Attic insulation cost in Madison, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,000 sq ft)
- $990 – $3,900
- Per sq ft
- $1 – $3.90
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −2%
- US $2,500
- Rank of 300 metros
- #141
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for attic insulation in the Madison area: $990 to $3,900 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 lands close to the US figure. Building materials run about 6% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 93.8).
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Estimated cost for 1,000 sq ft in Madison, WI, standard level
$1,850 to $3,000
About $1.85 to $3 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 39% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,100 | $1,900 |
| Labor | $780 | $1,100 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,850 | $3,000 |
Cost breakdown for 1,000 sq ft in Madison, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $1,500 | $2,550 | 61% |
| Labor | $520 | $940 | $1,350 | 39% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $990 | $2,450 | $3,900 | 100% |
What is behind the Madison number
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 $23.81 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Madison is 1.05 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 39% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Wisconsin statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Madison is at 93.8 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 97.3: $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 Madison. The wage table below marks each row.
How Madison compares
Same job, same size (1,000 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Dubuque is the priciest of the group at $2,500. Oshkosh is the cheapest at $2,400.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WIthis page | $990 – $3,900 | $2,450 | |
| Janesville, WI40 miles | $990 – $3,900 | $2,450 | level |
| Rockford, IL60 miles | $1,000 – $3,900 | $2,450 | level |
| Dubuque, IA80 miles | $1,050 – $4,000 | $2,500 | +2% |
| Oshkosh, WI85 miles | $980 – $3,850 | $2,400 | −1% |
| La Crosse, WI85 miles | $1,000 – $3,900 | $2,450 | level |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $990 – $3,900 | $2,450 | level |
| United States | $1,000 – $4,000 | $2,500 | +2% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Madison ranks #141 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Madison is 0% below the Wisconsin figure.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $1,000 – $3,900 | $2,450 | level |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $990 – $3,900 | $2,450 | level |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $1,000 – $3,900 | $2,450 | level |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $980 – $3,850 | $2,400 | −1% |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $1,000 – $3,900 | $2,450 | level |
| La Crosse, WI | 84,380 jobs | $1,000 – $3,900 | $2,450 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Madison against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $940 – $3,750 | $2,350 | −4% |
| Albuquerque, NM | 404,700 jobs | $960 – $3,850 | $2,400 | −2% |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $970 – $3,900 | $2,450 | −1% |
| Bridgeport, CT | 404,180 jobs | $1,000 – $4,000 | $2,500 | +2% |
Why two Madison quotes can differ
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).
Who does the work: Madison 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 Madison the blend is 1.05.
Insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall (47-2131) carry 80% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Madison metro, so we used the Wisconsin statewide median: $23.81 an hour against $23.62 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $22.73 and $27.82 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $27.40 an hour, which is 21% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.70 and $31.94 an hour. BLS counts 2,370 of them working in the area, 58.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner 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 $120 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $35. That is a swing of roughly 1.3% to 5.0% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Madison has 408,070 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 61st 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% | $22.73 | $23.81 | $27.82 | $23.62 | 1.01 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $22.70 | $27.40 | $31.94 | $22.66 | 1.21 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.05 | |||||
Related projects, priced for Madison
Jobs that often go together with attic insulation are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Madison wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, roof replacement comes out highest (+5%) and vinyl siding lowest (+2%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $6,500 – $13,000 | +5% |
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $11,100 – $33,600 | +5% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $8,600 – $25,800 | +2% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $4,750 – $15,300 | +3% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,350 – $4,300 | +3% |
Cost by quality level and size in Madison
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Madison. 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
$990 to $2,150
Blown-in fiberglass or cellulose to code R-value
Standard
$1,850 to $3,000
Higher R-value with air sealing around fixtures
Premium
$2,750 to $3,900
Spray foam or heavy air sealing, hard-to-reach attic
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small attic (600 sq ft) | $600 – $1,300 | $1,100 – $1,800 | $1,650 – $2,350 |
| average attic (1,000 sq ft) | $990 – $2,150 | $1,850 – $3,000 | $2,750 – $3,900 |
| large attic (1,800 sq ft) | $1,800 – $3,900 | $3,350 – $5,450 | $4,900 – $7,000 |
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Attic insulation in Madison: your questions
+How much does it cost to insulate an attic in Madison?
For 1,000 sq ft, expect $990 to $3,900 in the Madison area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,850 to $3,000. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for attic insulation in Madison?
About $1 to $3.90 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 Madison or Janesville?
Janesville is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 1,000 sq ft there is $2,450, which is 0% less than Madison ($2,450). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Madison?
About 39% at the midpoint, or $940 out of $2,450. Materials are 61% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 36%.
+What would average attic (1,000 sq ft) cost in Madison?
$990 to $3,900. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does attic insulation need a permit in Madison?
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 Madison area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Madison expensive for attic insulation compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
Madison is 0% below the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($2,450 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall earn in Madison?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $23.81 an hour, compared with $23.62 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.73 to $27.82.
+What do basic and premium attic insulation work cost in Madison?
For 1,000 sq ft, basic work runs $990 to $2,150 and premium work $2,750 to $3,900. 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 Madison
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.