Coos County, OR Insulation Payback
Coos County, OR: what topping up your attic actually costs
Coos County sits in IECC climate zone 4 (Marine) — temperate and damp most of the year, with neither heating nor cooling asking for much. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to R-60. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-60 costs roughly $3,480 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 3 years at an estimated $1,159/year saved. The math clears comfortably within a normal ownership horizon.
Heating vs. cooling in Coos County
The estimated savings split roughly $1,154/year heating, $5/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Coos County's savings potential beats roughly 28 of them. Within zone 4 specifically, it ranks 785th of 825 counties by estimated savings. Oregon averages $1,557/year across the counties tracked here; Coos County comes in 26% lower.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's COQUILLE CITY, OR US station, 5.5 miles from Coos County, supplies the 4,315 HDD and 34 CDD this estimate runs on. By total degree days, Coos County sits at the 8th percentile nationally. Coos County falls in DOE's moisture regime C (marine), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
Already have some insulation?
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 $169/year saved (~13.5-year payback). This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Getting it done in Coos County
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $3,480 figure above as a planning number for Coos County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Nothing here is a guess
Every figure on this page traces to DOE/IECC climate zones and NOAA degree-day normals, documented in the methodology guide. The guide to what R-value actually means explains why R-60 is the target here specifically.