Maricao Municipio, PR Insulation Payback
Maricao Municipio, PR: what topping up your attic actually costs
DOE classifies Maricao Municipio as climate zone 1, hot-humid — long, muggy summers and mild winters, where cooling dominates the energy bill. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-30. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-30 runs an estimated $1,680, and saves about $366 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 4.6 years. The math clears comfortably within a normal ownership horizon.
The breakdown behind the number
The estimated savings split roughly $3/year heating, $363/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Maricao Municipio's savings potential beats roughly 0 of them. Within zone 1 specifically, it ranks 75th of 81 counties by estimated savings. Puerto Rico averages $660/year across the counties tracked here; Maricao Municipio comes in 45% lower.
Maricao Municipio's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 12 HDD and 2,340 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from MARICAO 2 SSW, PR RQ, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 3.8 miles from Maricao Municipio's center. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Maricao Municipio 3156th nationally by total degree days — the 0th percentile. Maricao Municipio falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
The smaller top-up scenario
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-25 needs filling, at roughly $840 for an estimated $40/year saved (~21-year payback). The math does not clearly favor topping up in this case.
Next steps for a Maricao Municipio attic
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $1,680 figure above as a planning number for Maricao Municipio, 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-30 is the target here specifically.