Measure your attic insulation (the ruler test)
One-time · best done January–February
Why it matters
Attic insulation is measured in R-value, but you don't need a meter — you need a ruler, because depth is a good-enough proxy: loose blown insulation runs roughly R-2.5 to R-3.7 per inch. The question this card answers in five minutes is whether your house is wearing a winter coat or a windbreaker.
The targets, told simply: in your mixed climate the target is roughly R-49 — about 14 inches of blown insulation, working both seasons: holding heat in January and holding the attic's summer broil out of the bedrooms in July. Under 10 inches is worth fixing.
January and February are on this card for a reason: the attic tells on itself in winter. After a snow, walk outside and read your roof like a report card — fast-melting stripes and patches mean heat escaping through thin spots, and icicles at the eaves are the same story with consequences (that's how ice dams start).
What skipping it costs
$300–$2,000
Heat goes up, and an under-insulated attic leaks it all winter, every winter — a few hundred dollars a year in most climates, more in cold country, plus the ice-dam and frozen-pipe risks that ride along. This is the rare card where the fix costs real money ($1,500–$3,000 blown in) but pays itself back in a handful of years and then keeps paying for the life of the house.
Two ways to get it done
Do it yourself
You'll need: Tape measure or ruler, Flashlight, Dust mask.
- Open the attic hatch — you don't even need to fully climb in. Mask on; disturbed insulation is itchy air.
- Stand the ruler vertically in the insulation at 3–4 spots you can see or reach. Write down the depths — average them mentally, and note bare or shallow zones (corners, over bathrooms, around the hatch itself are the usual sinners).
- Read what's there: fluffy pink/white is fiberglass; gray shredded-newspaper is cellulose. If you see joists, you're under-insulated — full stop; the framing shouldn't be visible through a proper blanket.
- Two bonus reads while the hatch is open: the hatch/door itself should have insulation glued to its back (it's usually the biggest hole in the whole ceiling — a $30 DIY fix), and any dirty, gray-streaked insulation marks air leaking through from the house below (it's been filtering your air — those spots want sealing before any top-up).
- Verdict time: at or near target, close the hatch, card done forever. Meaningfully under, get two blown-in quotes and know that this is a genuinely great use of house money.
Hire it out
$150–$400National fair range — local labor moves this number.
A professional energy audit runs $150–$400 and is worth it if you want the whole-house picture (blower door, IR camera, duct leakage) — plus many utilities subsidize or comp them; check yours before paying retail. For the insulation itself, blown-in top-ups price by the square foot — roughly $1.00–$2.00/sq ft depending on depth added and region, so a typical attic lands $1,500–$3,000. A written quote states current R, target R, and square footage; a sales pitch states a package price and a financing plan.
The sequencing detail that separates good jobs from fast ones: air-sealing first. The gaps around wire and pipe penetrations, the chimney chase, and recessed lights leak more comfort than an inch of insulation recovers, and sealing them costs a few hundred dollars while the attic's already open. A contractor who brings it up unprompted is the one you want.
Ask the tech
- What R-value do I have now, and what are you quoting to — numbers on paper, not 'code' or 'recommended.'
- Are you air-sealing the attic floor penetrations BEFORE blowing insulation? (Insulation over unsealed gaps is a filter, not a blanket.)
- Blown fiberglass or cellulose, and why — and what's the price per square foot either way?
Red flags you're being upsold
- The free-energy-audit-to-$8,000-quote pipeline: a 'free assessment' that skips measurement and lands on a package price. A real quote states your current R-value, the target, the square footage, and the per-foot price.
- Removal of existing insulation pitched as standard. Old insulation almost always stays and gets topped — removal is for water damage, vermin contamination, or knob-and-tube wiring, not for salesmanship.
- Radiant-barrier foil sold in a cold climate, or as a substitute for actual insulation depth anywhere. It's a niche cooling-climate product with modest, situational returns.
Second opinion time: Any insulation quote over $3,000 — per-square-foot pricing makes this one of the easiest jobs in the house to comparison-bid.
The call
DIY the measurement — it's a ruler and five minutes at the attic hatch. If you're under 10 inches, hiring the top-up is one of the best-returning checks you'll ever write on this house; just bid it twice.