Yabucoa Municipio, PR Insulation Payback
Yabucoa Municipio, PR: what topping up your attic actually costs
Yabucoa Municipio, Puerto Rico is zone 1 under DOE's climate map (Hot-Humid), which means summers that stay hot and humid while winters barely register on the energy bill. An uninsulated attic there should be built 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 2.4 years at an estimated $701/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Heating vs. cooling in Yabucoa Municipio
The estimated savings split roughly $0/year heating, $700/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Yabucoa Municipio's savings potential beats roughly 2 of them. Within zone 1 specifically, it ranks 49th of 81 counties by estimated savings. Puerto Rico averages $660/year across the counties tracked here; Yabucoa Municipio comes in 6% higher.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's JUNCOS 1 SE, PR RQ station, 12 miles from Yabucoa Municipio, supplies the 1 HDD and 4,516 CDD this estimate runs on. By total degree days, Yabucoa Municipio sits at the 12th percentile nationally. Yabucoa Municipio 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-25 runs about $840 for about $76/year saved — roughly 11 years to break even. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Quotes and materials for this job
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 Yabucoa 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.