Montague County, TX Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Montague County, TX
Montague County, Texas is zone 3 under DOE's climate map (Mixed-Humid), which means real heating and real cooling seasons both, roughly balanced across the year. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-49. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-49 runs an estimated $2,820, and saves about $1,143 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.5 years. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Montague County
Of that, about $757/year comes from reduced heating and $386/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Montague County beats 27% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 690 counties DOE places in zone 3, Montague County ranks 172nd. Against Texas's own average of $1,035/year, Montague County runs 10% above that.
The climate data behind this
Montague County's climate figures — 2,853 heating and 2,420 cooling degree days a year — are read from BONITA 7NW, TX US, 9.7 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. By total degree days, Montague County sits at the 33th percentile nationally. DOE also classifies Montague County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
Already have some insulation?
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 $154/year saved (~10.5-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Getting it done in Montague County
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $2,820 figure above as a planning number for Montague County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
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.