How Much Does It Cost To Spray Foam Rim Joists?

There are lots of reasons why you may want spray foam insulation in your basement rim joists. You may have plans to finish your basement, or you may want to keep your floors warmer in the winter. You may want to offset your energy costs with an airtight seal in this key area of your home. No matter the reason, you need to know how much spray foam in the rim joists will cost.

South Central Services has insulated hundreds of new and existing homes with spray foam. Around Mercersburg and Waynesboro, rim joist insulation is quite popular. Rim joist insulation is also one of the most affordable spray foam upgrades, simply due to the small size of the project.

By the end of this article, you will know:

• How much basement rim joist insulation can cost
• What factors drive the cost of rim joist insulation

How Expensive Is It To Install Spray Foam In Rim Joists?

Rim joist insulation, also known as basement band boards, is the least expensive spray foam upgrade available. Despite being a critical area where cold air can infiltrate a home, rim joists comprise a small portion of the basement. As far as square footage, band boards are a small area.

In a typical home in southern Pennsylvania, spray foam insulation in basement rim joists costs between $1,300 and $3,000.

What Drives The Cost Of Spray Foam For Basement Rim Joists?

The range between $1,300 and $3,000 is rather large. What about a basement takes the estimate from the lower end of the spectrum to the higher end?

There are two factors that drive the cost of rim joist spray foam.

1. Accessibility
2. Travel time

Let’s examine these in more detail.

1. Accessibility Can Influence The Cost Of Spray Foam For Rim Joists.

Spray foam contractors often install spray foam in hard-to-reach places. It is not uncommon for a contractor to crawl, stretch, or climb using ladders and lifts. Whatever it takes to reach the insulating area, contractors will make it happen.

Basements are commonly used for storage, and what may seem perfectly accessible to you as the homeowner may be a hurdle for an installer. Contractors must evaluate a basement's accessibility to determine how it may impact price.

Unfortunately, homeowners cannot know what an installer may need moved to reach the basement rim joists. You may be able to imagine the problems that may arise, but only the people who regularly install foam will know what will be in their way.

When you hire a professional installer, you pay for their labor and time. If the basement has accessibility challenges, the cost of rim joist insulation may be higher. The contractor must account for the time it takes to prepare the basement for spraying.

If the rim joists are harder to access, spray foam will be more expensive. Whether the installer is making the space accessible or working around those challenges, spray foam will take longer to spray.

2. Travel Time Can Impact The Price Of Spray Foam For Rim Joists.

Hiring a professional contractor means more than paying for someone's labor and expertise. Professional spray foam installers also have access to expensive equipment stored in their spray foam rig.

Contractors who want state-of-the-art equipment in their rig may spend $100,000 outfitting a box truck or trailer. This is a significant investment, but that equipment helps ensure the contractor delivers a safe and effective product. After that investment is made, the rig still costs money to operate, including gas, staffing, and electricity.

Between the investment itself and the fixed costs of running their rig, most contractors cannot justify traveling far for a job that will result in little profit. Given the fixed operating costs, it would take hundreds of rim joist jobs to see a return on investment for the equipment cost on that rig.

Rim joist insulation is one of the least expensive spray foam upgrades, which is excellent from the homeowners perspective. Knowing that a small improvement like spray foam in your rim joists can impact energy costs and comfort is wonderful.

However, rim joist insulation can be less rewarding from a contractor's perspective. If the home is far from the business, spray foam installers are likely to charge more for rim joist insulation just to cover the fixed costs of operating the rig.

The further a spray foam installer must travel to complete a small job like rim joists, the more likely travel time will influence the price.

The Bottom Line About The Cost Of Spray Foam For Rim Joists

Insulating your rim joists with spray foam is one of the most affordable spray foam upgrades. For typical homeowners in our service area, installing spray foam in the basement band boards will cost $3,000 at most.

How much spray foam in your rim joists will cost depends on factors you may not be able to control, such as your distance from the contractor and the design of your basement. However, you will know how expensive your project will be once you reach out to a qualified contractor.

Now that you know how much spray foam in the rim joists can cost, your next step is to:

• Determine if installing spray foam in the rim joists yourself will save money
• Learn about the benefits of insulating your rim joists with spray foam
• Discover the best insulations for basement walls and ceilings