Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR Insulation Payback
Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR: what topping up your attic actually costs
Trujillo Alto Municipio sits in IECC climate zone 1 (Hot-Humid) — humid heat for much of the year, with cooling running far more than heating ever does. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to R-30. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-30 costs roughly $1,680 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 2.2 years at an estimated $769/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Where the savings come from
The estimated savings split roughly $0/year heating, $769/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Trujillo Alto Municipio's savings potential beats roughly 3 of them. Within zone 1 specifically, it ranks 24th of 81 counties by estimated savings. Puerto Rico averages $660/year across the counties tracked here; Trujillo Alto Municipio comes in 17% higher.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's TRUJILLO ALTO 2 SSW, PR RQ station, 1 miles from Trujillo Alto Municipio, supplies the 0 HDD and 4,962 CDD this estimate runs on. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Trujillo Alto Municipio 2379th nationally by total degree days — the 25th percentile. Trujillo Alto Municipio falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
The smaller top-up scenario
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-25 runs about $840 for about $84/year saved — roughly 10 years to break even. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Getting it done in Trujillo Alto Municipio
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $1,680 figure above as a planning number for Trujillo Alto Municipio, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
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-30 is the target here specifically.