Summers County, WV Insulation Payback
Summers County, WV: what topping up your attic actually costs
Summers County, West Virginia is zone 5 under DOE's climate map (Cold), which means winters that dominate the energy bill, with cooling a minor factor. 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 2.5 years at an estimated $1,410/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
The breakdown behind the number
The estimated savings split roughly $1,245/year heating, $165/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Summers County's savings potential beats roughly 46 of them. Within zone 5 specifically, it ranks 741st of 745 counties by estimated savings. West Virginia averages $1,526/year across the counties tracked here; Summers County comes in 8% lower.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's BLUESTONE LAKE, WV US station, 1.8 miles from Summers County, supplies the 4,657 HDD and 1,028 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Summers County in the 44th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. Summers County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
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 $206/year saved (~11.1-year payback). This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Next steps for a Summers 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 Summers County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
Nothing here is a guess
Every figure on this page traces to DOE/IECC climate zones and NOAA degree-day normals, documented in the methodology guide. The guide to what R-value actually means explains why R-60 is the target here specifically.