Insulation removal in Tallahassee FL - a clean start for new insulation
Old insulation wet, matted or full of rodent mess? We take it out so new insulation goes onto a clean, sound attic.
- Services
- 16
- Service areas
- 4
Have us look at your old insulation
We look at what's up there in person and walk you through it before any number.
Request an estimateDoes my old insulation need to come out?
Insulation removal in Tallahassee is a full clear-out of the old insulation down to bare wood, so the new layer goes onto something clean and sound instead of on top of a problem.
Most calls start with an upstairs that won't cool down or a power bill that keeps creeping up, and plenty of times the attic shows why, with old insulation that's flattened, stained or full of droppings. Laying new attic insulation over that just buries the problem, so the first question is whether the old layer can stay. The price turns on how much is up there, how easy the attic is to move around in, what shape the material is in and what goes in after it. The schedule turns on that same access, on what we find once the old layer is up, and on whether your job needs a permit. I look at the space in person and go over what I found before you get a number, so you're not paying to clear out insulation that only needed a top-up.
How we handle insulation removal
I start by going up and looking, because what's up there decides the job. If the old insulation is wet, moldy, matted down or full of rodent mess, or if spray foam is going in, it comes out, and if it's just thin and otherwise fine, we can usually add to it and skip the removal. If I see anything that looks like vermiculite, we stop right there and point you to a specialist to test and handle it. When removal is the call, our crew clears the attic down to bare wood, and I look for whatever ruined the old layer, like a roof leak or a hole the critters use, because I'd rather tell you about it than cover it up again. No sense putting fresh hay in a barn with a hole in the roof. Before new material goes in, we do air sealing, closing the gaps around can lights, pipes and the hatch so the insulation isn't fighting a draft, and we keep the eave vents clear so the attic can still breathe.
Removal is usually the first half of a bigger fix. If your floors stay cold or the trouble started under the house, crawl space insulation may matter more than anything in the attic, and if you're opening up walls for a remodel, that's the easiest time to add wall insulation.
Insulation removal in Tallahassee, inside the city limits or out
Whether insulation removal in Tallahassee needs a permit depends partly on which side of the city limits your house sits on. Inside them, the City of Tallahassee requires permits for alterations, and outside them, building permits come from the Leon County Development Services Department. Removal on its own isn't spelled out either way, so we don't guess. We find out whether your address is in or out, check with the office that covers it, and handle the permit paperwork when the job needs one.
We're based in Tallahassee and work in the cities around it, and attics don't change much at the county line. We find the same tired, matted insulation and the same signs of critters on jobs in Bradfordville and Quincy, and we handle them the same way.
Why call us for insulation removal
I write every estimate myself
I come out to look at the attic myself and write the estimate, then our own crew does the work and I check it before we call it done. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Licensed and insured, city or county
We're licensed and insured. We work on both sides of the Tallahassee city limits, and we sort out whether the city or the county covers your address before the job starts, so you're not the one chasing it.
In business since 2017
I grew up on a farm where you fixed what broke, and I learned insulation on other people's crews before starting this business in 2017. Nine years in, I'd still rather show you a soaked spot than sell you more material.
- Phone
- (850) 222-9906
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
- Location
- Tallahassee, FL 32301
The most important thing on this job is knowing what's under the old layer before anything new covers it. Call (850) 222-9906 or send us a request and I'll come take a look.
Get an in-person look at your old insulation
Estimates are free and done at your home, with no pressure and no obligation. We reply within one business day to set a time, then I come out, look at the space and go over what I found before you get a number. It helps to tell us what you've noticed up there and whether your house is inside the city limits.
- Phone
- (850) 222-9906
- Location
- Tallahassee, FL 32301
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
- Credentials
- Licensed and insured.
Frequently asked questions
How much does insulation removal cost in Tallahassee?
The cost comes down to how much old material is in your attic, how easy it is to get around up there, and what shape it's in. Wet, moldy or rodent-fouled insulation takes more care to pull out than dry, flattened stuff, and whatever goes in afterward is part of the total. I'd rather give you a real number after I've seen the attic than guess at one.
Should I remove my old insulation or just add more on top?
Add more if the old insulation is clean, dry and in one piece but just thin, and replace it if it's been wet, shows mold, is crushed and tunneled, or has rodent mess in it. That's how one contractor's guide puts it, and it also says age alone is no reason to tear insulation out. It lines up with how we work, so condition decides whether removal is worth paying for.
How do I tell if my attic has vermiculite insulation?
Vermiculite is a loose, pebble-like insulation that was poured in, usually gray-brown or silver-gold. The EPA says disturbing it, even during a contractor's attic work, may spread fibers into other parts of the house, and it advises bringing in a professional asbestos contractor before any remodeling that would disturb it. If you're not sure what you're looking at, leave it alone and I'll tell you what I see at the estimate.
Who should remove vermiculite insulation in Tallahassee?
A trained and accredited asbestos abatement contractor should do it, according to the EPA, and that should be a different company from the one that assessed the insulation. So you'd hire one firm to check it and another to take it out, which is why we stop and send you to a specialist. EPA's older, archived guidance said the crew seals the work area off from the rest of the house with plastic sheeting and duct tape and shuts off the heat and air, so it's fair to ask how they'll seal things before they start.
Do I have to take out old insulation before spray foam?
Yes, the old insulation comes out first, because spray foam needs bare wood to bond to, as one contractor puts it, so plan for removal as part of any foam job. Foam costs more and seals air while it insulates. In most attics, sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill does the job for less, but if your ductwork runs through the attic, foam is often worth it.
How do I find out if I need a permit for insulation removal in Tallahassee?
Call the city's Building Inspection Division at 850-891-7001 if you're inside city limits, or the county's Development Services Department at 850-606-1300 if you're outside them. Alterations in the city usually follow their own permit process, so it's worth asking which one your job falls under. If we're doing the work, that call is ours to make.
Work that often follows a removal
Crawl space insulation
If your floors run cold or the space under the house stays damp, the fix may be down there rather than up in the attic.
Wall insulation
When a remodel opens up exterior walls, it's a good time to fill the ones that never got enough insulation.