Wood County, TX Insulation Payback
Wood County, TX: what topping up your attic actually costs
Wood County, Texas is zone 3 under DOE's climate map (Hot-Humid), which means humid heat for much of the year, with cooling running far more than heating ever does. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-49. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-49 costs around $2,820 and saves an estimated $1,022 a year — payback in roughly 2.8 years. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
The breakdown behind the number
The estimated savings split roughly $643/year heating, $379/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Wood County's savings potential beats roughly 18 of them. Within zone 3 specifically, it ranks 426th of 690 counties by estimated savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Wood County comes in 1% lower.
The climate data behind this
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 2,423 HDD and 2,380 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from LAKE FK RSVR, TX US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 8.9 miles from Wood County's center. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Wood County 2541st nationally by total degree days — the 20th percentile. Wood 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?
If Wood County's attic already has 3-4 inches of old insulation (about R-11) rather than bare joists, the recommended target drops to R-38. That smaller top-up costs around $1,620 and saves an estimated $138/year — payback about 11.8 years. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Quotes and materials for this job
Get more than one quote before committing. Attic access and any needed air sealing move the price around, and most contractors won't take a job below roughly $600 regardless of size - worth asking upfront given Wood County's estimated $1,022/year on the line.
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-49 is the target here specifically.