While the attic is a storage haven inside your home, it’s also a nesting ground for unwanted pests and other nuisances that will make your space a menace. Subsequently, it is the clutter and the mess that makes your attic a great hiding spot for all of those frustrations that might actually be covertly residing in your home.
On a national average, about 29 percent of homeowners deal with rodent infestations. This isn’t the only reason why you’ll want to clean up your attic, however. There are quite a number of factors that go into rooting out the issues that you may find in your attic. Rather than just the racoons, rats, and other rodents, you may want to organize the maze that you’ve subconsciously built in the upper portions of your house.
It’s quite a dilemma when you have to confront the untidiness of your attic. This can be due to the fact that your attic could be irrevocably damaged, or wildly mismanaged. In some cases, you might have to even handle insulating every corner of your space. Without realizing it, homeowners could unknowingly be disrupting the flow of temperature in their own attics.
Table of Contents
- Attic Cleaning Cost
- How Much Does It Cost to Repair Water Damage in Attic?
- Attic Decontamination Cost
- Attic Restoration Cost
- How Much Would It Cost To Remove Clutter In Attic?
- How Much Does It Cost To Remove Insulation?
- How Much Would It Cost To Insulate Attic?
- What Is R-Value? Why Do I Need It For Attic Insulation?
- How Much Will The Materials Cost Per Board Foot?
- Which Type of Insulation Should I Use?
- How Much Does Attic Insulation Cost Per Square Foot?
- Finding Multiple Estimates On House Tipster
Attic Cleaning Cost
The average hourly rate for a professional attic cleaning service is about $25 to $75. The duration of the job will probably last about an hour to around five hours to finish. This all depends on the condition of your attic. Whether you’re only facing an issue with reorganizing the space, or having to insulate your attic, the costs will vary.
| Average Range | $150-$200 |
| Low Range | $75-$500 |
| High Range | $600-$2000 |
Typically, there is a process that goes into the cleaning of your attic. The professionals you decide to hire will remove the debris and mold. Afterwards, they’ll remove your insulation and air seal your attic. By properly installing the ventilation and proofing away the pests, they’ll be able to install your new insulation.
The numbers above are estimates that act as compositions to the costs of all jobs performed together. This is whether the home needs to be prioritized between having the cracks fixed, whether rainwater has damaged the floors and walls, or the issues that will be explored in the sections below.
How Much Does It Cost to Repair Water Damage in Attic?
One of the biggest nuisances that homeowners face is a leak. This could be due to the fact that your drywall wasn’t installed properly or it is possible that the drywall needs to be redone. For any kind of water damage, you’ll be expecting about $40 to $60 per square foot. On average, a homeowner could face between $400 to $1500 overall.
Minor leaks that are obstructing your ceiling will range between $200 to $500, while severe damage will cost about $500 to $2500. There are quite a few tasks that need to be done, in regards to the other obligations that need to be made to fully repair the remainder of your attic.
The repairing of your ceiling will cost you approximately $50 to $100 per square foot. If you’re dealing with water damage, besides the professionals that will help you restore your attic, you might have to hire some contractors. The estimated cost into fixing your drywall, performing lath and plaster or even finishing concrete repairs will range from $50 to $125.
Attic Decontamination Cost
Although homeowners can rely on pest control, decontamination is more of an improved solution compared to the subsequent removal of certain rodents. Attic decontamination will average about $1.50 to $3 per square foot. This is a surefire method of keeping dangerous hazards from roaming around the other sections of your home.
Professionals will use safety equipment, in these cases respirators and suits so as to further prevent any disease from spreading around your home. Rodent feces are, in fact, considered to be biohazardous, so the quicker you clean, the safer your home will ultimately be. After the removal of the infestation and the mess it makes, your specialists will deodorize your attic and sanitize your property.
There are other kinds of rodents that may be inhabiting the top parts of your home. And since the inconvenient intruders probably won’t leave, the advantage to hiring professionals will be the assessment and solution to any additional problems you may not even know about. Other than removal and decontamination, you’ll want to direct your attention in proofing your attic next.
Requesting for a rodent-proofing service will cost you a range of about $100 to $250. Not every attic cleaning professional will handle these services and in extension, you may have to hire an exterminator. To complete the process of ridding your home of these creepy crawlers will require you to not only eradicate and proof everything, but to ensure certain contingencies, you’ll want to blockade any possibility of them returning.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Rid Of Squirrels?
One big misconception for your attic is that rats are the most likely to hide out in the space. But in all likelihood, the most common creatures that are hiding there are squirrels. It’s very conspicuous to state but squirrels are fast climbers and if given any chance or opportunity, they’ll be inside and nesting in a corner.
For such instances, you’re going to be spending about $500 to $800. Homeowners will pay to hire a removal service to come into the attic, trapping and removing the squirrels and using a safe repellant to make sure they stay away. There are different kinds of methods associated with the removal of squirrels.
Whether the removal service is using repellents, traps, bait, or deterrents, the little vermin will have no other choice but to comply with exiting your attic. There are several clues into wondering whether your attic is a lodge for squirrels. Some common signs to investigate are sounds coming from your ceiling or the rank odor you smell when you go upstairs. If this is the case for you, then seriously consider finding and hiring a professional removal service so you can find and block out the possible entryway.
Attic Restoration Cost
Redoing your attic will entail the elimination of any junk or unnecessary items. Besides that, you’ll want to correct all of the parts of your attic but also create the correct kind of insulation that follows that process. Depending on whether you want a complete makeover or an insulation replacement, your costs will involve differentiated ranges.
Insulations can be priced at around $2000 to $3300. But at the highest cost range, you could be expecting around $10000 for the job, depending on the complexity of your former insulation or how big your attic is. On a per-square-footage scale, you can expect the evaluation of your costs to be around $2 to $3.25. Homeowners will measure out the size of their attic and the insulation type they’d prefer.
How Much Would It Cost To Remove Clutter In Attic?
Besides the actual insulation process, if you’re looking to take out your current insulation, you’ll be expecting about $1 to $3 per square foot. And to remove any of the junk that is provided in the procedure of doing so, the cost range may estimate between $170 to $375. Figuring out the accessibility in your attic will give you better insight into how much everything will ultimately cost. But it is also the fact that you’ll have to throw a lot of spare debris and scrap since a lot of it will be hindering the other parts of your home.
How Much Does It Cost To Remove Insulation?
Other than the fact that your attic may not be properly insulated or the fact that there could be access points for pests to pass through, homeowners will usually consider the renewal of their attic’s insulation due to hazardous materials. Although the reasons provided could explain why you’d want to remove your attic insulation, removing and replacing it with new ones can also assist you with keeping your home’s vigor.
Degradation most occasionally occurs when mold, or urine and droppings, are left to grow in your attic. Homeowners might remove and decontaminate the spaces in the attic, but it’s the toxic residue that has already done its damage. When the deterioration of your insulation has already progressed, you need to ensure that a replacement is professionally planned. This is unless you don’t mind how cold and how hot your attic will become during the extreme seasons.
Before you think about the different phases of why you’ll want your insulation removed, try to mediate whether your attic needs a proper assessment. Something that you should seriously be wary of is whether there is asbestos in your attic. The material is a fibrous silicate mineral that can quite possibly cause cancer.
When a professional removal is done, taking all the materials out of your attic will probably take the duration of about four to six hours. And while you could probably execute this job yourself, this is a job that will not only require intermediary knowledge but also some experience in handiwork.
For a professional attic insulation removal, the cost will range between $1500 to $3000. Typically, it will cost about $1 to $2 per square foot. Previously mentioned in the sections above, there are certain methods involved that need to be well thought out. So, you need to be wary of the kind of insulation your attic requires and you should make sure that there are no possible splinters in the installation itself. Keep in mind that removing your insulation is really only necessary if there are any harmful substances in your attic.
How Much Would It Cost To Insulate Attic?
The removal of any damaged insulation or the repair of the insulation required will have a differentiated cost than the factors listed above. An average range that will go into fixing a home’s attic will estimate between $2000 to $3250. A professional insulating will cost you about $1 to $7 per square foot.
Ultimately, you can be assured that whatever type of insulation that you’re eyeing will be the one that most varies in cost. There are installations for batt, blown-in, foam board, spray foam, and rigid board types of insulations available for your attic. The subject that centralizes the costs of these insulation types are the materials that they’re made of.
After the removal of the debauched insulation, you’ll want to know how much it costs to replace your insulation. The cost will be, on average, between $1000 to $3000, but some homeowners will consider paying a range between $3000 to $6250.
Batt Insulation
To install batt insulation is to use fiberglass, mineral wool, plastic fibers, and natural fibers. The professionals will then sheet it into the fitted spaces of the attic. You’ll find the range of cost to estimate between $500 to $1500. This type of insulation is commonly installed for unfinished walls, floors and ceilings.
To install the batt insulation, the blanket is fitted between the studs, joists, and beams. Before any of this can be done, the professional will typically assess the thickness of the batts and the spaces in between.
Blow Insulation
For a blow insulation, expect about $1750 to $5500. Using cellulose, fiberglass, or mineral wool, the looser material is filled by it’s crevices through a device. Widely applicable for enclosed walls that are already within the walls, the method of blowing in the insulation is done with special equipment. This also works best for unfinished attic floors or places that are most difficult to reach.
Foam Board Insulation
Your attic can have a foam board insulation done and the average will range about $2500 to $7500. Made of polystyrene XPS and EPS, extruded polystyrene, or expanded polystyrene, the foam board is installed underneath the roof deck. Most commonly for unfinished walls, floors and ceilings, and unventilated low-slope roofs, the foam board insulation is completed externally and internally. The board is covered on the wall, according to either the fire safety code or by ½ inch.
Spray Foam Insulation
Unlike the other installations, the spray foam acts more like a liquid. It ranges from about $2500 to $12000. An insulation which involves a material that hardens with the substrate involved. The material that this installation uses is either cementitious, phenolic, polyisocyanurate, or polyurethane. Typically associated with enclosed existing walls, cavities, or unfinished attic floors, the spray foam insulation is most regularly applied by a small spray.
Rigid Board Insulation
Ranging between $4000 to $15500, the rigid board insulation is rather a rare sight. Made of cork, fiberglass or mineral wool, the insulation can be enhanced per inch it contains. A rather expensive option compared to the rest, this kind of insulation isn’t seen too often but only really for finished walls and ceilings.
A majority of contractors will fabricate the insulation into the ducts and most occasionally, the job is either done at the job site itself or in the professional workshop. It’s most occasionally done in ducts with unconditioned spaces. So it’s a space that is best for withstanding extreme temperatures.
What Is R-Value? Why Do I Need It For Attic Insulation?
The R-value can be considered the metric in resistance for thermal transfer that a material maintains. With the increase of R-value, there is an uptick in insulation. There is actually a correlation between the climate R-value and the attic R-value. While the insulation is being set up, you need to adjust the R-value accordingly with the climate-oriented metric.
One thing to keep in mind is the minimum R-value that every homeowner is advised to acclimate. Make sure that your attic has a minimum of R-38. The way to determine the amount of R-value is required in your attic is by understanding just how cold the climate in your area naturally becomes.
One disadvantage that this comes with is that costs can increase, depending on how extreme the temperatures can become. However, it is the material that makes the establishment of how much R-value that they can offer. While there are advantages and disadvantages to all of these materials, they all offer insulation pertaining to the way that they’re installed with the methods involved above.
How Much Will The Materials Cost Per Board Foot?
Mentioned in the section above, fiberglass material is typically used for batt insulation and will cost about $1 to $1.50 per square foot. The cellulose in your attic will most likely be used to construct blown-in insulation ultimately costing you about $0.33 per square foot. Mineral wool will cost you about $2.40 per square foot, which is a material used for batt, blown-in, and rigid board insulations.
Polystyrene costs around $0.26 per square foot. The most prevalent material used for foam board insulations. The main component that shapes up the rigid board insulation is normally the cork. Pricing around $3 to $12 per square foot, cork is probably the costliest material out of this list of materials. The labor that goes into insulating your attic will cost between $0.25 to $0.50 per square foot.
There are other materials that are calculated, not by a per square footage cost method, but by more of a per board footage cost method. Materials like Polysio, Polystyrene EPS, or XPS, SIPs, and SPF, will all respectively measure about a square foot and with an inch in thickness. Each material will have variating costs per each board foot.
Structural Insulated Panels And Costs
Used in both commercial and residential construction, the SIPs are used with multiple purposes. Each of the panels are made of insulating foam core and layered with an interior and exterior sheathing. Factory-made, these panels are essentially used for almost any kind of building design for construction.
They cost a range of about $10 to $12 per square foot. But the reason why SIPs are meant for certain methods of insulation is because they are not made with empty cavity walls. Essentially, SIPs envelop a tight building space so you should really inquire about which insulation method that the professionals will end up using.
Which Type of Insulation Should I Use?
If you take a look at your attic, you’ll be able to determine whether you want a faced insulation or an unfaced insulation. But the thing that homeowners will be most curious about is the difference between the two. Vapor will require a sort of slowing down process when it comes to insulation. And while unfaced insulation is defined as a lack thereof, this is the type that utilizes either paper or plastic.
A faced insulation is what uses a vapor inhibitor, which protects your insulation from the harming effects of mold and mildew. While faced insulation will be installed in the exterior walls or the attic ceiling, the unfaced insulation will be installed via either spray foam or loose-fill. Faced insulation will, on average, range between $500 to $7500. Unfaced insulation will probably cost about $1750 to $12000.
Additional Costs And Considerations To Make For The Insulation
Homeowners will inevitably consider the other features that can be made after insulating their attics. Besides just the temperature adjustments that can be made in your attic, you can soundproof the space for about $1000 to $2500. Essentially, mold should be removed completely and it will average in the range between $1500 to $3500.
The soundproofing is already an adequate supplement when the homeowners decide to finish their insulations in the attic. However, further soundproofing the space can also be done by supposing what kind of sounds that you’d like absorbed. There are airborne noises and impact noises and by figuring which sounds you want blocked out, the costs can vary.
How Much Does Attic Insulation Cost Per Square Foot?
Although we’ve discussed the cost factors in the materials and types of insulation that goes into your budget, you should know about how much it will cost, according to the size of your attic. When the professional insulation installer comes to your attic, you’ll be faced with a cost range of about $1 to $7 per square foot.
| Square Foot | Estimated Cost |
| 500 | $500-$3500 |
| 750 | $750-$5250 |
| 1000 | $1000-$7000 |
| 1200 | $1200-$8400 |
| 1500 | $1500-$10500 |
Although the size does matter when it comes to the overall costs, there are also other concerns that you should be aware of. Accessibility might be key but whether insulation is already installed in your attic or not, it is this factor that will give you more insight into what kind of costs you’ll be looking at.
Finding Multiple Estimates On House Tipster
It's quite confounding to have to constantly call and ask about several different estimates from several different professional companies. Above everything, homeowners want to find the right professional that is not only affordable, but knows the job inside and out. House Tipster makes that part of the job so much easier. Easily find out every estimate through all of our different professionals and see how well-reviewed they are through our site.
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