Spray Foam Insulation in Lawrence, KS

Spray foam insulation in Lawrence often starts with an old house. Quantrill's raiders burned most of Lawrence's houses and businesses on August 21, 1863, and the town rebuilt in the years that followed, so the neighborhoods near downtown hold some of the oldest homes in Kansas. Several, including Old West Lawrence, Oread, Hancock and Breezedale, are on the National Register of Historic Places. Lawrence weather swings hard too: Wikipedia lists records of 114F and -25F. We seal and insulate these houses, and newer ones across the west side, with closed-cell or open-cell spray foam where it pays and blown-in cellulose or fiberglass where that works for less.

Lawrence's energy code

Douglas County is in IECC climate zone 4A. The City of Lawrence adopted the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code by Ordinance 9632, with a local insulation table that lists R-49 ceilings, R-19 or R-13 plus R-2 continuous for wood-frame walls, R-19 floors and R-10 continuous or R-13 cavity for basement walls in zone 4. The ordinance also requires conditioned basement walls to be insulated down to 10 feet below grade or to the basement floor. For existing homes, ENERGY STAR recommends R-60 for a zone 4A attic starting from nothing and R-49 added over 3 to 4 inches.

What older Lawrence houses need

Homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s usually have plaster walls with empty cavities, balloon framing that lets air run from the basement to the attic, stone or brick foundations, and attics with a few inches of old insulation, if any. Dense-pack cellulose fills the walls through small holes without removing plaster. Closed-cell foam seals the rim and the top of the foundation. In the attic we seal the bypasses, block the balloon-frame openings and blow to depth. Before covering anything, we look for knob-and-tube wiring, which should be evaluated by an electrician first.

Newer homes and rentals

The 2020 census counted 43,421 housing units in Lawrence. With the University of Kansas as the city's largest employer, many of them are rentals. For landlords, sealing and blowing the attic and foaming the rim are practical upgrades tenants notice. For owners in newer homes west of Iowa Street, the usual targets are bonus rooms, recessed lights and rim joists.

Closed cell vs open cell

Closed-cell foam, about R-5 to R-7 per inch according to HomeGuide, slows vapor and does not soak up water; it belongs on rims, basement and crawl space walls, and metal buildings. Open-cell, about R-3.5 to R-3.7 per inch, is lighter and less expensive per inch, and works in walls and roof decks with the vapor side handled. In an open attic, sealing plus loose fill is usually the better buy.

Barns, shops and acreage

Outside town, Douglas, Jefferson and Leavenworth counties have plenty of pole barns, machine sheds and shops. Closed-cell foam on steel holds heat and stops condensation drip.

Questions to ask insulation contractors

When you compare spray foam insulation contractors and insulation companies around Lawrence, ask what they seal before insulating, how they handle balloon framing and old wiring, which foam goes where, what R-value each area gets, how long you stay out after spraying (HomeGuide advises at least 24 hours), and what happens to old insulation. Our quotes answer each one.

Spray foam insulation cost

HomeGuide's 2026 guide lists installed spray foam at $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot, with open-cell at $1.50 to $3.50 and closed-cell at $3.00 to $5.00. Dense-pack cellulose in walls runs $1.60 to $4.20 per square foot, and rim joist foam about $2,000 to $2,500 for a typical house. Whole-house foam runs $8,000 to $20,000. We measure first, and your written estimate is the price.

Evergy rebates

If Evergy is your electric provider, its Kansas rebate chart lists $0.15 per square foot for R-38 ceiling insulation up to $500, $0.04 per square foot for air sealing up to $300 and $50 for at least 50 linear feet of rim joist insulation, under a program running through December 31, 2027. Check the current requirements first.

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We work in Lawrence and the towns around it: Eudora, Baldwin City and Lecompton in Douglas County; Perry, Ozawkie, Oskaloosa and McLouth in Jefferson County; Tonganoxie and Basehor in Leavenworth County; Bonner Springs to the east; and Ottawa, Wellsville and Overbrook to the south. Each town page covers its housing, history and what matters for insulation there.