How Much Does It Cost To Install Blow-In Wall Insulation?
$857
Blow-in Wall Insulation Costs
Wall insulation will resist the transfer of heat (and sound) and is necessary to help maintain interior room temperatures during both the heating season and the cooling season. The benefits of insulation are comfort improvement, energy savings, and increased house value.
You will find the cost to install average blow-in wall insulation will vary with amount, type, the construction status of the building (finished or not), and labor rate. The following tables describe typical retrofit blow-in wall insulation solutions.
In the following tables the Labor Cost figure is what the able DIY person should expect to save by performing the complete installation.
Finished exterior 4” walls with no insulation: cellulose insulation will be blown-in to empty 4” deep wood frame wall resulting in R-13 insulation rating suitable to moderate climate region for a typical single story home of 1,125 sq. ft. floor area.
| Item | Unit Cost | Quantity | Line Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Cellulose insulation: cost per job, total of 1237 sq. ft. wall area including 10% waste allowance. | $268 | per job | 1 | $268 |
| 2. Equipment rental: used to blow-in insulation material via 1" diameter holes cut into siding. | $55 | per day | 2 | $110 |
| 3. Wooden or plastic plugs: to close the blow-in holes, one per 24" of wall length. | $56 | per job | 1 | $56 |
| 4. Equipment purchase: disposable nozzles required for blow-in operation. | $51 | per job | 1 | $51 |
| Material Cost | $0.43 | per sq. ft. | 1,125 | $485 |
| 5. + Labor Cost | $372 | per job | 1 | $372 |
| Total Cost | $0.76 | per sq. ft. | 1,125 | $857 |
Finished exterior 6” walls with no insulation: cellulose insulation will be blown-in to empty 6” deep wood frame wall resulting in R-19 insulation rating suitable to severe climate region for a typical single story home of 1,125 sq. ft. floor area.
| Item | Unit Cost | Quantity | Line Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Cellulose insulation: cost per job, total of 1237 sq. ft. wall area including 10% waste allowance. | $402 | per job | 1 | $402 |
| 2. Equipment rental: used to blow-in insulation material via 1" diameter holes cut into siding. | $55 | per day | 2 | $110 |
| 3. Wooden or plastic plugs: to close the blow-in holes, one per 24" of wall length. | $56 | per job | 1 | $56 |
| 4. Equipment purchase: disposable nozzles required for blow-in operation. | $51 | per job | 1 | $51 |
| Material Cost | $0.55 | per sq. ft. | 1,125 | $619 |
| 5. + Labor Cost | $557 | per job | 1 | $557 |
| Total Cost | $1.05 | per sq. ft. | 1,125 | $1,176 |
Other considerations and costs
- There may be local subsidy or grant for the upgrade of energy efficiency.
- Taxes and permit fees are not included.
DIY considerations
- This project may be suitable to an able and prepared DIY person with typical contractor’s tools. The installer must work safely atop ladders or scaffolding.
References
- Craftsman Estimator Costbook, complete series year 2015.
- Latest prices found on Home Depot and other vendor Web sites.
- Literature review of DIY Web sites.
Enter your zip code to get estimates
Cost by city
- New York, NY$1,377
- Bronx, NY$1,131
- Brooklyn, NY$943
- Philadelphia, PA$1,176
- Washington, DC$1,021
- Atlanta, GA$923
- Miami, FL$840
- Fort Lauderdale, FL$880
- Minneapolis, MN$1,032
- Chicago, IL$1,202
- Houston, TX$1,240
- San Antonio, TX$833
- Austin, TX$943
- Denver, CO$797
- Phoenix, AZ$840
- Las Vegas, NV$922
- Los Angeles, CA$1,039
- San Diego, CA$943
- San Jose, CA$1,139
- Seattle, WA$834
Local costs have been calculated by accounting for labor and material cost differences across different cities. To get accurate cost estimates, indicate yours: