Cabell County, WV Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Cabell County, WV
DOE classifies Cabell County as climate zone 4, mixed-humid — a genuine mix of cold winters and humid summers, with neither one dominating the bill. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-60. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-60 costs around $3,480 and saves an estimated $1,339 a year — payback in roughly 2.6 years. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Where the savings come from
Of that, about $1,114/year comes from reduced heating and $226/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Cabell County beats 42% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 825 counties DOE places in zone 4, Cabell County ranks 504th. Against West Virginia's own average of $1,526/year, Cabell County runs 12% below that.
Cabell County's actual weather, not a national average
NOAA's PEA RIDGE PSD, WV US station, 3 miles from Cabell County, supplies the 4,166 HDD and 1,404 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Cabell County in the 41th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Cabell County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
The smaller top-up scenario
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-49 needs filling, at roughly $2,280 for an estimated $195/year saved (~11.7-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Quotes and materials for this job
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $3,480 as a starting estimate for a Cabell County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
More on how this was built
Nothing here is a guess: the methodology guide names the DOE climate map and NOAA station data behind every number on this page. See the DIY vs. contractor guide for whether a job this size is realistic to do yourself.