Spray On Insulation Cost: Getting the Real Value Out of Spray Foam
Spray on insulation cost is initially more expensive than some traditional forms of insulation like fiberglass or cellulose. However, the payoff for the investment begins to return immediately with reduced energy costs. If you’re in the process of evaluating insulation options but want to know the true value of spray foam insulation, you need to work with a properly trained appraiser.
As more people want to know the value of green building products, the Appraisal Institute offers special training courses designed to teach appraisers how to identify green features, analyze them and assess value. An appraiser might use a form like this one to determine the value of a property’s green and energy efficient features.
To find an appraiser in your area with this training, click here.
How Energy Savings Might Impact Market Value
The guidelines provided by the Appraisal Institute help appraisers assess value for green and energy-saving features added to homes, like sprayed insulation. While not guaranteed to raise your property value, the guidelines address energy improvements and provide a means for value adjustment consistent with your local market.
Did you know energy costs are the largest expense of owning a home, excluding mortgage cost? Not only have these costs risen over the past 60 years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, they are expected to continue rising. Spray foam insulation is shown to reduce energy costs. To ensure proper value is attached to energy efficient improvements like this, homeowners and buyers need to be educated to demand the appraisal gives credit. Lending institutions should give credit for these as well.
Know the True Cost of Homeownership
The true cost of home ownership (section 3.1.9) for a home with energy-efficient improvements may be less than the true cost of homeownership for a comparable home. However, lenders may not see the value of the overall lower energy cost of a home, which is why you should be informed. In some cases the price of an energy-efficient home may be higher, but the reduced utility bill expenses can offset the energy improvement costs, resulting in a monthly savings for the homeowner.
When you are buying, selling, refinancing or remodeling your home, you can increase your comfort and save money by using the Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). This type of mortgage provides the borrower with special benefits for energy-saving features. This is a way to pay for energy improvements through your mortgage, and an option to keep in mind if you are considering a remodel with spray foam insulation or thinking about adding spray on insulation to your home. The chart below shows how energy-efficient homes can cost less to own than non-efficient homes.
| Older existing home | Same home w/energy improvements | |
| Home price (90% mortgage, 8% interest) |
$150,000 | $154,816 |
| Loan amount | $135,000 | $139,334 |
| Monthly payment* | $991 | $1,023 |
| Energy bills | +$186 | +$93 |
| True monthly cost of home ownership | $1,177 | $1,116 |
| Monthly savings | -$61 |
It’s important to keep in mind that these findings come from government publications, not from us. Clearly, we endorse the benefits and energy efficiencies that come with spray foam insulation. Validation from external parties only adds weight to what we know from our experience.
If you want to compare the spray on insulation cost for your project against potential future savings, give us a call at (913) 440-9123. We would love to help show you the ways our products can improve your comfort and save you money over time!
