Anyone out there have any experience in insulation contracting? Someone linked a site to “tigerfoam” and got me thinking about a niche business in retrofit insulation. Is there much money in it? I would think as the cost of energy rises, more and more people will have a need for this service. Can someone make a decent living doing this type of work? Anyone know what the initial capital investment would be? With heating prices expecting to double, and no reduction in site, is this a growth business?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Performance improvements for the prized homes of an influential developer who wanted us all to be able to own one.
Featured Video
Highlights
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
- Home Group
- Antique Trader
- Arts & Crafts Homes
- Bank Note Reporter
- Cabin Life
- Cuisine at Home
- Fine Gardening
- Fine Woodworking
- Green Building Advisor
- Garden Gate
- Horticulture
- Keep Craft Alive
- Log Home Living
- Military Trader/Vehicles
- Numismatic News
- Numismaster
- Old Cars Weekly
- Old House Journal
- Period Homes
- Popular Woodworking
- Script
- ShopNotes
- Sports Collectors Digest
- Threads
- Timber Home Living
- Traditional Building
- Woodsmith
- World Coin News
- Writer's Digest
Replies
I'm not telling you anything until you fill in your profile so I know you aren't in my same market.
nah - I don't know the capital or demand, but there is no one for 50 miles that sprays foam. In fact, I'd be your first job if you want to make the leap. It sounds like cool stuff to work with, but unless you can match the costs of the fiberglass guys, you'd have a smaller market. I hope its changing, but most folks I meet are either uneducated about the benefits, or let the short term$$ economics make the decision.
The outfit that does my insulating is the just about the only game around. They have done blown-in for me and it sure ain't cheap, but it is easy and they git'er done. They also do some other things--seamless gutters, ground cover in crawl spaces, a few more specialty things I'm forgetting right now.
I talked with the rep about spray foam and they do not do that after having some concern about health issues with the material. Since they are a large national corporation (Masco is the parent corp.) I assume they have some good intel on this but I didn't dig deeper.
Anyway, I'd look into the cost of a blow machine (mounted in a large truck) and see what the competition is like. You can knock out a lot of work quickly. Insulation material is volatile in price (my sub has tried to have me sign a cost escalation clause) but the demand will not be coming down and few companies do it, at least in the markets I've been in. I would look also for some other areas you can work in for the same clients.
On the island I live with some 10,000 souls, the ins'n guy is booked 3 months ahead. Last job he did for me with blown-in took him an hour and cost $1500. I'll call him up, like my competitors do, for all ins and VB work - I hate lying on my back in crawl spaces. Oh, and his rig looks like an old farm baler about 40 years old, no doubt 3rd hand.
So, I'd say - yes, check it out.
All the best...
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.