Laramie County, WY Insulation Payback
Laramie County, WY: what topping up your attic actually costs
Laramie County sits in IECC climate zone 6 (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 1.8 years at an estimated $1,940/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Heating vs. cooling in Laramie County
The estimated savings split roughly $1,878/year heating, $62/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Laramie County's savings potential beats roughly 79 of them. Within zone 6 specifically, it ranks 434th of 459 counties by estimated savings. Wyoming averages $2,161/year across the counties tracked here; Laramie County comes in 10% lower.
Where these numbers come from
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 7,023 HDD and 389 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from ARCHER, WY US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 9.8 miles from Laramie County's center. By total degree days, Laramie County sits at the 78th percentile nationally. Laramie County falls in DOE's moisture regime B (dry), 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 $283/year saved — roughly 8.1 years to break even. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Next steps for a Laramie County attic
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 Laramie County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
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.