Henrico County, VA Insulation Payback
Henrico County attic insulation, by the numbers
Henrico County sits in IECC climate zone 4 (Mixed-Humid) — a genuine mix of cold winters and humid summers, with neither one dominating the bill. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to R-60. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-60 costs around $3,480 and saves an estimated $1,250 a year — payback in roughly 2.8 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Henrico County
Split it out and it's roughly $999 a year on the heating side, $251 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Henrico County lands in the 35th percentile nationally. Zone 4 alone covers 825 counties in this dataset, and Henrico County comes in 683rd by savings. Virginia averages $1,342/year across the counties tracked here; Henrico County comes in 7% lower.
Henrico County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 3,736 HDD and 1,561 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from RICHMOND INTL AP, VA US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 4.8 miles from Henrico County's center. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Henrico County 2075th nationally by total degree days — the 34th percentile. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Henrico County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
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 $182/year saved (~12.5-year payback). Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Henrico County attic
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 Henrico County's estimated $1,250/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Henrico County's R-60 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-60 is the target here specifically.