Roane County, WV Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Roane County, WV
Roane County, West Virginia is zone 4 under DOE's climate map (Mixed-Humid), which means heating load in winter and cooling load in summer, both worth taking seriously here. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-60. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-60 costs roughly $3,480 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 2.2 years at an estimated $1,548/year saved. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Roane County
Of that, about $1,427/year comes from reduced heating and $120/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Roane County beats 56% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 825 counties DOE places in zone 4, Roane County ranks 102nd. Against West Virginia's own average of $1,526/year, Roane County runs 1% above that.
Where these numbers come from
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 5,338 HDD and 749 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from SPENCER, WV US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 4 miles from Roane County's center. By total degree days, Roane County sits at the 53th percentile nationally. DOE also classifies Roane 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-49 needs filling, at roughly $2,280 for an estimated $226/year saved (~10.1-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Quotes and materials for this job
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 Roane 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.