Attic insulation cost in the District of Columbia
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (1,000 sq ft)
- $1,050 – $4,200
- Per sq ft
- $1.05 – $4.20
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +5%
- US $2,500
- Metros covered
- 1
Across the District of Columbia, attic insulation costs about $1,050 to $4,200 for 1,000 sq ft. Statewide, that midpoint is 5% above the US figure of $2,500. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall earn a median $23.62 an hour in the District of Columbia (US: $23.62).
District of Columbia has one metro in our dataset, Washington, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in District of Columbia (statewide), standard level
$2,000 to $3,250
About $2 to $3.25 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 35% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,250 | $2,150 |
| Labor | $750 | $1,050 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $2,000 | $3,250 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in District of Columbia
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $530 | $1,700 | $2,900 | 65% |
| Labor | $510 | $910 | $1,300 | 35% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $1,050 | $2,600 | $4,200 | 100% |
How District of Columbia compares with nearby states
District of Columbia ranks 12 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for attic insulation, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Washington at $2,900 and the cheapest West Virginia at $2,250, both for 1,000 sq ft at the midpoint. District of Columbia sits at $2,600. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 50 miles away | $1,100 – $4,250 | $2,700 | +2% |
| Virginia | 110 miles away | $960 – $3,900 | $2,450 | −7% |
| Pennsylvania | 110 miles away | $1,000 – $4,050 | $2,500 | −4% |
| Delaware | 110 miles away | $1,000 – $4,000 | $2,500 | −5% |
| New Jersey | 160 miles away | $1,100 – $4,350 | $2,750 | +4% |
Quality levels and sizes in the District of Columbia
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide District of Columbia wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$1,050 to $2,300
Blown-in fiberglass or cellulose to code R-value
Standard
$2,000 to $3,250
Higher R-value with air sealing around fixtures
Premium
$2,950 to $4,200
Spray foam or heavy air sealing, hard-to-reach attic
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small attic (600 sq ft) | $620 – $1,400 | $1,200 – $1,950 | $1,750 – $2,500 |
| average attic (1,000 sq ft) | $1,050 – $2,300 | $2,000 – $3,250 | $2,950 – $4,200 |
| large attic (1,800 sq ft) | $1,850 – $4,150 | $3,550 – $5,850 | $5,250 – $7,550 |
District of Columbia metro-by-metro prices
District of Columbia has one metro in our dataset, Washington, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (1,000 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $1,000 – $4,050 | $2,550 | −3% |
Wages behind the District of Columbia number
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 2 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 1.01 for the District of Columbia.
Insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall (47-2131) carry 80% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for District of Columbia, so we used the national median: $23.62 an hour against $23.62 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $20.77 and $29.32 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 20% of the weighting: a median of $24.05 an hour, 6% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $20.80 and $28.41 an hour. About 2,090 work in the state. That is 29.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall ($29.32 an hour) would add about $170 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($20.77) would take off about $85. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 701,920 jobs across the District of Columbia (May 2025), which is 0.5% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall (47-2131) | 80% | $20.77 | $23.62 | $29.32 | $23.62 | 1.00 | US |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $20.80 | $24.05 | $28.41 | $22.66 | 1.06 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.01 | |||||
Attic insulation: what moves the price in the District of Columbia
Type of insulation
Blown-in is $0.90-$2.40 per sq ft and loose-fill is $1.00-$2.50 installed; spray foam costs more (HomeGuide).
Job size
Small attics start around $500 and large ones go up to $6,000 (HomeGuide).
Air sealing and fixture damming
Sealing gaps and damming around recessed lights are part of what moves the price within a type.
Removing old insulation
Old, wet or pest-damaged insulation has to come out first, at extra cost.
Related projects, priced for the District of Columbia
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide District of Columbia wages and prices. Against national midpoints, window replacement comes out highest (+11%) and vinyl siding lowest (+5%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $6,700 – $13,600 | +9% |
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $11,000 – $35,000 | +8% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $8,800 – $26,400 | +5% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $5,050 – $16,500 | +11% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,350 – $4,450 | +6% |
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Attic insulation in the District of Columbia: your questions
+How much does it cost to insulate an attic in the District of Columbia?
$1,050 to $4,200 for 1,000 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside the District of Columbia can sit above or below that.
+Which city in the District of Columbia is cheapest for attic insulation?
Washington at about $2,550 (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft).
+Is attic insulation cheaper in the District of Columbia than the US average?
It is 5% more expensive: $2,600 against $2,500 for 1,000 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in the District of Columbia?
About 35% ($910). Materials are 65%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.01x the national wage level.
+What do insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall earn in the District of Columbia?
BLS has no statewide figure for this trade, so we use the national median of $23.62 an hour, against $23.62 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $20.77 to $29.32.
+Where does District of Columbia rank for attic insulation costs?
12th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $2,600 for 1,000 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium attic insulation work cost in the District of Columbia?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $1,050 to $2,300 and premium work $2,950 to $4,200. Basic means: blown-in fiberglass or cellulose to code R-value. Premium means: spray foam or heavy air sealing, hard-to-reach attic.
Attic insulation by city in the District of Columbia
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Attic Insulation Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Note on derived figures: Materials = installed price minus HomeGuide's $0.50-$1.30 per sq ft insulation labor, matched low-to-low and high-to-high.