Erath County, TX Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Erath County, TX
Erath County sits in IECC climate zone 3 (Hot-Humid) — long, muggy summers and mild winters, where cooling dominates the energy bill. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building 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 $1,058 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.7 years. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
The breakdown behind the number
Of that, about $659/year comes from reduced heating and $399/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Erath County beats 21% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 690 counties DOE places in zone 3, Erath County ranks 339th. Against Texas's own average of $1,035/year, Erath County runs 2% above that.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's STEPHENVILLE, TX US station, 0.9 miles from Erath County, supplies the 2,484 HDD and 2,502 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Erath County in the 25th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Erath 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
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $142/year saved — roughly 11.4 years to break even. It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Quotes and materials for this job
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 Erath County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
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.