Spray Foam Insulation in Wilkes-Barre, PA

Spray Foam Insulation in Wilkes-Barre works on a city of older homes. Point2Homes data shows 38.8% of Wilkes-Barre homes built in 1939 or earlier, and 15.2% in the 1970s, after the flood. The city was founded in 1769, became a borough in 1806 and a city in 1869, and grew on anthracite to more than 86,000 people by 1930. The 2020 census counted 44,328 residents.

Agnes and the levee

Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972 pushed the Susquehanna to nearly 41 feet, four feet over the levees, and flooded downtown with nine feet of water. The city built a 41-foot levee system, finished in January 2003 at about $250 million, which held back later floods in 1996 and 2004. Many basements in older neighborhoods took water in 1972, and insulation that gets wet should come out.

Older homes

Pre-war houses need attic sealing, wall-top blocking, cellulose to depth, dense-pack walls and sill foam. Homes rebuilt or built in the 1970s usually need attic top-ups and rim joist foam.

Housing

The 2020 census counted 19,861 housing units, 13.1% vacant. About 59.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.

Code and zone

Pennsylvania's 2021 UCC took effect January 1, 2026. PHRC places Luzerne County in the Central zone, and OpenEI lists it in Zone 5A.

Costs

HomeGuide lists an average attic job at $1,000 to $2,700 and dense-pack walls at $1.60 to $4.20 per square foot. Your written estimate is the price.

Rebate

If PPL serves your home, its rebate form lists insulation at 75% of cost, up to $500 or $200 depending on heating type.

A typical Wilkes-Barre job

For a pre-war house, a common plan is: block the wall tops, seal the attic floor and chimney gap, blow cellulose to depth, dense-pack the walls and foam the sill and rim. For a 1970s house, it is usually attic top-up and rim joist foam.

Renovations

With more than one in eight housing units vacant, many Wilkes-Barre homes are being renovated. Insulating while walls are open is the cheapest time. Get a free estimate