Attic insulation payback for Franklin County, OH

Franklin County sits in IECC climate zone 5 (Cold) — a real winter that drives most of the annual energy bill here. 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 2.2 years at an estimated $1,608/year saved. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.

The breakdown behind the number

Of that, about $1,448/year comes from reduced heating and $160/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Franklin County beats 60% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 745 counties DOE places in zone 5, Franklin County ranks 635th. Against Ohio's own average of $1,669/year, Franklin County runs 4% below that.

Franklin County's actual weather, not a national average

The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 5,417 HDD and 995 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from COLUMBUS WCMH, OH US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 3.9 miles from Franklin County's center. By total degree days, Franklin County sits at the 60th percentile nationally. DOE also classifies Franklin County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.

If the attic isn't bare

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 $235/year saved (~9.7-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.

Getting it done in Franklin County

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 Franklin 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.