Attic insulation cost in Houma, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $930 – $3,750
- Per sq ft
- $0.95 – $3.75
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −7%
- US $2,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #272
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for attic insulation in the Houma area: $930 to $3,750 for 1,000 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 7% lower than the US figure. Building materials run about 6% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 93.7).
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Houma, LA, standard level
$1,750 to $2,900
About $1.75 to $2.90 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 36% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,100 | $1,900 |
| Labor | $690 | $980 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,750 | $2,900 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Houma, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $1,500 | $2,550 | 64% |
| Labor | $460 | $830 | $1,200 | 36% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $930 | $2,350 | $3,750 | 100% |
Why Houma prices look the way they do
The wage side of the estimate leans on insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall, who do 80% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $22.76 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Houma is 0.93 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 36% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Louisiana statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Houma 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 85.1: $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 Houma. The wage table below marks each row.
Specs and site conditions that change a Houma bid
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.
Houma against nearby metros and the rest of Louisiana
Same job, same size (1,000 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Gulfport is the priciest of the group at $2,600. Lafayette is the cheapest at $2,300.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houma, LAthis page | $930 – $3,750 | $2,350 | |
| New Orleans, LA75 miles | $940 – $3,750 | $2,350 | level |
| Baton Rouge, LA85 miles | $940 – $3,750 | $2,350 | +1% |
| Lafayette, LA90 miles | $910 – $3,700 | $2,300 | −2% |
| Slidell, LA90 miles | $940 – $3,750 | $2,350 | level |
| Gulfport, MS135 miles | $1,100 – $4,150 | $2,600 | +12% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $940 – $3,750 | $2,350 | level |
| United States | $1,000 – $4,000 | $2,500 | +7% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Houma ranks #272 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Houma is 0% below the Louisiana figure.
Elsewhere in Louisiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $940 – $3,750 | $2,350 | level |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $940 – $3,750 | $2,350 | +1% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $910 – $3,700 | $2,300 | −2% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $880 – $3,600 | $2,250 | −4% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 101,690 jobs | $950 – $3,800 | $2,350 | +1% |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $940 – $3,750 | $2,350 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Houma against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $1,050 – $4,000 | $2,500 | +7% |
| Bowling Green, KY | 82,160 jobs | $970 – $3,900 | $2,450 | +4% |
| La Crosse, WI | 84,380 jobs | $1,000 – $3,900 | $2,450 | +5% |
| Hilton Head, SC | 81,920 jobs | $960 – $3,850 | $2,400 | +3% |
Related projects, priced for Houma
Jobs that often go together with attic insulation are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Houma wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, window replacement comes out highest (−10%) and vinyl siding lowest (−13%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $5,400 – $11,200 | −11% |
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $8,950 – $29,300 | −10% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $7,300 – $21,900 | −13% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $4,050 – $13,600 | −10% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,150 – $3,800 | −10% |
Who does the work: Houma trade wages
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 Houma the blend is 0.93.
Insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall (47-2131) carry 80% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Houma metro, so we used the Louisiana statewide median: $22.76 an hour against $23.62 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $21.48 and $28.29 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $17.74 an hour, which is 22% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.80 and $21.44 an hour. BLS counts 880 of them working in the area, 105.5 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 $170 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $40. That is a swing of roughly 1.7% to 7.2% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux has 83,440 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 230th 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% | $21.48 | $22.76 | $28.29 | $23.62 | 0.96 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $16.80 | $17.74 | $21.44 | $22.66 | 0.78 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.93 | |||||
Houma: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Houma. 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
$930 to $2,050
Blown-in fiberglass or cellulose to code R-value
Standard
$1,750 to $2,900
Higher R-value with air sealing around fixtures
Premium
$2,600 to $3,750
Spray foam or heavy air sealing, hard-to-reach attic
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small attic (600 sq ft) | $560 – $1,250 | $1,050 – $1,750 | $1,550 – $2,250 |
| average attic (1,000 sq ft) | $930 – $2,050 | $1,750 – $2,900 | $2,600 – $3,750 |
| large attic (1,800 sq ft) | $1,700 – $3,700 | $3,200 – $5,200 | $4,700 – $6,700 |
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Attic insulation in Houma: your questions
+How much does it cost to insulate an attic in Houma?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $930 to $3,750 in the Houma area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,750 to $2,900. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for attic insulation in Houma?
About $0.95 to $3.75 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 Houma or New Orleans?
New Orleans is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $2,350, which is 0% more than Houma ($2,350). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Houma?
About 36% at the midpoint, or $830 out of $2,350. Materials are 64% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 36%.
+What would average attic (1,000 sq ft) cost in Houma?
$930 to $3,750. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does attic insulation need a permit in Houma?
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 Houma area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Houma expensive for attic insulation compared with the rest of Louisiana?
Houma is 0% below the Louisiana statewide estimate ($2,350 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Louisiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall earn in Houma?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $22.76 an hour, compared with $23.62 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.48 to $28.29.
+What do basic and premium attic insulation work cost in Houma?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $930 to $2,050 and premium work $2,600 to $3,750. 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 Houma
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.