Tyler County, WV Insulation Payback
Tyler County, WV: what topping up your attic actually costs
Tyler County sits in IECC climate zone 4 (Mixed-Humid) — real heating and real cooling seasons both, roughly balanced across the year. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to 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 $1,609 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.2 years. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
The breakdown behind the number
The estimated savings split roughly $1,491/year heating, $118/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Tyler County's savings potential beats roughly 60 of them. Within zone 4 specifically, it ranks 45th of 825 counties by estimated savings. West Virginia averages $1,526/year across the counties tracked here; Tyler County comes in 5% higher.
Where these numbers come from
Tyler County's climate figures — 5,577 heating and 732 cooling degree days a year — are read from MIDDLEBOURNE 3 ESE, WV US, 1.1 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. By total degree days, Tyler County sits at the 58th percentile nationally. Tyler County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
If the attic isn't bare
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $235/year saved — roughly 9.7 years to break even. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Quotes and materials for this job
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 Tyler 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.