Attic insulation in Yakima, WA - a dry, sealed attic with an even layer edge to edge
Hot rooms upstairs or a power bill that keeps climbing? We fix what's wrong in the attic first, then add insulation that stays put.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does attic insulation involve, and is your attic ready for it?
Attic insulation in Yakima, WA means sealing the gaps in your attic floor and then adding a layer deep enough to keep the rooms below comfortable, whether your attic is bare or already has some.
Most calls start with a room over the garage that won't warm up, an upstairs that's hot by afternoon, or a power bill that keeps going up. The price turns on how many inches are already up there, whether anything wet or dirty has to come out first, how big the attic is and how easy it is to get into. The schedule mostly turns on any repairs that have to happen before the insulation goes in. I write all of that into your estimate after I've seen the attic, so you get your own number instead of a guess.
How do you know your attic needs more insulation?
Upstairs never feels right
If the bedrooms are hot in summer and cold in winter while downstairs is fine, the layer over them is usually thin, or air is leaking through the ceiling. Until that's fixed, you're paying to heat and cool the attic along with the house.
You can see the joists
Look up through the hatch. If the tops of the ceiling joists show, there isn't much insulation left, and each month you wait shows up on the power bill.
Stained or damp insulation
Dark, matted patches usually mean a roof leak or a fan that blows wet air into the attic. Putting new material over them traps the problem, and the longer it sits, the more likely the wood underneath starts to rot.
Drafts at lights and hatch
If you can feel air moving around can lights or the attic door, those gaps were never sealed. Insulation slows heat but won't stop moving air, so the draft keeps going until someone closes the holes.
How we do attic insulation
Before we add anything, I measure what's already up there and look for damp spots, bad vents and old wiring, so the new layer goes onto an attic that's ready for it. Then our crew does the air sealing, closing the gaps around can lights, pipes, wires and the hatch, because insulation can't do much while air pours through a hole beside it. We set baffles at the eaves, short chutes that keep the soffit vents open, so the attic still breathes once it's full. Last, we bring the insulation up evenly and carry it all the way out to the edges, since a deep middle with thin edges is the most common mistake I find in attics other people have done.
Most attics we work on get blown-in insulation, loose fill blown through a hose, because it fills in around framing and corners that batts tend to leave open. If the attic is only part of it and you've also got cold floors or drafty walls, we look at the whole house under home insulation.
Top-up over a sound layer
This suits an attic with dry, clean insulation that's just too thin. We seal the gaps and add to what's there, which keeps the cost down.
A full layer in a bare attic
This suits an attic with little or nothing in it, or one where the old material had to come out because it was wet or full of droppings. Everything goes in at once on a sealed floor.
Foam along the roofline
This suits an attic where the ductwork or furnace sits, because foam seals air while it insulates and keeps those ducts on the warm side. It costs more, so when the ducts aren't up there, sealing and topping up with loose fill is usually the better buy.
Get a written estimate for your attic insulation
We get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at your attic and write up a free estimate, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
- Based in
- Yakima, WA 98901
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about your attic
Here's how an attic job runs from your first call to the walk-through, and who you'll deal with at each step.
Call or send the form
Reach us at (509) 517-6081 or through the form, and we set a time for me to come out. It helps to know how you get into the attic and whether you've seen any leaks.
I look and write it up
I check the attic, measure what's there and explain what I see, then write an estimate that lists what has to be fixed first, what we'd seal and add, and the price. You see the full cost before anything's booked, and if the attic isn't ready yet, I'll tell you.
We seal, then insulate
Our crew handles the prep and sealing first and the insulation after. I'm on site checking the work as it goes.
We walk through it together
Before we leave, I go over the finished attic with you. You'll see the sealed gaps, the open eave vents and the depth we added.
Why Yakima homeowners call C&D Yakima Insulation Solutions for attic work
I do every estimate myself
I come out to look at each job and write the estimate, and I'm on site checking while our crew does the install. You're dealing with the person who actually saw your attic, so nothing gets lost between the visit and the work.
Insulating since 2017, framing before that
I spent years as a framing carpenter, then started this business in 2017. Knowing how a house goes together is why I look for where air and water get in before anything new goes up.
Licensed and insured, easy to check
We're licensed and insured. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the Department of Labor and Industries, and you can look up a contractor's registration, bond and insurance before you hire anyone.
Told plainly when it's not ready
If there's a roof leak, rot or old wiring up there, I'll tell you and say who fixes it, even if that means the insulation waits. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and that starts with not burying a problem under new material.
The only way to know if your attic is ready is to look at it. Ask for a visit and I'll come out.
Attic and home insulation in Yakima
In Yakima, the city's Codes office takes permit applications in person or by mail, and electrical permits go through L&I, the state department that registers contractors. That second part matters when wiring has to be fixed before we insulate. We check with the city or county office that covers your address to see whether your attic job needs a permit, and if it does, we take care of the application. If we're not sure yet, we tell you that up front and find out.
In older houses here we often find a few inches of old fill, can lights that can't safely be buried, and bath fans that end in the attic instead of outside, so I check for all three on every estimate. We see the same things on jobs in Selah and Union Gap.
Questions about attic insulation in Yakima
Should my attic be air sealed before adding insulation?
Yes, the EPA recommends sealing the attic before adding insulation, so sealing comes first on our jobs. ENERGY STAR also advises keeping insulation off soffit vents and away from recessed can lights unless they're rated IC, for insulated ceiling, so we check each light before anything goes over it.
What should I do if my attic has vermiculite insulation?
Leave it alone, because the EPA says to assume vermiculite may contain asbestos and recommends not disturbing it. If you decide to have it removed, the EPA says the work should go to a trained, accredited asbestos abatement contractor that's separate from the company that assessed it. That's outside our work, so if I see vermiculite, I stop and tell you.
How much does attic insulation cost in Yakima?
Across the US, turnkey insulation of a 1,000 sq ft attic usually runs about $1,500 to $3,500 per job, and that's a national figure, not our price. Your number depends on the attic's size, what's already there and any repairs that come first, and the estimate gives you that number. If your household income falls within the state's weatherization program limits, up to 200% of the federal poverty level, 60% of state median income or 80% of area median income, you can call OIC of Washington at 509-452-7145 for Yakima north of Union Gap, or Yakima Valley Farm Workers at 509-865-7630 for Yakima south of it.
How do I know how much insulation to add to my attic?
It depends on how much is already up there, because the existing depth sets how much the job adds. ENERGY STAR's national guidance sets a higher target for an attic with no insulation than for one with 3 to 4 inches already in place. I measure yours on the estimate and write down how much we'd add.
How long does attic insulation take, and do we have to leave the house?
The schedule mostly depends on whether repairs have to happen first, how big the attic is and how easy it is to reach. With loose fill, most families stay home, since the work happens up in the attic. Foam is different, because the foam maker sets a re-entry time, the wait before people and pets can come back in, and we follow it.
What problems should be fixed in an attic before insulating?
ENERGY STAR recommends having a professional fix wet insulation from a leaky roof, moldy or rotted rafters or joists, and little or no ventilation before any insulation goes in. It also lists knob and tube wiring, kitchen, bath or dryer vents that blow into the attic, and attics that are hard to get into. Some of these need a roofer or an electrician, and I'll tell you which on the estimate.
Related insulation work for your house
Blown-in insulation
Loose fill fits around wiring, framing and tight corners where batts leave gaps, which makes it the usual way to bring a thin attic up to depth.
Home insulation
When cold floors, drafty walls or a chilly crawl space are part of the trouble, looking at the whole house finds where the comfort is really being lost.
Service areas we cover around Yakima
C&D Yakima Insulation Solutions is based in Yakima, WA, and works across the city and the cities around it, including Terrace Heights and Toppenish. The eight cities below have their own pages, and if yours isn't listed, call and ask.
Have your attic checked before you insulate
If you know how you get into the attic, roughly how many inches are up there and whether you've seen leaks or fans venting into it, the visit goes quicker.