Lewis County, WV Insulation Payback
Lewis County attic insulation, by the numbers
Lewis County, West Virginia is zone 5 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 2.3 years at an estimated $1,524/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Lewis County
Split it out and it's roughly $1,383 a year on the heating side, $141 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Lewis County lands in the 54th percentile nationally. Zone 5 alone covers 745 counties in this dataset, and Lewis County comes in 716th by savings. West Virginia averages $1,526/year across the counties tracked here; Lewis County comes in 0% higher.
Lewis County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 5,173 HDD and 875 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from STONEWALL JACKSON DAM, WV US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 1.6 miles from Lewis County's center. Combined heating and cooling load puts Lewis County in the 53th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Lewis County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
Already have some insulation?
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 $222/year saved (~10.3-year payback). Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Lewis County
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 Lewis County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Where these figures come from
Lewis 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.