Insulation contractor in Bellingham, WA - drafty houses sealed, then insulated
Thermal Bellingham Insulation Company is an insulation contractor in Bellingham, WA. We seal the gaps and insulate attics, walls, crawl spaces and basements in drafty and older houses, explaining what we find before anyone picks up a tool.
- The owner comes out I look at your attic or crawl space myself.
- Checks before anything else Old, soaked or dirty insulation gets looked at before new goes in.
- A plan in order Your written plan lists each step and why it comes there.
- Walk-through at the end I walk the finished job with you and show what's done.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Insulation contractor for Bellingham houses
Thermal Bellingham Insulation Company is an insulation contractor based in Bellingham, sealing and insulating houses across the city and out toward Sudden Valley. Most calls here come from drafty or older houses with a hot upstairs or cold floors, and many homes with a Bellingham address actually sit outside city limits.
Working in Bellingham: permits, contractors and price
Inside city limits, the City of Bellingham is the office that handles permits, and since a Bellingham address doesn't always mean you're inside those limits, your address is the first thing I sort out. Before we schedule the work, I check with the city or county office that covers your address and walk you through anything they need from us or from you. That check is usually what the start date waits on.
Two things are worth checking on any contractor you hire here. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the state, and any business working in Bellingham has to register through the state Department of Revenue, where the Bellingham city endorsement gets added to a state business license for $40.
The price moves with how many inches are already up there, whether the old material is clean or has to come out first, and how easy your attic, walls or crawl space are to get into. The schedule turns on that same removal step and on the permit check above. We do the same work in Ferndale and Sudden Valley, and your on-site estimate, with its written plan of each step in order, is where your own number comes from.
What we handle around Bellingham
- Topping up thin attics in older houses
- Removing soaked or droppings-filled old insulation
- Sealing the attic before adding insulation
- Insulating cold floors over crawl spaces
- Warming up the room over the garage
Insulation services for Bellingham houses
Most Bellingham houses we see need a few of these together, usually sealing first and insulating second, so think of the list below as the pieces your written plan is built from.
Spray foam insulation
If your ductwork runs through the attic, spray foam insulation seals and insulates the roofline at once, which loose fill can't.
Attic insulation
Thin attics in older Bellingham houses get attic insulation, starting with a count of the inches already up there.
Blown-in insulation
Blown-in insulation, loose fill blown through a hose, reaches the low corners by the eaves that are hardest to cover in these attics.
Home insulation
When a house is drafty top to bottom, home insulation puts the attic, walls and floors in one plan, in the right order.
Insulation removal
Soaked or droppings-filled material comes out first with insulation removal, because new insulation laid over it keeps the problem in the house.
Crawl space insulation
Cold floors are a common complaint over Bellingham crawl spaces, and crawl space insulation works on them from underneath.
Wall insulation
Walls in older houses here are often empty or slumped, so wall insulation fills them through small holes we patch afterward.
Air sealing services
In a leaky house, air sealing services, closing gaps before insulating, do more for the drafts than piling on depth.
Basement insulation
For finished or half-finished basements, basement insulation goes on the foundation walls, where the chill usually comes through.
Closed-cell foam insulation
Where a crawl space wall must stop moisture and heat, closed-cell foam insulation, a dense foam, handles both.
Open-cell foam insulation
Odd-shaped cavities under rooflines and in vaulted ceilings fill well with open-cell foam insulation, which also quiets sound between rooms.
Commercial insulation
Landlords and property managers around Bellingham call on us for commercial insulation in rentals and small commercial spaces.
Crawl space vapor barrier
A torn or missing ground cover lets moisture up from the dirt, and a crawl space vapor barrier closes it off.
Vapor barrier installation
When walls are open for a remodel, vapor barrier installation goes in before the drywall to keep moisture out of the framing.
Attic air sealing
Older Bellingham attics leak around chimneys, wiring and plumbing runs, so attic air sealing comes before any new insulation goes down.
Retrofit insulation
For houses that are finished and lived in, retrofit insulation adds what's missing without starting the walls or attic over.
What happens when you call us in Bellingham
From your first call to the final walk-through, the job runs in order, with the checks first and the insulation last.
Call or send a request
You call (360) 255-0276 or use the form, and I come out myself to look at the attic, walls, crawl space or basement with you.
Get your written plan
You get a written plan that lists each step in the order we'll do it, with the reason each one comes where it does.
Our installers do the work
Our installers follow the plan, sealing gaps before the insulation goes in. If the job needs you out of the house, the plan says so.
Walk through it together
I walk the finished job with you, attic hatch open if you like, so you see what was done and where.
Why Bellingham homeowners call our crew
You see it before we start
I show you what's in your attic or crawl space before any work, so you make the call knowing what's there.
Checks first, then insulation
Wet or dirty old material and open gaps get dealt with first, because new insulation over them just hides the problem.
Edges as deep as the middle
We fill out to the eaves and keep the vents clear, so the attic still breathes and the cold edges get covered.
Licensed and insured in Washington
We're licensed and fully insured, which matters because state law expects every construction contractor working on your house to carry insurance.
Get a written insulation plan for your Bellingham house
Tell us your address and what's bothering you, like a cold floor or a hot upstairs. You'll hear back from us within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Examples of insulation work
Look through these examples of attic, wall and crawl space insulation to get a feel for what each kind of job looks like.
Bellingham insulation questions, answered
These are the questions Bellingham homeowners ask us most about insulation, permits and contractors. If yours isn't here, call or send a request and ask about your own house.
Do I need a permit to add insulation to my house in Bellingham?
The city's permit lists don't settle that for insulation, so it's worth asking the city before work starts. Inside city limits, the online portal handles electrical, mechanical, plumbing, water heater, re-roof and sign permits, while building applications go by email to permits@cob.org, and the city's permit center is the place to ask.
How do I check that an insulation contractor is registered in Washington?
Look the contractor up with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, because every construction contractor in the state has to register there and be bonded and insured. Registration calls for a $30,000 bond for general contractors or $15,000 for specialty contractors, plus liability coverage of $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage, or $250,000 combined. The registration number should be on the contractor's ads and bids, and on any home job of $1,000 or more they have to give you a disclosure notice.
Which building codes apply to insulation work in Bellingham right now?
Inside city limits, Bellingham works from the 2021 codes, which took effect in the city on March 15, 2024. The state building code council says the 2024 codes take effect May 3, 2027, so work done before then falls under the 2021 set.
How much does attic insulation cost in Bellingham?
There's no honest number until I've seen your attic, because the price rides on what's already up there and what has to happen before new insulation goes in. Foam costs more and seals air while it insulates, but for most attics, sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill is the better buy unless your ductwork runs up there. Your on-site estimate is where your own figure comes from.
How long does insulation take, and when can we go back in the house?
With sealing and loose fill you can usually stay home while we work, and the time in the attic depends on its size and whether old material comes out first. Foam is different, because the foam maker sets a re-entry time, which is how long before people and pets can come back inside, and your written plan tells you whether you need to be out and for how long.
What causes a hot upstairs or cold floors in an older Bellingham house?
Most of the time it's air leaking through gaps around can lights, pipes and the attic hatch, plus insulation that's deep in the middle of the attic and thin at the edges. Cold floors usually point to the crawl space underneath, so I look up top and down below before suggesting anything.
Other cities we work in
If a city near you is listed below, its page covers our work there. If not, call and ask, since we work in the cities around Bellingham too.
Ask for an insulation estimate in Bellingham
We're open into the evening every day, including weekends, so call (360) 255-0276 or send the form when it suits you.