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Serving Burlington, VT and surrounding areas. (802) 307-1480
Your Burlington home can be properly insulated without a full renovation. We add blown-in, dense-pack, and foam insulation to existing attics, walls, and crawl spaces - stopping heat loss and cutting bills before another Vermont winter arrives.
Retrofit insulation in Burlington adds insulation to an existing home without tearing out walls or ceilings - most attic jobs finish in a single day, and projects that include walls or crawl spaces typically wrap up within one to three days depending on home size.
Burlington has one of the oldest housing stocks of any city in Vermont. A large share of homes in the Hill Section, the Old North End, and the South End were built before modern insulation standards existed - many with little or no wall insulation, and whatever was added later may have settled, degraded, or been installed incorrectly. If your home is more than 40 years old, there is a reasonable chance it has at least one area that is significantly under-insulated. Retrofit insulation addresses that without requiring a renovation. The attic is almost always the highest-priority area because that is where most heat loss happens first - and many Burlington homeowners combine attic work with whole-home insulation improvements to walls and crawl spaces in the same project.
If your gas or electric bill has been creeping up even though your habits have not changed, heat is escaping faster than your heating system can replace it. Burlington's heating season runs roughly October through April - that is a long stretch for under-insulated walls and attics to drain money every night. Insulation that was adequate 20 years ago may no longer be doing its job, especially in an older home where materials have had time to settle and compress.
In Burlington's older homes, it is common for a bedroom on an exterior corner, or a room above a garage, to feel noticeably colder than the rest of the house. This usually means the insulation in that area is thin, missing, or was never installed correctly. If you are piling on extra blankets in one room while the rest of the house feels fine, that space is worth investigating.
Hold your hand near an electrical outlet on an exterior wall on a cold Burlington day. If you feel a draft, warm air is escaping through the same gap in the other direction. This is a classic sign of missing or inadequate wall insulation combined with air leaks - exactly what retrofit insulation and air sealing are designed to fix together.
Ice dams - the ridges of ice that build up along the edge of your roof in January and February - are a direct symptom of heat escaping through your attic. They are common in Burlington's freeze-thaw winters and can cause serious water damage to ceilings and gutters. Adding insulation and sealing air leaks in the attic is the most effective long-term solution, far more reliable than removing the ice each year.
In most Burlington homes, the attic is where we start. Blown-in insulation - cellulose or fiberglass - is the most common method for attic floors. It is fast, effective, and can be installed over existing insulation without removing what is already there. We always do an air-sealing pass before blowing in material, because insulation on top of unsealed gaps underperforms from day one. Vermont's climate sits in a colder zone than most of the country, and the R-value your home needs is higher than what would be acceptable in Georgia or North Carolina - a contractor who recommends the same level for both is not giving you advice suited to Burlington.
For walls, we use dense-pack insulation - small holes drilled in the exterior siding, insulation blown in under pressure, and the holes patched and painted so the exterior looks the same. This technique works well in Burlington's pre-war balloon-frame homes and in postwar construction alike. For crawl spaces and basement rim joists, we use spray foam or rigid board depending on the specific conditions. We also work with homeowners on spray foam insulation projects where a particular space calls for the higher performance and air-sealing properties that foam provides. Before any quote, we walk through your attic, crawl space, and any other areas we plan to insulate - a contractor who gives you a firm price without looking is guessing.
Best for Burlington homes where the attic is accessible and the priority is bringing the insulation level up to Vermont climate standards quickly and affordably.
Suited for pre-war and mid-century Burlington homes with hollow or under-insulated wall cavities - filled without removing siding or interior drywall.
Ideal for Burlington homes where cold floors and high heating bills point to uninsulated below-grade spaces that have never been properly addressed.
For homeowners who want to address attic, walls, and crawl space together - maximizing Efficiency Vermont rebate eligibility and fixing every significant gap in one project.
Burlington averages around 155 days per year with temperatures below freezing, and heating season runs from October through April. That is a long stretch of time for heat to escape through under-insulated walls and attics. Homes here need higher insulation levels than the national average, which means the investment pays back faster - but cutting corners on insulation quality also costs more over time in Burlington than it would in a warmer state. The city's housing stock makes retrofit work both urgent and rewarding. Homes in the Old North End, the Hill Section, and the South End were built in eras when insulation was an afterthought, and many have never been properly upgraded. These homes have the most to gain - and they are exactly the kind of buildings we work in every week.
Efficiency Vermont - Vermont's dedicated energy efficiency utility - offers direct rebates for insulation upgrades that can meaningfully reduce project costs, and the Vermont Weatherization Assistance Program provides free service to income-qualifying households. Homeowners in Shelburne and Williston face the same climate conditions and the same rebate opportunities. A contractor familiar with these programs can help you access the money before work begins - not after. The U.S. Department of Energy provides R-value recommendations by climate zone, and Burlington sits in a zone that requires meaningfully higher insulation levels than most of the country.
We ask about your home's age, which areas concern you, and what you have been experiencing - drafts, ice dams, high bills. We reply within one business day. Burlington demand picks up in early fall, so scheduling earlier gives you more date flexibility before heating season peaks.
We walk through your attic, crawl space, and any other areas we plan to insulate - looking at what is already there, how accessible the space is, and whether moisture or ventilation issues need to be addressed first. This visit takes 30 to 60 minutes and ends with a written estimate. No obligation to decide on the spot.
We review what Efficiency Vermont rebates you qualify for and whether your project is eligible for the Vermont Weatherization Assistance Program. Some rebates require steps before work begins - we handle this conversation upfront so you do not miss money you are entitled to.
The crew sets up protective coverings, runs the equipment, and gets to work. Attic jobs finish in a single day. We clean up before leaving and walk you through what was done, confirm the finished insulation level, and provide any documentation needed for your rebate application.
Free written estimates, no obligation. We reply within one business day and help you navigate Efficiency Vermont rebates.
(802) 307-1480Retrofitting insulation into a 100-year-old Hill Section or Old North End home is not the same as insulating a new build. Irregular framing, finished attics, knee walls, and additions built in different decades all create challenges that require real experience. We know how to work around these quirks without cutting corners or damaging the character of the house.
We never add insulation over unsealed gaps. Air sealing is part of every attic project we quote - not an upsell. A contractor who skips this step gives you insulation that underperforms from day one. We include it because that is how you actually get the energy savings you are paying for.
We are familiar with Efficiency Vermont's rebate programs and help qualifying homeowners access them. Vermont is one of the few states with a dedicated energy efficiency utility - the money is available, and a contractor who knows the system helps you get it without paperwork headaches. We document the work correctly the first time so applications go through without delays.
We work across all 12 Burlington-area communities - from the South End and New North End to Shelburne, Williston, Milton, and beyond. Local jobs, local knowledge of Vermont's climate zone requirements, and no travel surcharges for the areas we cover every week.
Burlington's older homes have the most to gain from retrofit insulation - and the most to lose from another winter without it. We do this work because it makes a real difference in how comfortable and affordable these houses are to live in, and because a properly insulated Burlington home holds its value better than one that is losing heat through walls and attics that were never properly upgraded. The Building Performance Institute certifies contractors in home performance work - a credential worth looking for when you are evaluating quotes.
High-performance spray foam for rim joists, attic rooflines, and other spaces where maximum air sealing and insulation value are needed in a single application.
Learn moreA comprehensive look at insulating your Burlington home from top to bottom - covering every area and helping you prioritize where to start.
Learn moreFall scheduling fills quickly - call today for a free, no-pressure estimate and we'll walk you through every Efficiency Vermont rebate you qualify for.