A&J Hampton Insulation and Spray FoamA&J Hampton Insulation and Spray Foam

Insulation Contractor in Norfolk, VA - Cooler Upstairs, Warmer Floors

A&J Hampton Insulation and Spray Foam is an insulation contractor based in Hampton, VA. We seal and insulate attics, walls and crawl spaces in Norfolk homes, and we clear out old insulation that's past saving.

Request a quote(757) 367-8752
A worker in protective coveralls and a respirator removes attic insulation using a flexible hose.
  • Licensed and fully insured.
  • Free in-person estimates.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

About Norfolk, VA

Norfolk is an older city with a wide spread of houses. We go into brick and frame homes that have been standing a long time, postwar ranches, newer builds, plenty of rentals and duplexes, and the odd shop or office mixed in. We come over from our base in Hampton, so Norfolk jobs are a regular part of our week.

That spread matters for insulation because a house with a low attic and finished rooms under the roof needs a different plan than a newer ranch with an open attic and ductwork overhead, so I look before I put a number on anything.

Services in Norfolk, VA

  • Insulation removal

    In older Norfolk houses we often find attic insulation that was soaked by an old roof leak or fouled by rodents, and new material laid on top just buries the problem. Our insulation removal clears it out so the cause can be fixed before anything new goes down.

  • Attic air sealing

    Older attics here tend to have open gaps around ceiling lights, plumbing pipes, the chimney and the attic hatch, and that air leaking up from the house is a big reason upstairs rooms stay uncomfortable. We seal those gaps first so the insulation on top isn't fighting a draft.

  • Blown-in insulation

    Many attics we open in Norfolk still hold just a few inches of old insulation that's settled flat over the years and gone thin at the edges. We top them up with blown-in, loose fill sent through a hose, keeping it even out to the eaves while leaving the eave vents clear so the attic can still breathe.

  • Crawl space vapor barrier

    Houses on crawl spaces are where most of our cold-floor calls come from, and a bare dirt floor down there lets moisture climb into the framing and the insulation. We lay a vapor barrier over the ground, then fix or replace the insulation between the floor joists.

  • Wall insulation

    Some older homes here have outside walls with little or nothing in them, and you feel it in rooms that stay drafty whatever the thermostat says. We can usually fill those walls through small holes that we patch afterward, which saves opening up whole walls.

  • Spray foam insulation

    When the ductwork runs through the attic or the room over the garage is the trouble spot, spray foam often earns its higher cost because it seals air and insulates in one pass. Otherwise, sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill usually does the job for less, and I'll tell you which side your house falls on.

Permits, licenses and what moves the price in Norfolk

The City of Norfolk issues building permits for repairs that need new framing or open up the framing that's already there, and insulation isn't named on its list by itself, so whether your job needs one turns on how much of the house we have to open. I check with the city for your address before we start, and when a permit is needed we apply for it as the contractor, which puts the city's inspections into your schedule. You can ask your own permit questions at the city's Development Services Center at 757-664-6565. Before you hire anyone, ask whether they hold a Norfolk business license, which the Commissioner of the Revenue's office issues, since the city also only lets a Virginia-licensed contractor pull permits for work in their own trade.

Your price here comes down to how many inches are already up there, whether old material has to come out first, how much air sealing the attic needs, how easy it is to get into and whether foam makes sense or loose fill will do. The schedule mostly turns on any fixes that have to come first and on whether a permit is involved, and the written estimate I leave you is where your own figure comes from. We drive over from Hampton for jobs here and across the water in Portsmouth, so we set arrival times with tunnel traffic in mind.

Norfolk, VA properties and local conditions

Plenty of Norfolk houses have finished rooms tucked under the roof or over the garage, and those are usually the rooms people call about first because they run hot in summer and cold in winter. The insulation behind the sloped ceilings and short side walls is often thin or missing in spots, and air moves right through the gaps, so we seal first, then fill, and we take a hard look at whether foam is worth it in those tight spaces.

Cold floors usually trace back to a crawl space where the insulation has fallen out from between the joists or was never put there. We check for dampness and the state of the ground cover before we put it back, because insulation hung over a wet crawl space won't stay put.

Get a free insulation estimate for your Norfolk home

Send the form or call, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a time. I come out to your Norfolk house myself, look at the attic, walls or crawl space with you and go over what I find. Then I write up a free estimate you can look over on your own, with no obligation to go ahead.

How a Norfolk insulation job goes once you call

  1. Set up a visit

    We pick a time that works for you. Plan to be home, since the point is for you to walk the house with me and see what I see.

  2. Look it over together

    I check how many inches are up there, where the air is getting through and whether anything has to be fixed first, and I explain each piece as we go. You'll know what you'd be paying for before you decide.

  3. Fix first, then permit

    Leaks, rodent damage or anything else that would spoil new insulation gets handled before we insulate, and if the city calls for a permit we apply for it and set up the inspections. The city won't let work move past a stage until that stage's inspection is approved, so we plan the job around those visits.

  4. Install and walk through

    Our lead installer runs the crew and I check in while the job is going on. When it's done, the crew walks you through what was sealed and insulated, so you know what's up there.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit in Norfolk if insulating my walls means taking down drywall?

Yes, removing drywall is one of the residential jobs the city lists as needing a building permit, because it exposes the framing. You can see that list on the city's permits and inspections page. When we can fill a wall without opening it, I still check with the city for your address before we start.

Who can apply for a building permit in Norfolk, the homeowner or the contractor?

Either can, since a property owner, a tenant or a contractor may apply, but the city strongly recommends that the contractor doing the work take out the permit as the responsible party. An owner who pulls a permit for their own work also has to sign an affidavit accepting responsibility for everything done under it, as the city's building permit page explains. That's why we apply as the contractor when a permit is needed.

How much does it cost to insulate an attic in Norfolk VA?

It comes down to what your attic needs, not a flat rate. Pulling out soaked or dirty insulation, sealing a lot of gaps or working in a tight attic all raise it, while a clean attic that only needs sealing and a top-up of loose fill keeps it lower. I give you your own figure in writing after I've been up there.

How long does attic insulation take, and can my family stay home in Norfolk?

Most attic top-ups are a short job, and with blown-in you can usually stay home while we work. Spray foam is different because everyone, kids and pets included, has to stay out until the foam maker's re-entry time has passed, which is when it's safe to come back in. We tell you that time before the work day so you can plan around it.

How do I know if my Norfolk attic needs more insulation?

If you can see the tops of the ceiling joists from the hatch, there usually isn't enough up there. Hot rooms upstairs, cold floors and a power bill that climbs every season are the other signs, and a draft at the hatch tells you the gaps need sealing too. I'd rather look before you buy anything, because sometimes the fix is sealing, not more insulation.

What happens if my Norfolk insulation job is delayed after the permit is issued?

The permit can lapse, because the city's permit packet says a permit is void if the work hasn't started within 6 months, or if it stops for 6 months after starting. We schedule the work soon after a permit comes through, so on our jobs that's rarely a worry.

Service areas

Explore the services

Hampton, VA

Talk to us about your Norfolk attic

Call (757) 367-8752 or use the form before you spend anything, because if the real trouble is an open gap or an old leak, more insulation won't fix it and I'll tell you so.

Request a quote(757) 367-8752
(757) 367-8752Request a quote