Insulation Contractor in Larkspur, CA - Older Homes That Hold Their Heat
Evergreen Petaluma Spray Foam Insulation insulates attics, walls and crawl spaces in Larkspur, from downtown Victorians to Greenbrae ranch houses, and we seal the drafts first so the new insulation keeps your house comfortable.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Larkspur insulation, from the attic down
Larkspur is an easy run down 101 from Petaluma, and I like working there because the houses have stories in them. Downtown you've got Queen Anne Victorians near Magnolia Avenue and the old false-front stores. Up the hillsides and over in Greenbrae it's mostly family houses from later decades, and down by Larkspur Landing there are newer homes and townhouses. We do the same work next door in Corte Madera and a little farther along in Mill Valley, so the houses on this side of Marin feel like familiar ground.
My dad used to say an old house tells you its whole history once you pop the attic hatch, and in Larkspur that history usually comes in layers. That's why I look at the attic, the walls and the crawl space before suggesting anything, because a Victorian and a newer townhouse rarely need the same job.
What we do on Larkspur houses
Attic insulation
Older Larkspur attics often hold a few settled inches, so upstairs bakes in summer. We build the depth evenly to the edges and keep the eave vents clear.
Insulation removal
Insulation in a decades-old attic is often flattened, leak-stained or full of droppings. We take it out first, because fresh material over a mess keeps the mess.
Attic air sealing
Victorians and other drafty houses leak air at light fixtures, pipes and the attic hatch. We close those gaps so the insulation above isn't fighting a draft.
Wall insulation
Many early houses here were built with empty walls, so rooms feel chilly along the outside. We blow insulation into the walls through small holes and patch them.
Crawl space vapor barrier
Hillside houses often sit over damp dirt crawl spaces, and that moisture rises into cold floors. We seal a plastic barrier over the ground to keep it there.
Open-cell foam insulation
Plenty of ranch houses here run ducts through the attic, where floor insulation leaves them baking. We spray open-cell foam under the roof, so they're inside the insulation.
What Larkspur houses usually need
Age is the big one here. A lot of these houses have been through several owners and several rounds of insulation, so we find old batts buried under loose fill, deep piles in the middle and almost nothing at the edges, which is exactly backward. In the oldest houses we also look for knob-and-tube wiring, the early cloth-covered kind, since it shouldn't be buried under insulation until an electrician has checked it. Sometimes all a house needs is sealing and a top-up, and if your attic is in decent shape, I'll tell you it can wait.
Then there's the ground and the seasons. Houses set into the hills often sit over crawl spaces that stay damp, which you feel upstairs as cold floors all winter, while the room over the garage or a top floor under the roof usually bakes in summer. Your price mostly moves with how much old material has to come out, how hard the attic or crawl space is to reach and whether foam belongs in the plan, and the schedule turns on that removal and on any permit the job needs.
Get a free on-site insulation estimate for your Larkspur house
Send the form or call (707) 238-6044, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Larkspur house myself, look at the attic and crawl space and write the estimate, free and with no obligation. If you go ahead, our crew lead and installers do the work, and I walk through it with you at the end.
Larkspur insulation questions, answered
These are the questions we hear about insulating houses in Larkspur. If yours isn't here, call or send the form and I'll answer it for your house.
Do I need a permit to insulate my attic in Larkspur?
We find out for your job before we start, because the city's Building Department issues permits for work that alters, repairs or improves a building. When a permit is needed we handle it, and if the answer isn't clear, we ask the department before anyone climbs into your attic.
What licenses does an insulation contractor need to work in Larkspur?
A contractor needs a current Larkspur business license, which the city expects of every building contractor and subcontractor working there, incorporated Greenbrae included, and a permit won't issue until that license is current. The California Contractors State License Board licenses anyone who builds or alters a building in the state, and its license applies when the project requires a building permit, uses any additional workers, or the total cost, labor and materials, of one or more contracts on the project is $1,000 or more. We're licensed and fully insured, and it's fair to ask anyone you're comparing about both.
How do I find out who handles permits for a Greenbrae address?
Greenbrae addresses fall under either the City of Larkspur or the County of Marin for permits, so the first step is checking which one covers your house. We sort that out before we start, so any application goes to the right office the first time.
How long does it take to get a building permit in Larkspur?
The city says simple permits, such as a reroof or a furnace replacement, can generally be issued within 2 to 3 working days once it finds the submission complete. Once a permit is issued, work has to start within 180 days, and a project valued up to $100,000 has 12 months to finish. If your job needs a permit, we work that wait into the schedule.
How much does it cost to insulate an older house in Larkspur?
There's no set price, because older Larkspur houses vary so much that we price each one on site after looking at the attic and crawl space. Spray foam costs more since it seals air while it insulates, and unless your ducts live in the attic, sealing the gaps and topping up blown-in loose fill, insulation sent through a hose, usually gets you there for less. I'd rather point out what can wait than sell you work the house doesn't need.
How long do we have to stay out of the house after spray foam insulation?
You stay out until the foam maker's re-entry time, the wait before it's safe to come back, has passed, and we give you that number before the job so you can plan where the kids and pets go. Air sealing and blown-in loose fill usually don't need you out of the house at all, though we'll ask everyone to stay clear of the attic hatch while the crew works.
Insulation work, up close
Other cities we work in
If your city is listed, pick it to see how we work there, or just give us a call, since we work in plenty of cities around Petaluma.