Home insulation in Missoula MT - a warmer house sealed before it's covered
Cold rooms, drafty floors and a heating bill that keeps climbing? We seal the leaks first, then insulate where it does the most good.
Where should I add insulation to my Missoula house first?
Home insulation in Missoula means adding insulation to your attic, floors, crawl space and the rim joists where the house sits on the foundation, and sealing the air leaks first so your heating and cooling costs actually come down.
Most of the calls I get come from older houses where the upstairs is cold, the floors are cold and the power bill keeps going up, and the fix is rarely just one spot. The price turns on how many inches are already up there, how easy the attic is to get into, whether old or damaged material has to come out first and how many leaks need sealing, while the schedule mostly turns on that prep work and any permit the job needs. We're based in Missoula and work there, in Orchard Homes and in the cities around them, inside and outside city limits, and your written estimate lays out each step for your house and why it's there.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Attic, crawl space and insulation work
How we handle home insulation, start to finish
I start by looking at your attic, floors, crawl space and rim joists together, the way I'd walk a frame before the drywall goes up, because a cold bedroom upstairs can start with a leak somewhere else entirely. Then we decide together where your budget does the most good first, and I'll tell you how many inches are already up there and what shape they're in. Before any new insulation goes in, we do the air sealing, which means closing the gaps around can lights, pipes, wiring and the attic hatch so the insulation isn't fighting a draft. Spray foam costs more because it seals and insulates in one pass, so I recommend it when your ductwork runs through the attic, but for most attics, sealing the gaps and topping up with blown-in fill, loose insulation blown through a hose, gives you more for the money. Either way, we keep the eave vents clear so the attic can still breathe, and we carry the depth all the way out to the edges, where it usually runs thin.
Some houses need insulation removal before anything else, because new insulation over old material that's soaked or full of droppings just buries the problem. In older houses with cold floors, crawl space insulation and sealing the rim joists often do more than another layer in the attic. If your attic has vermiculite, we handle that differently, and I explain why in the questions below.
Why Missoula homeowners call Summit Missoula Spray Foam Insulation for home insulation
I look at every job myself
I come out to look at each job myself and work alongside our crew on the install, so the person who crawled through your attic is the one making sure it's done the way we talked about. I framed houses for years before switching to insulation, so I know what's behind the drywall and under the floor before we open anything up.
Our own company since 2023
I learned this trade working for an established installer, and we started our own company in 2023. That's three years on our own, and we're best known for attic work done in the right order, with the leaks sealed before anything gets covered.
Licensed and fully insured
The State of Montana requires construction contractors to be licensed with the Department of Labor & Industry, so it's worth asking anyone you're thinking of hiring. We're licensed and fully insured, which protects your house and our crew if something goes wrong on the job.
Permits checked with the city
Before we start, we check with the City of Missoula on whether your job needs a permit, tell you what they said and take care of any permit the work needs. If you'd like to look for yourself, the city keeps a list of residential work that can be done without a permit.
On this job the order matters more than anything, because insulation laid over a leak just hides it. Your satisfaction, guaranteed, so tell us about your house and I'll come take a look.
Get a home insulation plan for your Missoula house
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The on-site estimate is free with no obligation, and a photo of your attic insulation, taken without touching it, helps.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What happens after you call about insulating your house?
Call or send a request
Call (406) 317-4027 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. It helps to tell us where the attic hatch is and where you have recessed lights in the ceiling.
Walk the house together
I go through the attic, crawl space or basement with you and explain what I find in plain words. You get a written estimate that explains each step and why it's there, so you can see where your money goes and choose what to do first.
Prep, seal and insulate
We take care of anything that has to come first, like old material that needs to come out, then seal the gaps and insulate. That order is the whole point, because sealing after the insulation is down means digging it back up.
Clean up and walk through
We clean up after ourselves and walk through the finished work with you. Ask anything you like, because I'd rather you understand your house than just take my word for it.
Home insulation questions we hear
How much does attic insulation cost in Missoula?
Attic insulation in Missoula usually runs about $1,400 to $4,700 per job. Where your house lands depends on how much is already up there, how many leaks need sealing and whether old material has to come out first, and your written estimate breaks that down step by step.
Should I seal air leaks before insulating my attic?
Yes, because money spent on insulation can be wasted if the holes and gaps in your ceilings, walls and foundation aren't sealed first. Warm air slips right through loose insulation, so we seal first and insulate second.
What should I do if my attic has vermiculite insulation?
Leave it alone and treat it as if it may contain asbestos, which is what the EPA tells homeowners to do. Vermiculite is a pebbly, pour-in fill, usually gray-brown or silver-gold, and most of it in the country came from a mine near Libby, Montana, often sold as Zonolite and contaminated with asbestos, so you'll find it in older houses around here. If you decide to have it taken out, the EPA says to hire a trained, accredited asbestos abatement contractor separate from whoever assessed it, so we won't disturb it ourselves.
Is blown-in or batt insulation better for an attic?
Blown-in usually wins in an attic, because loose fill costs less to install than batts and gives more even coverage. It settles around joists, wires and odd corners where batts tend to leave gaps, though the installed cost still varies from attic to attic.
How do I know if my recessed lights can be covered with insulation?
Check whether each fixture is IC-rated, the type that's airtight and made to be covered with insulation, because federal attic guidance says to use only IC-rated recessed lights up there. I look at the can lights when I'm in your attic and tell you which ones are which before we plan anything.
How long does it take to insulate an older house?
Most of the time on a job goes into the steps before the new insulation, like pulling out wet or dirty material and sealing the gaps, so the schedule turns on what's up there. I'll tell you what to expect for your house once I've been through the attic and crawl space.
Insulation work in other areas
Work that goes with home insulation
Insulation removal
When the old insulation is soaked, crushed or full of droppings, pulling it out first keeps the new layer from hiding the same problem.
Crawl space insulation
If your floors stay cold all winter, insulating the crawl space and sealing the rim joists stops a lot of heat from slipping out underneath.