Cost to Insulate an Attic with Blow-in Insulation – 2021

| Last Updated: August 23, 2021

National Average Improvement and Repair Cost

Pro

DIY

Hours:

7.5

11

Cost:

$ 1386

$ 875

Would you do this project? According to our survey, 54% of respondents preferred DIY compared to hiring a pro.

Photo credit: ojinc.com

The average price to Insulate an Attic with Blow-in Insulation noted above is cost data to compare a contractor’s estimate with doing it yourself.

How much is blow-in insulation? An insulation contractor charges $1,386 to install blow-in insulation compared doing it yourself for $875 and saving 36 percent. 

Today’s high cost of energy is leading many homeowners to take a new interest in their attic insulation. Adding blow-in insulation is an easy do-it-yourself project that can prevent your attic from acting like a sieve for your heating and cooling dollars.

The job requires common sense skills and a blower tool you can borrow from the retailer where you buy the insulation. If you want to hire someone for the work, you’ll find insulation contractors listed online by using a search engine to find an online contractor referral website. No matter who does it, buttoning up the attic with additional insulation is a job worth doing.

An insulation contractor will charge $1,386 to blow insulation into an 1200-square foot open attic area with 12-inch deep coverage. This includes the labor and material. A handy homeowner who is agile and can easily climb around the unfinished area of an attic can do the job for $875, the cost to insulate the attic with insulation, and pocket a nice 36 percent saving.

Before you choose a retailer to buy the bags of insulation, make sure they offer a blowing machine to their customers. Most of them require a deposit, which is returned when you return the machine. You will also need a good respirator and old clothes to protect you from the insulation dust.

Weather-wise plan this project for the spring or fall when attic temperatures are temperate. Don’t schedule the job in the summer months, when it’s too hot to work in a hot confined area.

The Types of Insulation are explained here by Energy.gov.

The bottom line: compare the price of a contractor’s bid to blow in attic insulation with what it costs to do it yourself and make your decision.

Welcome! We hope you’ll find the job costs of home improvement projects useful when you’re deciding whether to do a job yourself vs. hire a contractor. We’re the authors of 20 home improvement books, most notably Home Improvement for Dummies©, Bathroom Remodeling for Dummies©, Carpentry for Dummies©, Plumbing for Dummies©, and Painting and Wallpapering for Dummies©. Our most recent book Fix It and Flip It is in its second edition. We’ve appeared as home improvement experts on television programs such as CNN, Dateline, the Today Show, HGTV and many others.