Spray Foam Insulation in New Orleans, LA

Spray foam insulation in New Orleans has to handle a long, sticky cooling season and a housing stock unlike any other American city. Wikipedia's airport normals show about 63 inches of rain a year and fewer than eight nights a year with a freeze, and the airport set a record high of 105F on August 27, 2023. Air conditioning runs most of the year, and humid air pushes into any gap it can find. We are spray foam insulation contractors who seal those gaps and insulate the attic, the floor and the walls with whatever material fits each space best.

How New Orleans houses lose comfort

Wikipedia names shotgun houses, bungalows and Creole cottages among the city's signature styles. Many of them sit a few feet off the ground on brick piers, with air moving freely under the floor. They have tall ceilings, thin or empty walls, and attics that were never meant to be insulated. Post-war ranches in the suburbs have the opposite problem: the floor is a slab, but the air handler and ducts sit in an attic that bakes above 130F in summer. Homes raised high after 2005 have an entire floor exposed to the outside on the underside. Each needs a different plan, and the plan starts with looking.

What the code asks

Louisiana uses the 2021 International Residential Code and treats the whole state as climate zone 2 for energy. The Insulation Institute's summary lists R-38 for ceilings and R-13 for wood-frame walls. For existing homes, the Department of Energy suggests R-49 to R-60 in an uninsulated zone 2 attic, R-38 to R-49 more on top of 3 to 4 inches, and R-13 for an uninsulated floor. Many older New Orleans homes have far less, and some have nothing at all in the floor or walls.

Closed cell vs open cell

HomeGuide lists open-cell foam at about R-3.5 to R-3.7 per inch and closed-cell at about R-5 to R-7. Open-cell is soft, expands a lot and is the usual pick under roof decks to seal an attic. Closed-cell is dense, slows vapor and does not soak up water, so it is the pick for the underside of raised floors, the lower parts of walls and anywhere flood water could reach. On a raised house, closed-cell foam under the floor seals the drafts coming up through the boards and keeps the framing from collecting moisture.

Low ground and storm history

A 2016 study cited on Wikipedia found about 65% of New Orleans at or below mean sea level, and Katrina flooded more than 80% of the city in 2005. Insulation that has been soaked loses most of its value and holds water against wood. If your house took on water or had a roof leak in a hurricane, we check for wet or missing insulation in the floor, the lower walls and the attic, and replace what needs it.

Termites

LSU AgCenter calls the Formosan termite the most destructive insect in Louisiana, and the New Orleans area is in the heart of its range. Foam can hide termite tubes, so we leave inspection strips open on pier caps and foundation edges and suggest you tell your pest control company about any foam work under the house.

Spray foam insulation cost

HomeGuide's 2026 guide puts installed spray foam at $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot: about $1.50 to $3.50 for open-cell and $3.00 to $5.00 for closed-cell. About 1,000 square feet costs $1,500 to $5,000, and many spray foam insulation companies have a job minimum of $1,000 to $2,000 or more. Fixr lists foam in existing walls at $3.15 to $7.50 per square foot. These are national ranges; access, thickness, prep and removal of old material set your price, and what you pay is the number on the written estimate.

Choosing insulation contractors

When you call insulation contractors or search for spray foam insulation near me, ask each one the same things. What will you seal first? Which foam goes where, at what thickness and R-value? How will you handle the vents if you seal the attic? What about the space under the floor? How long should we stay out after spraying? HomeGuide's guidance is at least 24 hours. We answer every one of those in writing.

Energy Smart

Entergy's Energy Smart program in New Orleans offers home energy assessments, and its page says assessed homeowners can get instant discounts or free weatherization on recommended follow-up work, with extra help for income-eligible households at or below 80% of area median income. Check the current rules with Energy Smart before you book.

We work across New Orleans and the suburbs: Metairie, Kenner, Harahan, River Ridge and Jefferson on the east bank of Jefferson Parish; Gretna, Terrytown, Harvey, Marrero and Westwego on the West Bank; Belle Chasse in Plaquemines; Chalmette and Arabi in St. Bernard; Destrehan in St. Charles; and Slidell across the lake. Older parts of the city and the river towns have more raised homes on piers with open space under the floor. The suburbs built in the 1950s through the 1970s are mostly slab ranches with ducts in hot attics. Areas rebuilt after 2005 have more homes raised high, with a whole floor exposed underneath.