Attic insulation cost in Dubuque, IA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $1,050 – $4,000
- Per sq ft
- $1.05 – $4
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- Level
- US $2,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #101
- 1 = most expensive
Attic insulation in Dubuque, IA usually costs $1,050 to $4,000 for 1,000 sq ft. That works out to about $1.05 to $4 per sq ft before permits. That is within a few percent of the national midpoint, so there is little local premium or discount. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall earn a median of $26.84 an hour in the Dubuque area, 14% above the US median of $23.62.
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Dubuque, IA, standard level
$1,900 to $3,100
About $1.90 to $3.10 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 40% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,100 | $1,900 |
| Labor | $830 | $1,200 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,900 | $3,100 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Dubuque, IA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $1,500 | $2,550 | 60% |
| Labor | $560 | $1,000 | $1,450 | 40% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $1,050 | $2,500 | $4,000 | 100% |
Where the Dubuque price comes from
Labor is 40% of the midpoint bill here, against 36% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall (80%), construction laborers (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Dubuque the blended ratio comes out at 1.12. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Iowa statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Dubuque is at 93.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,600 nationally becomes $1,500 here (midpoint, 1,000 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 87.3: $0 to $0.
Data note: 80% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Dubuque. The wage table below marks each row.
Is Dubuque cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (1,000 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Davenport is the priciest of the group at $2,550. Madison is the cheapest at $2,450.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque, IAthis page | $1,050 – $4,000 | $2,500 | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA45 miles | $1,050 – $4,000 | $2,500 | level |
| Iowa City, IA75 miles | $1,000 – $4,000 | $2,500 | level |
| Davenport, IA75 miles | $1,050 – $4,050 | $2,550 | +1% |
| Madison, WI80 miles | $990 – $3,900 | $2,450 | −2% |
| Waterloo, IA80 miles | $1,050 – $4,000 | $2,500 | level |
| Iowa (statewide) | $1,050 – $4,000 | $2,500 | level |
| United States | $1,000 – $4,000 | $2,500 | level |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Dubuque ranks #101 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Dubuque is 0% above the Iowa figure.
Elsewhere in Iowa
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | 404,130 jobs | $1,150 – $4,300 | $2,700 | +9% |
| Davenport, IA | 180,450 jobs | $1,050 – $4,050 | $2,550 | +1% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 139,260 jobs | $1,050 – $4,000 | $2,500 | level |
| Iowa City, IA | 93,760 jobs | $1,000 – $4,000 | $2,500 | level |
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $1,050 – $4,000 | $2,500 | level |
| Sioux City, IA | 75,010 jobs | $970 – $3,850 | $2,400 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Dubuque against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona, PA | 58,650 jobs | $1,000 – $4,050 | $2,550 | +1% |
| Albany, GA | 58,390 jobs | $950 – $3,800 | $2,400 | −5% |
| Kingston, NY | 59,140 jobs | $1,100 – $4,200 | $2,650 | +6% |
| Wheeling, WV | 58,130 jobs | $870 – $3,600 | $2,250 | −11% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Dubuque bid
Removing old insulation
Old, wet or pest-damaged insulation has to come out first, at extra cost.
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).
What local crews earn in Dubuque
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Dubuque the blend is 1.12.
Insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall (47-2131) carry 80% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Dubuque metro, so we used the Iowa statewide median: $26.84 an hour against $23.62 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $21.72 and $34.72 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $23.46 an hour, which is 4% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.37 and $28.85 an hour. BLS counts 500 of them working in the area, 85.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $240 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $160. That is a swing of roughly 6.2% to 9.6% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Dubuque has 58,470 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 292nd by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall (47-2131) | 80% | $21.72 | $26.84 | $34.72 | $23.62 | 1.14 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $22.37 | $23.46 | $28.85 | $22.66 | 1.04 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.12 | |||||
Dubuque: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Dubuque. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from small attic (600 sq ft) to large attic (1,800 sq ft).
Basic
$1,050 to $2,200
Blown-in fiberglass or cellulose to code R-value
Standard
$1,900 to $3,100
Higher R-value with air sealing around fixtures
Premium
$2,800 to $4,000
Spray foam or heavy air sealing, hard-to-reach attic
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small attic (600 sq ft) | $620 – $1,350 | $1,150 – $1,850 | $1,700 – $2,400 |
| average attic (1,000 sq ft) | $1,050 – $2,200 | $1,900 – $3,100 | $2,800 – $4,000 |
| large attic (1,800 sq ft) | $1,850 – $4,000 | $3,450 – $5,550 | $5,050 – $7,150 |
Related projects, priced for Dubuque
Jobs that often go together with attic insulation are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Dubuque wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, vinyl siding comes out highest (−2%) and roof replacement lowest (−9%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $5,550 – $11,400 | −9% |
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $9,450 – $30,400 | −7% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $8,200 – $24,600 | −2% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $4,350 – $14,300 | −4% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,250 – $4,000 | −4% |
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Attic insulation in Dubuque: your questions
+How much does it cost to insulate an attic in Dubuque?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $1,050 to $4,000 in the Dubuque area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,900 to $3,100. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for attic insulation in Dubuque?
About $1.05 to $4 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $0 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $4.
+Is attic insulation cheaper in Dubuque or Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $2,500, which is 0% less than Dubuque ($2,500). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Dubuque?
About 40% at the midpoint, or $1,000 out of $2,500. Materials are 60% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 36%.
+What would average attic (1,000 sq ft) cost in Dubuque?
$1,050 to $4,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does attic insulation need a permit in Dubuque?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $0 for fees in the Dubuque area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Dubuque expensive for attic insulation compared with the rest of Iowa?
Dubuque is 0% above the Iowa statewide estimate ($2,500 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Iowa; see the state page to compare them.
+What do insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall earn in Dubuque?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $26.84 an hour, compared with $23.62 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.72 to $34.72.
+What do basic and premium attic insulation work cost in Dubuque?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $1,050 to $2,200 and premium work $2,800 to $4,000. 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 near Dubuque
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.