Kerr County, TX Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Kerr County, TX
Kerr County sits in IECC climate zone 3 (Hot-Dry) — scorching, dry summers where heat radiating straight through the roof does most of the damage. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and Energy Star recommend building up to 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 $983 a year — payback in roughly 2.9 years.
Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Where the savings come from
Of that, about $653/year comes from reduced heating and $330/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Kerr County beats 15% of the counties in this 3,171-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 690 counties DOE places in zone 3, Kerr County ranks 506th. Against Texas's own average of $1,035/year, Kerr County runs 5% below that.
The climate data behind this
Kerr County's climate figures — 2,461 heating and 2,073 cooling degree days a year — are read from Hunt 10 W, TX US, 7.8 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. Combined heating and cooling load puts Kerr County in the 12th percentile of this 3,171-county dataset. DOE also classifies Kerr County as moisture regime B (dry) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
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 $132/year saved (~12.2-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Getting it done in Kerr County
Get quotes from at least two local contractors 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 checking upfront given Kerr County's estimated $983/year on the line.
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.