Pierce County, WI Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Pierce County, WI
DOE classifies Pierce County as climate zone 6, cold — cold enough that heating, not cooling, is what decides the bill. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-60. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-60 runs an estimated $3,480, and saves about $2,350 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 1.5 years. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Pierce County
Of that, about $2,294/year comes from reduced heating and $56/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Pierce County beats 94% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 459 counties DOE places in zone 6, Pierce County ranks 63rd. Against Wisconsin's own average of $2,200/year, Pierce County runs 7% above that.
Where these numbers come from
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 8,581 HDD and 347 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from ELLSWORTH 1E, WI US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 1.6 miles from Pierce County's center. By total degree days, Pierce County sits at the 94th percentile nationally. DOE also classifies Pierce 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
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $343/year saved — roughly 6.7 years to break even. Topping up the attic pays for itself here.
Quotes and materials for this job
Get more than one quote before committing. Attic access and any needed air sealing move the price around, and most contractors won't take a job below roughly $600 regardless of size - worth asking upfront given Pierce County's estimated $2,350/year on the line.
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.