How much does attic insulation cost in 2023?
Prices in this guide are as of 2023.
The average cost of insulation of the attic floor
Proper attic insulation can make your home more energy efficient, helping you cut your heating bills. Insulation pays off in the long run and is relatively cheap to install. It’s no surprise that adding insulation is one of the most popular eco-home improvements, as it can also add value to your home.
If you’re trying to save money (and keep your home as warm as possible), then proper insulation can do both. If you are remodeling your attic or building an extension, proper attic insulation is also a building code.
On average, insulating your attic can cost you between £920 and £2,320, depending on how big your attic is. This guide covers a range of attic insulation methods for several different properties, as well as other considerations you may want to take into account. There are also some helpful tips if you want to insulate your attic with your own hands.
The standard thickness recommended by the government for attic insulation is 270mm. Labor costs are also rising in London and the South East. The prices in this guide include the cost of materials and installation. They also include VAT.
Is attic insulation effective?
An uninsulated house can lose a quarter of its heat from the roof alone. With a 40-year lifespan, properly installed attic insulation will pay for itself many times over, reducing your energy bills every year.
Here’s how much you could save in a year by properly insulating your attic:
A private house
Adjoining house
House with middle terrace
Bungalow Convert uninsulated loft to 270mm insulated loft £580 £255 £230 £365 Convert 120mm insulated loft to 270mm insulated loft Trust
Properly insulating your attic will also save thousands of pounds of CO2 emissions, helping you reduce your carbon footprint.
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What is the best attic insulation?
The type of insulation you get will depend on how easy it is to access your attic and whether you want to install the insulation yourself or hire a professional. Different heaters use different materials, so it’s also worth considering how environmentally friendly you want to be.
Insulating material What is it? Pros Cons Can you do it yourself? Loose insulation Loose material, such as cellulose fiber or wool, evenly laid around the attic. Often used to supplement existing insulation. Good for filling uneven attic spaces and gaps between beams.
Suitable for hard to reach places
Lightweight, easy to handle
May need a professional to install it
Not suitable for drafty attics (may move)
Yes, for the confident home DIYer Blanket Insulation Made from mineral fibre, glass, stone or felt, this is one of the most common types of attic insulation. Easy to install (you can do it yourself)
The cheapest type of attic insulation
There are some more sustainable options, such as recycled glass.
Some materials used to insulate blankets irritate the skin.
Reduce attic space (head height)
Bulky and not suitable for all attic spaces
May break if installed incorrectly
Yes Attic sheet insulation Insulated boards designed to insulate sloping sides of an attic. They are suitable for attic beams. Suitable for lofts with limited headroom
Very efficient (high value per unit of thickness)
Not environmentally friendly
More expensive than most other options
Cannot be used on structural elements
Yes, for the confident DIYer Spray foam insulation The areas to be insulated are sprayed with a layer of foam from a special machine. eco friendly
Can improve the structural strength of a home
Suitable for hard to reach places in the attic
Highest R values (the higher the R value, the higher the insulation efficiency)
Soundproofing
More expensive than most other options
Requires professional installation
Made from polyurethane which contains toxic compounds.
Dirty installation / leaks through unsealed connections
No costs, pros and cons of different attic insulation materials
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How long does it take to insulate an attic floor?
Most attic insulation jobs take less than a day and can be completed within a few hours. Installing quilts takes less time than installing sheets, but you can expect labor costs to be about the same, especially if you pay the daily rate.
If you do it yourself, the insulation will take longer to install.
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How much does it cost to insulate an attic?
Looking at the average cost of installing an entire loft, you could pay around:
40 m 260 m 280 m 2 100 m 2 UK average £920 £1,400 £1,860 £2,320 Attic insulation costs for different types of houses
The bigger your attic, the more insulation will cost, especially if you end up having to pay for extras like electric replacements. The type of insulation you get will also affect the cost. The above examples include the cost of attic roll insulation.
For pricing on different types of insulation, let us know what you have in mind by talking to a qualified professional today.
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Is it possible to insulate the attic yourself?
If you want to install the insulation yourself, then the above costs will give you an idea of how much the materials will cost you. While some types of insulation can be installed by hand, professionally installed insulation lasts longer and is generally more effective.
Because insulation is installed first and foremost to save as much money as possible, we recommend that you hire a professional if you’re not sure you can properly insulate your attic on your own.
If you want to do it yourself, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
Make sure the wiring in the attic is above the insulation. If your wires are stretching due to new insulation, you should hire an electrician to reroute them. You must clean your attic and clean it of everything stored there before proceeding with the insulation, whether you want to do it yourself or hire an attic insulation installer. Don’t forget about your pipes and tanks. They also need to be insulated so that they do not freeze. If you want to use the attic as a storage space, you need to put planks on the beams. If you want to turn your attic into a room, you need to hire professionals to do it. Do not use less than the recommended amount of insulation. The government recommends 270mm insulation. Using a thinner size will cost you money in the long run because less effective insulation will increase your energy bills. Make sure you don’t block the vents while installing the insulation. Your attic should be well ventilated to avoid dampness. If your attic does not have enough ventilation holes, you may need to install additional ones. If you do have a lot of moisture problems, we recommend that you do not do it yourself, as you will need a professional to help fix it before your insulation is installed. To calculate how much insulation you will need, you need to know the floor area of your attic (length x width) and the depth of insulation you already have. It is also useful to know the height of the beams in the attic so that you know if the first layer of insulation should be placed between the beams. Don’t worry about your old insulation, you can put new insulation on top of it (just make sure you don’t crush it).
Using 100 mm thick insulation rolls with a coverage area of 8.3 m2, you can calculate how many rolls you need as follows: Area (in sqm) x (1 – 0.1) ÷ 8.3 sqm. This equation is necessary for laying the base layer (25 mm or less of the existing insulation). If you want to add a top layer on top of an existing insulation layer (eg 100mm), the equation would be: Area (in sqm) ÷ 6.47 sqm. m (using 170 mm rolls with a coverage area of 6.47 m2).
Do-it-yourself attic insulation will save you the trouble of hiring an installer, but may mean that your attic will be less energy efficient than it could be.
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The cost of work on the insulation of the attic
If, on the other hand, you want to hire someone to insulate your attic for you so you can make sure everything is done right and you keep your home as warm as possible, then you can do it here.
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On average, attic insulation costs around £450 and £1,200 (labor costs only) for the entire project. The amount you end up spending depends on the size of your project and where you live in the UK.
Labor costs are rising in London and the South East, sometimes averaging 20%.
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Additional expenses
Piping insulation (materials and installation) costs around £5-8 per metre. Insulating the water cistern, which is located in the attic, costs about £150. During insulation, you may also need to move electrical wires. An electrician will charge around £250 a day to do this. An attic ladder and hatch will cost around £350 (materials and installation) for an existing opening. You will have to factor in another £250 if you want to build a new attic opening. If you need new loft legs (stilts) it will cost around £600 for an average loft using chipboard. This will take approximately one day FIND A LOFT INSULATION SPECIALIST
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conclusions
A properly insulated attic can drastically reduce your energy bills, helping to make your home more environmentally friendly as well as reducing your carbon footprint.
How much you end up spending will depend on the type of isolation you decide to get and where you live in the UK as labor costs are rising in London and the South East. The size of your loft will also affect the cost.
To get a better idea of how much you could pay for attic insulation, we recommend that you request a few quotes before you decide on a price. You can hire a qualified insulator here.
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