Insulation Contractor in Novato, CA - Drafty Houses Sealed in the Right Order
Evergreen Petaluma Spray Foam Insulation is an insulation contractor working in Novato, CA. We clear out tired attic and crawl space insulation, seal the drafts and put in fresh insulation, in that order, so your house stays comfortable.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Insulating Novato houses, attic to crawl space
Novato is a short drive down Highway 101 from our base in Petaluma, and it's the first city in Marin we get to. The calls I get from there sound a lot like the ones from home: a drafty older house, a hot room over the garage, a power bill that seems too big for the size of the place, and now and then a property manager with a building to sort out. It's the same work we do up in Rohnert Park and around Petaluma, and I come out to look at every Novato job myself and write the estimate.
A lot of the houses we see in Novato are single-story homes with a low attic overhead and a crawl space underneath, so the job often happens in two tight spaces at once. That shapes how we work, because the hardest part of a shallow attic is the edges, where the roof comes down to meet the walls and insulation tends to end up thin.
Insulation work we do in Novato
Insulation removal
Old attic insulation in Novato houses is often flattened, damp or full of droppings. We pull it out first, so the fresh layer isn't sitting on the problem.
Attic air sealing
Drafty rooms usually trace back to gaps around can lights, pipes and the attic hatch. We seal those first, because insulation alone can't stop moving air.
Blown-in insulation
Blown-in insulation, loose fill blown through a hose, is how we top up most thin attics. We keep it full at the edges and the eave vents open.
Crawl space insulation
Cold floors in a single-story house usually mean a bare crawl space underneath. We check for damp first, then insulate the underside of the floor.
Spray foam insulation
A hot room over the garage often has a tight roof space or ductwork overhead. There we use spray foam, which seals air while it insulates.
Wall insulation
Some older Novato houses have empty exterior walls, which leaves rooms cold however full the attic is. We fill those walls through small holes and patch them afterward.
What Novato houses usually need first
In older houses, the insulation up there has usually been around a long time. It's often settled thin, packed flat where boxes sat, or been lived in by rats, and laying fresh material over a soaked or dirty layer just buries the problem. So I measure how many inches you've got, look for droppings, water stains and buried eave vents, and tell you straight whether it has to come out or can stay. If your attic can wait, I'll say so, because I'd rather tell you that than sell you work your house doesn't need.
The price and the schedule both turn on what's already up there and underneath: how many inches you have, whether old material has to come out first, how many gaps need sealing, and how easy the hatch and crawl space are to get through. A permit, when the city wants one, can add a step, and the estimate I write after looking at your house gives you your own number.
Get a free on-site insulation estimate for your Novato house
Send the form or call (707) 238-6044, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your Novato house, look at the attic and crawl space with you, and write a free estimate with no obligation to book. If you go ahead, our crew lead and installers do the work, and I check it with you at the end.
Novato insulation questions, answered
Here's what Novato homeowners ask me most about permits, cost and having the crew in. If your house raises a question that isn't here, call or send the form and ask.
Who issues building permits for insulation work in Novato?
The City of Novato's Building Division issues building permits, and it also reviews plans and does the field inspections. We find out what the city wants for each job and handle the permit when one is needed, so you're not sorting it out on your own.
Can I get an instant online permit for insulation in Novato?
Insulation isn't on the city's instant list, which covers like-for-like home projects such as water heater, HVAC and electrical panel replacements, reroofs, window and door replacements, and kitchen and bath remodels, and even those are issued only once the city confirms them. That list doesn't settle whether your insulation job needs a permit, so if we're not sure, we ask the Building Division before we start.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Novato?
You request it through the city's online portal, Novato Permits, and only after the permit has been issued. Whoever asks for the inspection has to be listed as a contact on that permit, so on jobs where we handle the permit, we take care of booking it too.
How much does it cost to insulate an attic in Novato?
Your price comes down to what's in your attic now and how much has to happen before fresh insulation goes in, which is why I give you a number only after I've been up there. Pulling out old, dirty material and sealing a lot of gaps add the most. Spray foam costs more than loose fill because it seals air while it insulates, but for most attics, sealing the gaps and topping up with loose fill is the better buy, unless your ductwork runs through the attic.
How long does attic insulation take, and do we have to leave the house?
Most of the time on site goes to pulling out old material and sealing gaps, so an attic that only needs a top-up goes faster, and I'll tell you how long we expect to be there when I write your estimate. With loose fill you can usually stay home, but spray foam has a re-entry time, the wait before it's safe to come back inside, and the kids and pets wait it out with you.
What should I check before hiring an insulation contractor in Novato?
Check that they hold a California contractor license and the business license the City of Novato requires for doing business there. New contractors usually have to pass the state's law and trade exams before they're licensed, so the license tells you someone has been tested. We're licensed and fully insured, and we work on one promise, "Your satisfaction, guaranteed."
Insulation work, up close
Other cities we work in
If a city near you has its own page, you'll find it here, and if yours doesn't, call or send the form and ask.