Insulation Contractor in San Rafael - Warmer Floors, Cooler Upstairs
Evergreen Petaluma Spray Foam Insulation is an insulation contractor from Petaluma, CA, working in San Rafael homes and buildings. We seal drafts, top up thin attics, insulate crawl spaces and clear out spoiled old insulation.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Insulating older San Rafael houses
The city calls itself the economic heart of Marin County, and downtown shows it, with offices and shops packed close and neighborhoods of older houses spread up the hills around them. We come down from Petaluma past Novato, and we do the same work here that we do next door in Larkspur or over in Napa.
Most of the calls we get are about older, drafty houses, and plenty of San Rafael's fit that, with attics topped up a few times over the years and crawl spaces nobody's looked at in a while. The price moves with how much space there is, how many inches are already up there and whether old material has to come out first, and the schedule turns on that same cleanup plus any permit the city wants. I look at all of it in person and write the estimate, so you get the number for your own house, not a guess over the phone.
Insulation work we do in San Rafael
Attic insulation
Older attics here often hold a few thin, settled inches, so the upstairs runs hot. We measure what's there and top it up evenly, edges included.
Attic air sealing
Drafty rooms upstairs usually trace back to air leaking into the attic, not missing insulation. We find those leaks and seal them before anything else goes in.
Insulation removal
Old attic insulation that got wet or full of rodent droppings won't improve with more piled on top. We pull it out, clean up and start fresh.
Crawl space insulation
Cold floors usually mean the crawl space below is bare or its insulation has sagged loose. Our crawl space insulation work fits it back snug under the floor.
Wall insulation
Some older houses here have empty walls, which is why one room never warms up. We fill those cavities through small holes and patch them after.
Commercial insulation
San Rafael mixes homes with offices and shops, and property managers call when tenants complain about hot or cold suites. We fix the building in the right order.
What older San Rafael houses need
Most older houses here got insulated a little at a time, a few inches in one decade and a roll of batts in another, and nobody sealed the gaps underneath. My dad used to say insulation over a hole is a sweater with the zipper down, so we close up the leaks before we add anything, because R-value, how well insulation slows heat, only counts when air isn't pushing through it.
Under the eaves, the vents that let the attic breathe get buried when someone blows insulation in without baffles, which are short chutes that hold it back. A buried vent traps moisture, and you see it later as dark stains in the framing, so we keep those vents open and check for wet spots before anything new goes in.
Get a free on-site insulation estimate for your San Rafael 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 San Rafael house, look at the attic and crawl space with you, and write a free estimate with no obligation. If you go ahead, our crew lead and installers do the work, and I check it with you at the end.
San Rafael insulation questions
Here's what San Rafael homeowners ask me most about permits, cost and how long we'll be up in the attic. If your house isn't covered here, call and ask about your own job.
Do I need a permit to insulate my house in San Rafael?
The city's Building Safety Division is the office that decides, since it issues permits for work that alters or repairs a building. An older city handout lists exempt work like painting, tiling and carpeting, and it doesn't settle insulation either way. We find out what the city wants for your job and handle the permit when one's needed, and if we're not sure, we ask the city before we start.
Does a contractor from outside San Rafael need a city business license?
Yes, San Rafael requires most businesses working inside city limits to register for a city business license, even when their office is somewhere else. The city is clear that the license is a tax, not proof the holder is qualified, so ask any contractor about licensing and insurance too. We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm happy to go over it when I come out.
How much does insulation cost for a San Rafael house?
The cost comes down to the size of your attic or crawl space, what's already in it and how much prep it needs before new insulation goes in. Pulling out soaked or dirty material, sealing a lot of gaps and squeezing into a low, tight attic all add to it, and choosing foam over blown-in, which is loose fill blown through a hose, costs more. I'll measure what's there and write it up, so you know your number before anything starts.
How long does attic insulation take, and do we have to leave the house?
How long our crew is in your attic depends on its size, how much old material comes out and how many gaps need sealing, and I'll give you a straight idea at the estimate. With blown-in, you usually don't have to leave. Spray foam is different because it has a re-entry time, the wait before kids and pets can come back inside, and we'll tell you what the foam maker calls for before we start.
What causes cold floors and a hot upstairs in older San Rafael houses?
Usually it's moving air more than missing insulation. Warm air slips up through gaps into the attic, and cold air comes in under floors where the crawl space is bare, so we seal first and check underneath before adding anything.
Is spray foam worth it for an older San Rafael attic?
Usually not for the whole attic, unless your ductwork runs up there. Foam costs more and seals air while it insulates, but sealing the gaps and topping up blown-in usually gets you there for less. Our name says spray foam, and I'd still rather tell you when you don't need it.
Insulation work, up close
Other cities we work in
Pick a city from the list to see what we run into there, or call us about a house that isn't listed.