Spray foam insulation
Spray foam seals and insulates in one pass, so it fits rooflines, rim joists and odd framing where loose fill won't stay put. It costs more, so we use it where it earns that.
Insulation Contractor in Novato, CA - Sealed Attics and Warmer Rooms
Comfort San Rafael Insulation Services is an insulation contractor working in Novato, CA. We insulate attics, walls and crawl spaces, seal the drafty gaps, and clear out old insulation you don't trust.
Comfort San Rafael Insulation Services is an insulation contractor based in San Rafael, CA, and we insulate attics, walls, floors and crawl spaces in Novato. We also do air sealing, closing the gaps before any insulation goes in, plus old insulation removal and vapor barriers. I look at every job myself, and our crew does the work with me on site.
Insulation for Novato homes people already live in
Novato calls sound a lot like the ones we get in San Rafael. A bedroom over the garage that never warms up, an upstairs that's hot by afternoon, cold floors over the crawl space, a power bill that keeps creeping up. Most come from owners of older homes with insulation they don't trust, and in a lived-in house the attic usually holds a few surprises and somebody's boxes.
Before I write anything down, I check how many inches are already up there, whether the old layer has been soaked or is full of droppings, and where air leaks around can lights, pipes and the hatch. New insulation laid over a bad layer keeps the problem in your house, and insulation over open gaps just ends up fighting a draft.
- Based in
- San Rafael, CA 94901
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Insulation work we do in Novato homes
Attic insulation
Most calls start in the attic. We check what's up there, deal with leaks and bad spots first, then bring coverage up evenly, out to the edges and not just piled in the middle.
Blown-in insulation
Blown-in insulation is loose fill we blow in through a hose, so it reaches around joists and wiring in an existing attic. We keep it off the eave vents so the attic still breathes.
Home insulation
When several rooms feel off, we look at the whole house, from the attic to the walls to the floor over the crawl space, and tell you which part is worth doing first.
Insulation removal
If the old insulation is soaked, matted or full of droppings, we vacuum it out before anything new goes in, because fresh material on top just keeps the problem in the house.
Crawl space insulation
Cold floors usually point down, not up. We insulate the floor above the crawl space and seal the openings so the rooms over it stop pulling chill from below.
Wall insulation
Walls in older houses are often empty or close to it. We fill closed walls through small holes we patch afterward, or insulate open walls while a remodel has them exposed.
Air sealing services
Drafty rooms usually trace back to gaps around pipes, wires, can lights and the attic hatch. Sealing them is often the best value in the whole job, and we do it before adding insulation.
Basement insulation
For a basement or lower level, we insulate the walls and the rim joist, the framing that sits on the foundation, so that space stops being the cold corner of the house.
Closed-cell foam insulation
Closed-cell foam is dense foam that also blocks moisture, so it suits rim joists, crawl space walls and spots near damp ground. It's the priciest option, and we say so up front.
Open-cell foam insulation
Open-cell foam is lighter and softer and seals air well under a roof deck, which helps when ductwork runs through the attic. It usually costs less than closed-cell for the same space.
Commercial insulation
For offices, shops and small buildings in Novato, we insulate and air seal around how the space gets used, and plan the work so your business can keep running around us where it can.
Crawl space vapor barrier
A crawl space vapor barrier is a heavy plastic sheet over the dirt that keeps ground moisture away from framing and insulation. We overlap and tape the seams so it actually stays sealed.
Vapor barrier installation
Beyond the crawl space, we put vapor barriers where a wall, floor or ceiling needs one to keep moisture out of the insulation, and leave them out where they'd trap it instead.
Attic air sealing
Before we add a single inch, we seal the attic floor around can lights, plumbing stacks, wire holes and the hatch, so warm air stops escaping and the new insulation isn't fighting a draft.
Retrofit insulation
Retrofit work means adding insulation to a finished house without tearing it apart. It's the kind of job we're set up for, working around your boxes, wiring and whatever's already up there.
Get a free insulation estimate for your Novato home
Send us a few lines about the house and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Novato home myself and look at the space before I put anything on paper. The estimate is free, and there's no obligation.
(628) 234-2144Working in Novato: permits, licenses and pricing
Building permits in Novato come from the city's Building Division, which reviews plans and handles field inspections. Whether an insulation job needs a permit is the division's call, and I find out before we start. When one's needed, we pull it and set up the inspection, and since an inspection can only be booked once the permit is issued, that comes first on the schedule.
Two things are worth checking on any contractor. California licenses contractors through the state licensing board, and first-time applicants generally have to pass its law and trade exams, so ask for the license number and check it with the board. Novato also requires anyone doing business in the city to hold its business license. We're licensed and insured, and we expect you to ask.
We're based in San Rafael and work in Novato the same way we do up in Petaluma. Price mostly turns on what's in your attic now, whether old material has to come out, how many gaps need sealing, and foam versus loose fill. Cleanup, any permit and, for foam, a wait before you can go back inside set the schedule. My estimate, written after I've seen the space, gives you your figure.
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 lives there yet. That's where I learned how insulation is supposed to go in. Lived-in homes taught me the rest, that leaks and bad old material have to be handled first or the new stuff doesn't do much. I started this business in 2023 to do it in that order.
I come out myself to look at the space and write the estimate, and I'm on site running the crew during the install, so the person who walked your attic is the one watching the work go in. We're licensed and insured, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Some attics aren't ready for more insulation because they need sealing or cleanup first, and I'll tell you if yours is one. Call (628) 234-2144 or use our estimate form to set up a visit.
Local details that shape an insulation job in Novato
Some of this is about how Novato handles permits and city questions. The rest is what we find in attics around here, and both change how a job goes.
City offices in one place
Novato's city offices are at 922 Machin Avenue, and the main line is 415.899.8900. The city invites applicants to meet permitting, planning, building, public works and code enforcement staff in the same place, along with Novato Fire, North Marin Water and Novato Sanitary District. If insulation is one part of a bigger remodel, that's the easiest spot to sort out questions that cross departments.
Online permits need an account
Novato takes permit applications through its online portal, and you need a Novato Permits account before you can apply there. If you're handling other parts of a project yourself, set that account up early so it doesn't hold anything up later. On permits we pull for insulation work, we handle the application and the inspection request ourselves.
Ductwork in the attic
Foam seals air while it insulates, and it costs more. In most attics, sealing the gaps and topping up with loose fill does the job for less money. When the heating and cooling ducts run through the attic, foam under the roof brings them inside the insulated space, and that's when I'll tell you the extra cost is worth a look.
Eave vents and thin edges
Two mistakes show up in attics again and again. Insulation gets packed over the eave vents, the openings at the roof edge that let the attic breathe, and moisture starts showing in the framing. Or coverage piles up in the middle and runs thin at the edges, which is backward. We set baffles, short channels that hold the vent path open, and bring the edges up to full depth.
Novato insulation questions we get asked
How much does attic insulation cost in Novato?
There's no honest number until I've seen the attic, because the price depends on what's up there now and what has to happen before new material goes in. Hauling out soaked or dirty insulation and sealing a lot of gaps add to it, and foam costs more than loose fill. The attic insulation estimate is free and done at your house.
Can I get an instant permit for insulation in Novato?
Insulation isn't on Novato's instant permit list, which covers like-for-like home work such as reroofs, water heaters, HVAC, electrical panels, windows, doors and kitchen or bath remodels, with the city confirming before it issues. That list doesn't tell you whether an insulation job needs a regular permit, so I check before we start, and when one's needed we pull it.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Novato?
Inspection requests go through the city's Novato Permits portal, and whoever asks has to be a listed contact on that permit record. On permits we pull, we book the inspection and plan the work around it. If you pulled a permit yourself for other work, you'd request its inspection from your own account.
What do I need to do before the insulation crew comes?
Clear what you can from the attic or crawl space and the path to the hatch, because the crew needs room to move and a clear floor to work on. Boxes stored up there usually have to come down anyway. Tell me about pets at the estimate, since some work means keeping doors closed, and I'll go over anything specific to your house.
How long will the insulation crew be in my attic?
A clean attic that only needs sealing and a top-up is the quickest kind of job, while removal, heavy sealing or foam add time. I can't give you a real plan until I've seen the space, so the schedule comes with the estimate, and I'm on site running the crew the whole way through.
Do we have to leave the house during spray foam insulation?
For spray foam, yes, everyone including kids and pets stays out until the re-entry time, the wait before you can come back inside, has passed. I give you the hours for the product we're using before we book the job. With blown-in insulation and air sealing, most families stay home and just keep clear of the work area.
Book a free look at your Novato attic
We answer seven days a week from 8 AM to 9 PM, so you can call (628) 234-2144 after work or send the estimate form whenever it suits you.