Nolan County, TX Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Nolan County, TX
Nolan County sits in IECC climate zone 3 (Hot-Dry) — desert-dry heat for much of the year, with the attic taking the brunt of it. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to R-49. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-49 costs roughly $2,820 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 2.6 years at an estimated $1,101/year saved. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
The breakdown behind the number
Of that, about $735/year comes from reduced heating and $365/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Nolan County beats 25% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 690 counties DOE places in zone 3, Nolan County ranks 234th. Against Texas's own average of $1,035/year, Nolan County runs 6% above that.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's ROSCOE, TX US station, 11.3 miles from Nolan County, supplies the 2,772 HDD and 2,291 CDD this estimate runs on. By total degree days, Nolan County sits at the 28th percentile nationally. DOE also classifies Nolan County as moisture regime B (dry) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
The smaller top-up scenario
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $148/year saved — roughly 10.9 years to break even. It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Getting it done in Nolan County
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $2,820 as a starting estimate for a Nolan County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
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.