Spray Foam Insulation in Scranton, PA

Spray Foam Insulation in Scranton works mostly on old houses. Census estimates compiled by Point2Homes show 51.8% of the city's homes were built in 1939 or earlier, another 10.5% in the 1940s and 10.1% in the 1950s. Only about 3.2% date from the 1990s and 2.5% from the 2000s. That is one of the oldest housing stocks in the state.

Why so old

Scranton grew fast on iron, steel, railroads and anthracite coal. It became a borough in 1856 and a city in 1866, and its population peaked at 143,433 in 1930. After World War II, coal demand fell, and the 1959 Knox Mine disaster effectively ended mining in the region. The population fell to 76,089 by 2010, and very little new housing was built. The 2020 census counted 76,328 residents.

What these houses need

Tall wood-frame houses and double-blocks from the boom years tend to share the same problems: balloon-framed walls with open cavities from basement to attic, empty or near-empty exterior walls, attics with a few inches of old fill, and a wood sill on a stone or brick foundation with gaps all around. A full plan usually includes blocking the wall tops and attic bypasses, blowing cellulose to depth, dense-packing walls and foaming the sill and rim.

Snow and cold

The 1991-2020 normals for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport show about 45.1 inches of snow a year, with the first measurable snow around November 14 and the last around March 31. January's average low is about 20.3F, and the record is -21F. The city sits in the Lackawanna River valley with ridges of 1,900 to 2,100 feet on either side.

Owners and renters

About 49.9% of occupied homes in Scranton are owner-occupied. Landlords with older rentals often insulate to cut complaints and heating costs, and owners do it for comfort.

Code and zone

Pennsylvania's 2021 UCC took effect statewide on January 1, 2026. PHRC places Lackawanna County in the state's Central zone, and OpenEI lists it in Zone 5A. For an uninsulated attic, the Department of Energy recommends R-60 in Zone 5.

Typical costs

HomeGuide puts an average attic job at $1,000 to $2,700, rim joist foam at $2,000 to $2,500 and dense-pack walls at $1.60 to $4.20 per square foot. Older houses often need more air sealing. Your written estimate is the price.

PPL rebate

If PPL serves your home, its rebate form for June 2026 through May 2031 lists attic, wall, basement wall and rim joist insulation at 75% of cost, up to $500 or $200 depending on how the home is heated. Get a free estimate