Kewaunee County, WI Insulation Payback
Kewaunee County, WI: what topping up your attic actually costs
Kewaunee County, Wisconsin is zone 6 under DOE's climate map (Cold), which means winters that dominate the energy bill, with cooling a minor factor. An uninsulated attic there should be built 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 1.6 years at an estimated $2,151/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Where the savings come from
The estimated savings split roughly $2,105/year heating, $47/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Kewaunee County's savings potential beats roughly 88 of them. Within zone 6 specifically, it ranks 238th of 459 counties by estimated savings. Wisconsin averages $2,200/year across the counties tracked here; Kewaunee County comes in 2% lower.
Where these numbers come from
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 7,871 HDD and 290 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from FORESTVILLE-4E, WI US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 7 miles from Kewaunee County's center. By total degree days, Kewaunee County sits at the 88th percentile nationally. Kewaunee County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
If the attic isn't bare
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $314/year saved — roughly 7.3 years to break even. That is a solid payback as home upgrades go.
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 $3,480 figure above as a planning number for Kewaunee County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Nothing here is a guess
Every figure on this page traces to DOE/IECC climate zones and NOAA degree-day normals, documented in the methodology guide. The guide to what R-value actually means explains why R-60 is the target here specifically.