Cottle County, TX Insulation Payback
Cottle County, TX: what topping up your attic actually costs
Cottle County, Texas is zone 3 under DOE's climate map (Hot-Dry), which means scorching, dry summers where heat radiating straight through the roof does most of the damage. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-49. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-49 runs an estimated $2,820, and saves about $1,196 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.4 years. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
The breakdown behind the number
The estimated savings split roughly $839/year heating, $357/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Cottle County's savings potential beats roughly 31 of them. Within zone 3 specifically, it ranks 101st of 690 counties by estimated savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Cottle County comes in 16% higher.
The climate data behind this
Cottle County's climate figures — 3,163 heating and 2,239 cooling degree days a year — are read from PADUCAH, TX US, 6 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. By total degree days, Cottle County sits at the 37th percentile nationally. Cottle County falls in DOE's moisture regime B (dry), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
If the attic isn't bare
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $161/year saved — roughly 10.1 years to break even. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Next steps for a Cottle County attic
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $2,820 figure above as a planning number for Cottle 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-49 is the target here specifically.