Spray foam goes on as a liquid and expands into cracks, so it seals air and insulates in one pass. We use it on rooflines, rim joists and tight spots where loose fill won't stay put.
Expert Insulation Contractor in San Rafael CA - Warmer rooms and a sealed attic
Comfort San Rafael Insulation Services handles attic insulation and air sealing in San Rafael and nearby cities like Novato and Mill Valley. We also remove old insulation you don't trust and insulate crawl spaces under older houses with cold floors.
Get a free in-person insulation estimate
We reply within one business day, and the estimate comes with no obligation. I come out myself, look over your attic, crawl space or walls, and write up what the house actually needs.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Insulation contractor services in San Rafael, CA
Price and schedule both turn on the size of the space, how hard it is to reach, what old material has to come out first and how much sealing it needs. Your written estimate puts a figure on your house.
Hot upstairs in summer or cold rooms in winter? The attic is usually where that starts, so we fix and seal it first, then add insulation evenly, as deep at the edges as in the middle.
Blown-in insulation is loose fill blown through a hose, so it settles around wiring and framing instead of leaving gaps. It's the usual way we top up an attic that already has a few inches up there.
Not sure where your house is losing heat? We look at the attic, walls and floors together and tell you which one is worth doing first.
When old insulation is ruined or in the way, we bag it, vacuum it out and leave a clean attic or crawl space. That gives the new material a fair start.
Cold floors in an older house usually trace back to an open crawl space underneath. We insulate under the floor so the rooms above stop pulling cold up through the boards.
Can you insulate walls that are already finished? In most houses we can fill them through small holes and patch them after, so nobody has to tear open a room.
Air sealing is closing the gaps around pipes, wires and lights before any insulation goes in. It's often the cheapest part of the job and the part that makes the rest of it work.
We insulate basement walls and rim joists, the wood band sitting on the foundation, so a basement you use stays closer in temperature to the rest of the house.
Closed-cell foam is dense foam that blocks moisture as well as air. We use it where water is a concern, and we'll tell you when a cheaper material would do the job.
Open-cell foam is softer and lighter than closed-cell and fills odd-shaped spaces well. It's a common pick for the roofline when ductwork runs through the attic and you want it on the warm side.
We insulate and seal small commercial buildings too. We plan the work around how the space is used so it doesn't shut you down longer than it has to.
A crawl space vapor barrier is a heavy plastic sheet laid over the dirt so ground moisture stays out of the framing and insulation above it. We lap the seams so water can't find a way around.
Where moisture moves through a wall, floor or ceiling, a vapor barrier keeps it from soaking the insulation. We'll tell you if your house needs one, because in the wrong spot it can trap water instead.
Still drafty upstairs after someone added insulation? The gaps underneath were probably never closed, so we pull the insulation back, seal around the hatch, lights and pipes, and lay it back down.
Retrofit insulation is insulation added to a house people already live in, which is the work this business was started for. We cover floors, keep dust contained and clean up before we go.
Why we fix the attic before we fill it
I spent my first years in the trade insulating new houses, where the walls are open and nobody's moved in yet. In 2023 I started Comfort San Rafael Insulation Services to work on lived-in homes, where the attic has old insulation, a few surprises and somebody's boxes in it. Most of our calls come from owners of older homes with cold rooms, high bills or insulation they don't trust.
New construction taught me how insulation is supposed to go in. Lived-in homes taught me that leaks and problems have to be dealt with first, or the new stuff doesn't do much. So we find what's wrong before we add anything, and I'd rather tell you your attic isn't ready than sell you a job that won't help. There's more about us if you want it.
The person who looks at your house is the person running the job, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the work. We're based in San Rafael and work across Marin and nearby, from Petaluma down to Strawberry and over to Richmond and Berkeley. If your city isn't on the site, call and ask.
City rules and older homes in San Rafael
Two city rules are worth knowing before you hire anyone for insulation work in San Rafael, and so is what we tend to find in the older houses here.
Permits go through the city
The city's Building Division issues permits for work that alters or repairs a building, and its list of exempt work names things like painting and carpeting, not insulation. So don't assume either way. When a job needs a permit we pull it and set up the inspection, and if it's unclear, I'll find out before we start.
A business license isn't a skill check
Most businesses working in San Rafael have to register for a city business license, even when their office is outside city limits. The city says that license is a tax and not proof the holder knows the work. When you compare contractors, ask what they found in your attic, not just whether they're registered.
Older attics need checking first
Many of our calls here come from older houses, and their attics tend to show the same things: gaps around can lights and pipes that were never sealed, eave vents buried under loose fill so the attic can't breathe, and insulation piled deep in the middle and thin at the edges. We fix those before adding anything.
How a job goes from call to cleanup
Here's what happens after you reach out, so you know who's coming, what they're looking at and when you'll have a number in hand.
- 1
Call or send a message
Call (628) 234-2144 any day from 8 AM to 9 PM, or use the form. Tell us what you're noticing, like a hot upstairs or cold floors, and we'll reply within one business day.
- 2
I inspect and write it up
I come out myself and get into the attic, crawl space or walls to look for anything that has to be fixed first. Then I write up a free estimate with no obligation, including what isn't worth doing.
- 3
We prep, seal and insulate
If you go ahead, we handle any permit the job needs. Our crew covers your floors, contains the dust, clears or seals what the estimate calls for and then insulates, with me on site running it.
- 4
Walk through the finished work
Before we leave, I walk you through what we did and what we found, and we clean up. If spray foam went in, we tell you when it's fine to bring the kids and pets back inside.
Insulation work up close
Examples of the trade's work, from blown-in attic floors to sealed crawl spaces and spray foam on rooflines, so you can see what each finish looks like.
Questions homeowners ask about insulation
How much does attic insulation cost in San Rafael?
It depends on your attic, so the real number comes from a free in-person estimate. Old insulation that has to come out, a lot of gaps to seal or a tight, hard-to-reach space all push the price up. Topping up an attic that's already in decent shape usually costs the least.
How long will the insulation crew be in my attic?
That depends on what we find, so I give you the schedule along with your estimate. A straight top-up of blown-in usually goes faster than a job where old insulation comes out first or a lot of sealing needs doing. A permit and its inspection can add time too.
Do I have to leave the house while you insulate?
For most blown-in and air sealing jobs, no, you can usually stay home. Spray foam is different, because you, the kids and pets stay out until the re-entry time, when it's safe to come back, has passed. We'll tell you that time before we start.
How do I get my attic ready for insulation?
Clear a path to the attic hatch or crawl space door, and move anything stored up there if you can. We cover the floors along the way and keep the dust contained, but boxes in the attic have to be out of the way before we can seal and insulate.
Can you put new insulation over old insulation?
Often yes, if the old layer is dry and clean. If it's been soaked or is full of droppings, it has to come out first, because new insulation on top keeps the problem in your attic. I check the old layer at the estimate and tell you which it is.
Is spray foam better than blown-in insulation for my attic?
Usually not worth the extra cost. Foam costs more and seals air while it insulates, but sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill does the job for less in most attics. Foam earns its price when your ductwork runs through the attic, and I'll tell you which camp yours is in.
Tell us what's going on in your attic
Call (628) 234-2144 or use our contact page to describe the cold rooms, high bills or old insulation you're dealing with, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit.