Gaines County, TX Insulation Payback
Gaines County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Gaines County as climate zone 3, hot-dry — scorching, dry summers where heat radiating straight through the roof does most of the damage. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-49. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-49 costs around $2,820 and saves an estimated $1,127 a year — payback in roughly 2.5 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Gaines County
Split it out and it's roughly $821 a year on the heating side, $306 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Gaines County lands in the 26th percentile nationally. Zone 3 alone covers 690 counties in this dataset, and Gaines County comes in 197th by savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Gaines County comes in 9% higher.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's SEMINOLE, TX US station, 2.7 miles from Gaines County, supplies the 3,096 HDD and 1,917 CDD this estimate runs on. By total degree days, Gaines County sits at the 26th percentile nationally. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Gaines County sits in moisture regime B (dry), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-38 needs filling, at roughly $1,620 for an estimated $152/year saved (~10.7-year payback). Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Gaines County
Get more than one quote before committing. Attic access and any needed air sealing move the price around, and most contractors won't take a job below roughly $600 regardless of size - worth asking upfront given Gaines County's estimated $1,127/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Gaines County's R-49 target and its degree-day figures both come from named federal sources - see the methodology guide for exactly which ones. The guide to what R-value actually means explains why R-49 is the target here specifically.