Ozaukee County, WI Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Ozaukee County, WI
DOE classifies Ozaukee County as climate zone 6, cold — winters that dominate the energy bill, with cooling a minor factor. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-60. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-60 costs around $3,480 and saves an estimated $2,096 a year — payback in roughly 1.7 years. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Ozaukee County
Of that, about $2,033/year comes from reduced heating and $63/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Ozaukee County beats 86% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 459 counties DOE places in zone 6, Ozaukee County ranks 298th. Against Wisconsin's own average of $2,200/year, Ozaukee County runs 5% below that.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's BELGIUM WWTP, WI US station, 0.9 miles from Ozaukee County, supplies the 7,603 HDD and 390 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Ozaukee County in the 86th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Ozaukee County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
The smaller top-up scenario
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 $306/year saved (~7.5-year payback). Topping up the attic pays for itself here.
Getting it done in Ozaukee 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 Ozaukee 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.