Code is a minimum. ENERGY STAR recommends R-49 for a Phoenix attic.
When your house was built, code asked for less, and every Phoenix summer since has been shrinking what's up there. We measure what is there and quote the level you choose. Nine in ten American homes are under-insulated (NAIMA), and the desert is not where you want to be one of them.
Book My InspectionFree inspection first. If your depth checks out, we tell you that.
What is R-value in plain English?
R-value measures how hard it is for heat to push through a material. The higher the number, the slower your attic's heat reaches your ceiling. Code sets a minimum; comfort in a Phoenix summer usually asks for more. ENERGY STAR recommends R-49 for a Phoenix attic.
What does R-49 actually get me?
"Double the R-value, and half as much heat gets through your ceiling."
That is not a slogan, it is how the math works. Here is what it looks like in inches, and in heat.
Settled blown-in fiberglass depths shown: R-38 at 13.25 to 14.5 in, R-49 at 16.75 to 18.25 in, R-60 at 20 to 21.75 in. Blown-in cellulose reaches the same R-values in fewer inches: R-38 at about 10.5 in, R-49 at about 13 in, R-60 at about 16 in. Your quote names the material and the target depth. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power. Ask your seller for the fact sheet on R-values.
R-49 is the total level; ENERGY STAR's table gives the amount to add based on what is already there.
Open the attic hatch and look. If you can see the tops of the joists, the wooden beams running across the attic floor, you've got six inches or less up there, and a problem. Knee-deep is the spec. If you'd rather not stick your head in a 150-degree attic, that's what the free inspection is for.
Is the insulation my house was built with still enough?
Built to the code of its day. The model code for our climate called for R-30 until 2012, R-38 after that, and R-49 in its 2021 edition. Phoenix's minimum for a new home today is R-38, and code is the least a builder is allowed to do. ENERGY STAR and the U.S. Department of Energy recommend R-49 for a Phoenix attic. We measure what is there and quote the level you choose: R-38, R-49, or R-60 if you want to go beyond the recommendation. Then add what time does up there: settling, compaction, foot traffic, thin spots from a rushed install. An attic that started at the old minimum has usually drifted well below it.
The standard moved. The rollout hasn't reached Phoenix yet.
Upgrading now just gets your house what new construction elsewhere already has: a modern thermal boundary, cool air that stays put, and an AC that isn't fighting the attic all day.
How attics fall behind
What decades of summers do up there.
- Settling and compaction over the years
- Foot traffic, storage, and past trades crushing paths
- Wind thinning the edges near the eaves
- Past repairs leaving bare spots
- Rushed original installs, thin and uneven
The level you choose
R-38, R-49, or R-60, named in your quote.
- R-49 standard on every Attic Reset™
- R-60 available as the top tier
- Depth markers set through the attic
- Full, even coverage into corners and edges
- Photos at final depth, in writing
Why do you seal before you blow in insulation?
Because new insulation over open gaps still lets air wash through it. We close the holes in your ceiling first, then bury the sealed ceiling in insulation, so the depth you pay for performs like the number on the bag. That order is the whole system argument. See what air sealing closes and why. Ducts have their own version of this rule: seal before you insulate them too.
Should I go to R-60?
Sometimes. Going from thin to R-49 does the heavy lifting; every inch after that helps less than the one before it. If your ceiling is large, your ducts run through the attic, or you plan to stay in the house a long time, R-60 can be worth the stretch. R-60 goes beyond the recommendation, and anyone who wants it can order it. If the math doesn't defend it on your house, we say so and put it in writing. Past a point, more isn't better: we've opened over-piled attics with buried vents and roof leaks hiding under the excess.
How do I know I got the depth I paid for?
Rulers get set through the attic before the hose comes in, so the target depth is visible, not implied.
Blown-in reaches the edges and odd framing where attics run thin, with baffles at the eaves so your attic keeps breathing.
You get the finished photos and the final depth in writing, attached to your quote and your invoice.
How much does attic insulation cost in Phoenix?
A full Attic Reset™ is priced house by house, because no two attics need the same work. Either way you get one flat quote after your free inspection, with the target depth written into it, before any work starts.
Before you book.
Can you add new insulation on top of what I have?
Usually yes. If the existing material is dry and clean, we seal the ceiling underneath and blow new insulation right over it to reach the target depth. Nothing gets hauled away unless it is damaged, wet, or contaminated, and we show you photos before recommending that. If the old insulation is contaminated, attic cleanup covers what that looks like.
Is R-38 enough in Phoenix?
R-38 is Phoenix's minimum for a new home today, and an attic that was R-38 on paper is often lower in practice after years of settling. ENERGY STAR recommends R-49 for a Phoenix attic. The real answer for your house comes off a ruler, which is what the free inspection is for.
What kind of insulation do you install?
Blown-in insulation, with the material matched to your attic and named in the flat quote. Blown-in fills the corners and odd framing that batts miss, and the target depth is written into the quote.
Does more insulation help in summer, not just winter?
Yes. Insulation slows heat in both directions, and in Phoenix the direction that matters is a superheated attic pushing down on your cooled ceiling all day. Depth is what slows that push.
Book your free inspection.
Send your info and we'll text you to set up your visit. The inspection is free, and if your attic needs depth you get a flat quote with the target R-value written in.
Serving the Phoenix metro · Anthem to Goodyear to Queen Creek
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AZ ROC #367670 · BPI-Certified Building Analyst - Technician · Flat quote before any work starts