10 Signs Your Home Needs New Insulation

Comfort signs

1. Some rooms are always 5°F+ different from the rest.

2. You feel cold drafts near outlets, baseboards, or windows in winter.

3. Upstairs is unbearable in summer even with the AC running constantly.

4. Floors over an unconditioned crawl space stay cold in winter.

Financial signs

5. Energy bills have climbed every year despite no major rate hikes.

6. Your HVAC runs nearly nonstop on hot or cold days.

7. Your neighbor's same-size house has a bill half the size of yours.

Visible & structural signs

8. Ice dams form on your roof in winter (heat is escaping into the attic and melting snow).

9. Attic insulation looks gray, sunken, water-stained, or has rodent damage.

10. You can see daylight through cracks at the top plate or around penetrations from inside the attic.

What to do next

Start with a free contractor inspection — most insulation pros will measure attic depth, look for air leaks, and identify damaged material at no cost. From there, you'll get a quote with R-value, scope (air sealing, new install, removal of contaminated material), and a price.

If you have any of signs #8-10, get insulation removal quoted first — installing new on top of damaged material wastes the upgrade.