Understanding Spray Foam Insulation

If you're considering spray foam insulation, you might be wondering why finding transparent pricing is so difficult. The answer is simple: like most trades in the home service industry, there are a surprising number of variables that go into quoting a spray foam job. That said, we're going to simplify this process and share general price ranges based on your home’s square footage.

First, let’s define what we specialize in at Superior Attic. Our niche is retrofitting older home attics, replacing fiberglass insulation with open-cell spray foam insulation in Texas. This pricing guide will specifically cover that service. There are many different types of spray foam and applications, but we’ll focus solely on attic spray foam conversions here.

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Prep Work: Insulation Removal & Why It’s Necessary

Most attics aren’t immediately ready for spray foam application. There are crucial steps needed to create a safe and effective spray foam system.

The first step—whether your home is new or old—is removing the existing attic insulation. Fortunately, in most homes considering this upgrade, the current insulation is already deteriorating, out of code, and contributing to poor air quality due to dust and inefficiency. However, that’s not the only reason for removal.

We remove the old insulation to ensure proper air circulation between the living area and the attic. This airflow prevents stagnant air, reducing the risk of humidity buildup and potential mold issues. It also ensures that your HVAC system gets the air it needs to function properly.

Of course, insulation removal comes with a cost, which we will break down in this pricing guide.

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What Factors Affect the Cost of a Spray Foam Project?

Now, let’s take a look at the key variables that impact the price of an attic spray foam conversion.

Insulation Removal Pricing Variables

1. Square Footage of the Attic Floor (for Removal)
   
   • One of the biggest factors in insulation removal pricing is the total square footage of the attic floor, which is often close to the square footage of your home as listed on Zillow or your property tax records.
2. Difficulty of Insulation Removal
   
   • Multi-Layered Insulation:
     
     • Many homes have had insulation added over time, creating multiple layers. If there’s a layer of batt insulation (which must be removed by hand, bagged, and carried out) beneath blown-in insulation (which can be vacuumed out easily), the removal time can double. Our process involves vacuuming the top layer, removing the batts manually, and vacuuming again to ensure a thorough cleanup.

• Cedar Shake Debris:
  
  • Homes built in the 1970s often had wood-shingled roofs. When those roofs were replaced, large wood shingle pieces often fell into the insulation. These can clog our high-powered vacuums, requiring a technician to manually locate and clear blockages. In extreme cases, we need to sift through insulation, remove debris by hand, and bag it separately, adding to labor costs.

• Tight Attics:
  
  • If your attic has low clearance, our team spends more time crawling on their stomachs or hands and knees, making the process much slower than in an attic where we can stand or kneel comfortably.

Typical Insulation Removal Cost: $1.20 - $1.50 per square foot

Spray Foam Installation Pricing Variables

1. Square Footage of the Roof Deck
   
   • Unlike insulation removal (based on attic floor square footage), spray foam pricing is based on the square footage of your roof deck. The pitch of your roof dramatically impacts this number. In Texas, homes often have large, high-pitched roofs, which means significantly more surface area to spray.
   • Additionally, gable walls—the triangular walls at the end of attic spaces—add to the square footage that needs to be covered.
   • A simple rule of thumb: If you stand in your attic, push your hand through a surface, and see daylight, that surface needs to be spray foamed.

Typical Open Cell Spray Foam Cost: $2.50 - $3.60 per square foot

By understanding these key factors, you can get a better idea of what your spray foam project will cost. If you have any questions, our team at Superior Attic is happy to provide a custom free estimate!

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Note: If you have a two story home, divide your home's square footage in half, your attic is smaller than your home. 

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As the projects get larger we are able to look more into custom pricing based on your home which is why we stop this chart at 3000sqft.

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