfectly between wall studs and floor joists, making it one of the easiest to install before a room is finished.
Polystyrene
Polystyrene insulation costs between $0.25 and $0.50 per board foot. There are two types of polystyrene boards, which makes a slight difference in the price of your materials:
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS):
$0.25–$0.35 per board foot
Lower thermal resistance
Extruded Polystyrene (XPS):
$0.40–$0.50 per board foot
Higher thermal resistance
With this type of insulation, you’re looking at an r-value of between 3.2 and 3.8 per inch, in most cases. It’s considered a good alternative to batts and rolls for wall and floor insulation.
Mineral Wool
Mineral wool insulation costs between $1.40 and $4 per square foot and contains approximately 70% natural rock and 30% recycled furnace slag.
While mineral wool is better at insulating than fiberglass, it also comes with a higher price tag. Mineral wool also contains silica and requires a professional for safety precautions.
With an r-value of around 3.4 and an easy installation process between wall studs, it’s a better but more expensive option for insulating behind walls than fiberglass rolls.
Wood Fiber
Wood fiber insulation costs between $4.25 and $6.75 per square foot. The higher price accounts for the sheer weight of the material and high shipping costs. Wood fiber comes from waste wood, making it another sustainable insulation option for homeowners wanting to choose responsibly sourced materials. Keep in mind, however, that you can only use wood fiber insulation on flat surfaces.
Wood fiber insulation comes in boards that provide an r-value of up to 3.8, making it a highly efficient insulation. It also dampens noise in your home exceptionally well.
Square Footage
Since you can pay anywhere from $0.25 to over $6 per square foot on average, you can expect the size of the area you need to be insulated to be another significant factor in your total insulation cost. Your total price will be directly correlated to the cost of the material you choose and the size of the area you need to be insulated.
The table below includes some average pricing based on the room size you’re looking to insulate.
| Square Footage | Area Cost |
|---|---|
| 100 | $40–$200 |
| 500 | $200–$1,000 |
| 1,000 | $400–$2,000 |
| 2,000 | $800–$4,000 |
Location in the Home
Where you install the insulation can affect the price, with garages having the lowest cost per square foot and attics having the highest. Here’s a breakdown of how much it costs to insulate each location in your home.
Insulating an attic costs $1 to $7 per square foot or $1,500 to $6,000.
Insulating a basement costs $1.50 to $2.50 per square foot on average or between $1,400 and $6,300. If you need to insulate a bathroom inside your basement, expect costs to increase by $1 to $5 per square foot for that area.
Insulating a garage costs $0.50 to $1.25 per square foot or $1,500 to $8,000 per project. Some homeowners also insulate their garage ceilings, which costs between $1 to $3.89 per inch of each board foot. You can also insulate a garage door for $200 to $300.
Roof insulation costs $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot or between $1,500 to $4,500 for the entire project.
Wall insulation costs $1 to $4 per square foot on average, depending on the area of your home’s walls.
Site Prep
Site prep can add to the cost of your project, but just how much you’ll spend depends greatly on the lengths you need to take to prepare the site. You could spend as little as nothing or as much as $900 for the cost to repair drywall after you install your insulation.
Spray foam, in particular, needs extra prep work for proper installation, whereas batt insulation generally goes in without much preparation at all. Site prep consists of the following:
Cover all valuables, windows, doors, and important surfaces for spray foam installations.
Make sure the electrical wiring is properly installed and your walls are framed and fully enclosed before installing spray foam to avoid overspray.
Repair any structures in your home, including walls, attics, basements, and crawl spaces.
Remove moldy insulation, conduct a mold test, and hire a mold removal company.
Plan for cleanup costs for removing old insulation and debris.
Labor
Most installers charge between $40 and $80 per hour to install insulation, so the more complex the project, the more it will cost. A few complexities that may increase the cost of labor include:
Your installer needs to install insulation in hard-to-reach areas.
You have multiple installation sites in need of insulation.
The installer needs to remove old insulation.
New vs. Existing Construction
Installing insulation in new construction homes is less expensive than adding it to existing homes, costing around $1 less per square foot. This is because the walls and ceilings are easier to access and install insulation, and you don’t have existing insulation to worry about.
However, many new construction homes use more insulative materials for long-term performance, which tends to be more costly.
A home insulation upgrade cost falls between $1 and $2 per square foot on average. This doesn’t include disposal fees. Junk removal services add approximately $50 to $360 to your project, depending on the size of the job.
Cost to Install Insulation by Type
There are several types of insulation you can choose from, and each option comes with its own price.
Spray Foam Insulation
The average spray foam insulation costs are about $1 to $2 per square foot. There are two types of spray foam: open-cell, which can cost $0.44 to $0.65 per board foot, and closed-cell, ranging from $1 to $1.50 per board foot. Spray foam insulation works best if you're trying to insulate interior walls that are drywalled.
Blown-in and Loose-Fill Insulation
Blown-in insulation costs between $975 and $2,200 on average. You can save money by DIYing installation. Renting a blower costs under $100 a day, and buying bags of 25 pounds of cellulose blown-in insulation at a home improvement store costs about $15.
The total cost for a DIY is about $500 or less. You may also be able to find reclaimed and recycled varieties.
Just be aware that getting the proper loft and placement for spray foam to do its job properly isn’t easy, so we recommend hiring a professional, even though it will undoubtedly cost more.
Batt and Roll Insulation
Fiberglass batt and roll insulation can cost from $1,000 to $2,400, with an average cost per square foot of between $0.30 to $1.50. If you have a 500-square-foot area, and you do the job yourself, you’re looking at spending about $150 to $700. This makes for an easy and affordable DIY job.
Foam Board Insulation
The average cost for rigid foam board insulation is between $0.25 and $2 per board foot. However, structural insulated panels (SIPs) can run between $7 and $12 per square foot, making these boards one of the most expensive insulation types. With a high R-value of R8, though, they’re also extremely effective insulators.
Radiant Barrier
Radiant barrier insulation costs around $1,700 on average or between $0.10 and $0.95 per square foot. To have a pro install your radiant barrier, anticipate adding an additional $30 to $80 per hour. Radiant insulation reflects heat rather than absorbing it, making it a potential option for attic roof insulation. Most homeowners couple this with another type of insulation, though, making it a more expensive option, overall.
Installing Insulation Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
Installing insulation yourself will save $575 to $750 in labor fees. Most insulation installations are DIY-friendly, but you should consult a pro for any blown-in roof or attic jobs, as they can require specialty equipment and experience to get good coverage.
You’ll need to measure the square footage and buy the proper insulation to reach your optimal R-value and the tools to install it properly. For most DIY solutions, try fiberglass roll and batting or rigid foam boards.
Replacing insulation yourself is only advisable if you plan on opening your walls and replacing the drywall as well. If not, it’s best to hire an insulation company near you to use a more appropriate insulation type designed for retroactive installation, like spray foam or blown-in insulation.
Common material costs for DIY insulation are:
Vapor barrier: $0.30 to $0.50 per square foot
Caulk: $6
Expanding foam: $6
Insulation: Varies based on type
Weatherstripping: $7 (10-foot roll)
You’ll also need to pay for the following tools if you don’t already own them:
Dust mask: $6 (5-pack)
Flashlight: $5–$30
Hammer: $8–$30
Safety goggles or glasses: $2–$20
Straightedge ruler: $20–$25
Utility knife: $7–$10
How to Save Money On Insulation Installation
There are ways you can cut costs when installing insulation in your home. Consider these money-saving tips when planning your insulation project.
If you have blown-in insulation, you can add new insulation over the old material without removing it. This will save on both labor and material costs.
Opt for expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation, which is a low-price option that also has a good R-value.
Insulate your basement walls, which is the least costly insulation location.
Have a home energy assessment to learn where you should install insulation in your home to get the most energy savings.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We’ve surveyed thousands of real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to costquotes@angi.com. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Insulation is measured by R-value, which is the measure of a material's ability to resist heat transfer. The higher the number, the better the insulation. When installing insulation yourself, you need to determine the optimal R-value you need to keep your home warm in the wintertime, cool in the heat of summer, and energy-efficient all year long. Each inch of insulation provides between a 3 and an 8 R-value. The climate where you live plays a major role in what R-value you need and the price tag you might see in your insulation installation.
You don’t need to remove old insulation before adding new insulation. As long as the old insulation is still in good shape—not wet, physically damaged, or moldy—then you can stack new insulation on top of old insulation to get a compounding effect. You can also mix different types of insulation, like adding blown-in insulation around existing fiberglass batt insulation or installing rigid insulation boards over rafters in your attic that already have batt insulation installed. If your existing insulation is very old or damaged, though, you’ll likely see more benefit from removing it and replacing it instead.
Expect your home insulation project to take between five and 12 hours to complete on average for batts or boards and two to five hours for spray foam or blown-in insulation. It might take longer if you need to remove your home’s existing insulation, you have a higher-than-average square footage, or accessibility is limited.