An open attic with good access and a cramped one over a finished room can be the same square footage and very different jobs. Price the material by depth, price air sealing on its own, and count the hours honestly.
- Price by target depth or R-value, not just area. More depth means more bags and more time.
- Fixr puts attic insulation at $2,000 to $3,250, about $2,500 for 1,000 square feet.
- Blown-in insulation runs $1.65 to $3.80 a square foot in new construction, per Fixr.
- Spray foam in existing walls runs $3.15 to $7.50 a square foot in Fixr's guide.
- Sell air sealing with insulation. It is where much of the comfort comes from.
Setting your labor rate
Start with the wage. The closest group the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes is insulation workers for floors, ceilings and walls. In its May 2025 wage survey, that group's national mean wage was $26.32 an hour and the median was $23.62 (BLS OEWS 47-2131).
Add your labor burden on top: payroll taxes, workers' comp and any paid time off. If burden in your state comes to 20% of wages, a $26 an hour tech costs you $31.20 an hour. That loaded number is what goes into the job cost.
Published insulation prices
| Job | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Attic insulation, typical | $2,000 to $3,250 | Fixr |
| 1,000 sq ft attic | About $2,500 | Fixr |
| Attic, per sq ft, most jobs | $2 to $3.25 | Fixr |
| Blown-in, new construction | $1.65 to $3.80 a sq ft | Fixr |
| Blown-in, existing walls | $1.75 to $3.30 a sq ft | Fixr |
| Spray foam, existing walls | $3.15 to $7.50 a sq ft | Fixr |
| Spray foam, whole house | $10,000 to $30,000 | Fixr |
A worked example: topping up a 1,200 square foot attic
Every input is an assumption for the example.
- Scope: blow cellulose over existing insulation in a 1,200 square foot open attic, with air sealing at the top plates and new baffles.
- Material: $0.75 a square foot of cellulose for the added depth. Air sealing, baffles and a hatch dam: $250.
- Crew: two people, one eight hour day, at $31.20 an hour loaded.
- Machine and truck: $120 a job toward their cost.
- Driving at 76 cents a mile, the IRS business rate for the second half of 2026 (IRS standard mileage rates).
- Overhead 20% of the price and profit 15%.
- Blown cellulose: 1,200 sq ft x $0.75 = $900
- Air sealing, baffles and attic hatch dam: $250
- Labor: 2 people x 8 hours x $31.20 = $499.20
- Blowing machine and truck, per job: $120
- Drive: 2 trips x 30 miles x $0.76 = $45.60
- Direct cost: $900 + $250 + $499.20 + $120 + $45.60 = $1,814.80
- Overhead plus profit: 20% + 15% = 35% of the price
- Price: $1,814.80 / (1 - 0.35) = $1,814.80 / 0.65 = $2,792
Check it: 35% of $2,792 is about $977, and $2,792 minus $977 is about $1,815, the direct cost of $1,814.80. The profit and overhead are inside the price, not added on top of a cost you guessed.
That is about $2.33 a square foot. Fixr's range for most attic jobs is $2 to $3.25 a square foot, so this lands in it.
Good, better, best for an attic
- Good: blown insulation to the depth your local code expects.
- Better: the $2,792 job above, with air sealing and baffles.
- Best: air sealing, deeper insulation and an insulated attic hatch.
Send them with Koira's estimates. The customer picks one, signs and pays the deposit on the same page. Pay over time on the pay page helps with spray foam jobs.
Fill the slow months
Insulation calls follow the weather. On Grow, Koira's campaigns text and email past customers when the season turns, and the AI receptionist answers every call when the first cold week fills the phone.
Common insulation pricing mistakes
- Depth guessed. Measure what is there and price the bags for the depth you add.
- Access ignored. Low roofs and tight hatches slow the crew.
- Old insulation removal free. Vacuum-out and disposal is its own job.
- Air sealing skipped. Sell it and price it on its own line.
Sources
Every published figure on this page was read on the source page itself on the date shown. Worked example inputs are assumptions, labeled as such.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (47-2131), checked October 9, 2026
- Fixr: Attic insulation cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Fixr: Blown-in insulation cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Fixr: Spray foam insulation cost, checked October 9, 2026
- IRS: Standard mileage rates, checked October 9, 2026
Questions contractors ask
How much should I charge per square foot for attic insulation?
Build it from depth, material and crew time. Fixr lists $2 to $3.25 a square foot for most attic jobs.
What does blown-in insulation cost?
Fixr lists $1.65 to $3.80 a square foot in new construction and $1.75 to $3.30 in existing walls.
What does spray foam cost per square foot?
Fixr lists $3.15 to $7.50 a square foot for spray foam in existing walls.
Should I price air sealing separately?
Yes. It takes its own time and material, and customers can see what it adds.
