Hub City of the South Plains

Spray Foam Insulation in Lubbock, TX

Attics, walls and shops insulated for a city that has seen 114F and -17F.

Free on-site estimates
Written quotes that name foam type, thickness and R-value
Attic ducts, roof leaks and old insulation checked before we spray

Insulating the Hub City

Spray Foam Insulation in Lubbock has to work in both directions. Wikipedia's climate table for the city lists a record high of 114F on June 27, 1994 and a record low of -17F on February 8, 1933, and a normal year brings about 13 afternoons at 100F or hotter plus about 7 inches of snow. The Weather Channel named Lubbock the Toughest Weather City in America in 2013. A house here has to keep heat out for months and hold it in on cold, windy mornings.

Lubbock's own energy code

The City of Lubbock adopted the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code with local amendments through Ordinance 2024-00031, which had its second reading in March 2024. The amended table lists R-38 for ceilings, R-13 for wood-frame walls and R-19 for floors, and ducts in attics must carry at least R-6. The ordinance also strikes the IECC's duct testing and duct leakage sections. That makes it worth asking how ducts will be sealed on a new home or remodel, since the code no longer requires them to be tested.

A large, mixed housing stock

The 2020 census counted 111,247 housing units in Lubbock, 9.6% of them vacant, with a homeowner vacancy rate of just 1.5%. The city was settled in 1889, became the county seat in 1891 and was incorporated in 1909, and its population roughly doubled between 1960 and 2020. That spread means one street can hold houses built under very different standards. Older homes often have shallow attic insulation and open chases; newer ones are tighter but still have ducts in a hot attic.

Wind and dust

Lubbock averages 12.4 mph of wind, among the ten highest averages of any U.S. city. Wind pushes outside air and fine dust through every gap in a house. Air sealing the attic floor, the top plates and the penetrations is what keeps that air out, and spray foam does it in the same layer that insulates.

Our usual plan in Lubbock

In most homes we start in the attic: seal the floor, check the ducts, and then either blow loose fill to ENERGY STAR's Zone 3 depth or move the insulation to the roofline with foam when the air handler lives up there. For shops and garages we use closed-cell on the steel. For flat commercial roofs we offer coated foam roofing.

Tell us about the hot rooms, the drafts or the dust, and we will put a plan and a price in writing. Get a free estimate or call (806) 630-0539.

Lubbock Climate, Code and Housing Facts

Heat and cold. Lubbock's 1991-2020 normals show July highs averaging 93.4F and January lows averaging 27.2F, with records of 114F and -17F (Wikipedia).
City energy code. Ordinance 2024-00031 adopted the 2021 IECC with local amendments: R-38 ceilings, R-13 wood-frame walls, R-19 floors and R-6 attic ducts.
Climate zone. OpenEI lists Lubbock County in Climate Zone 3B, where ENERGY STAR recommends R-49 for an uninsulated attic.
Housing stock. The 2020 census counted 111,247 housing units in the city, 9.6% vacant, with a 1.5% homeowner vacancy rate.
Wind. Average wind speed of 12.4 mph ranks Lubbock as the 10th-windiest city in the U.S. (Wikipedia).

Our Services in Lubbock, TX

Lubbock Questions

Does Lubbock require a permit for insulation work?

New construction and remodels that open walls or ceilings go through the city's building permit process, and the energy code applies to that work. Adding insulation to an existing attic is often simpler. Ask the city's building office about your specific project.

My upstairs is hot even with the AC running. Will foam help?

Often it will. Heat pushing through a thin attic floor and ducts sitting in a hot attic are the usual causes. Sealing and insulating the attic, or foaming the roofline when the ducts are up there, normally evens out the temperature.

What attic R-value should a Lubbock house have?

The city's code lists R-38 for new ceilings. ENERGY STAR recommends R-49 for an existing Zone 3 attic with no insulation, or adding R-38 where there are already 3 to 4 inches.

Free Estimates in Lubbock, TX

Free on-site estimates anywhere in Lubbock.

Call (806) 630-0539 Free Estimate