Sauk County, WI Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Sauk County, WI
DOE classifies Sauk 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. 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 $2,018 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 1.7 years. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
The breakdown behind the number
Of that, about $1,930/year comes from reduced heating and $88/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Sauk County beats 83% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 459 counties DOE places in zone 6, Sauk County ranks 379th. Against Wisconsin's own average of $2,200/year, Sauk County runs 8% below that.
The climate data behind this
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 7,217 HDD and 548 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from ROCK SPRINGS 3 SW, WI US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 1.8 miles from Sauk County's center. By total degree days, Sauk County sits at the 83th percentile nationally. DOE also classifies Sauk County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
If the attic isn't bare
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 $294/year saved (~7.7-year payback). Topping up the attic pays for itself here.
Next steps for a Sauk County attic
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $3,480 as a starting estimate for a Sauk 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.