Attic Heat Score
SFL Attic is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not install anything and we are not booking jobs yet.
The Attic Heat Score is a few quick questions about your home and your attic. It gives a score that shows how likely new insulation is to help. It is a starting point, and a measured depth confirms it.
Last reviewed October 19, 2026 against the cited sources.
Updated . Sources
Your Attic Heat Score
out of 100:
What counted most
SFL Attic is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not install anything and we are not booking jobs yet.
Attic Heat Score
Answer a few quick questions. The score shows how likely your attic is to benefit from more insulation. It is a starting point; a measured depth confirms it.
SFL Attic is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not install anything and we are not booking jobs yet.
How the score is worked out
The score is based on a few things a homeowner can answer: when the home was built, whether the upstairs runs hot, how the summer bill feels, when insulation was last added, and what signs you can see in the attic. Your ZIP code is asked but not scored. Home age gets the most points because Florida's statewide ceiling rule began only with homes permitted after March 15, 1979: R-19 R-value1. The point values are set by judgment. They are not fitted to measured homes, and we will say so here if that changes.
Add the points for your answers, divide by 100 and multiply by 100. Every question needs an answer.
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| Before 1980 | 30 |
| 1980 to 2001 | 20 |
| After 2001 | 5 |
| Not sure | 15 |
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| Yes, noticeably | 20 |
| A little | 10 |
| No | 0 |
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| Higher than neighbors with similar homes | 15 |
| About normal | 5 |
| Not sure | 5 |
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| Never, as far as I know | 20 |
| Before 2010 | 15 |
| After 2010 | 0 |
| Not sure | 10 |
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| Rodents or droppings | 15 |
| Flattened or patchy insulation | 15 |
| Recent re-roof or roof leak | 10 |
| None that I know of | 0 |
- Low likely benefitfrom 0
- Moderate likely benefitfrom 40
- High likely benefitfrom 70
How the score works
Each answer adds points. The tables below show every answer and its points. Add your points; the total is your score.
Points are our arithmetic, a rule of thumb, not measured data. We set them by judgment from the facts on this page, not from measured homes. We will change them if we find better data, and we will date the change.
The score is a guess about your attic, not a measurement. Only a person in the attic can measure what is there.
What each question tells us
- Year built. Year built is scored because Florida's statewide ceiling rule began only with homes permitted after March 15, 1979: R-19 R-value1. Homes permitted before that date had no such rule (our inference). The new-home minimum is now R-30 in South Florida 2. We found no survey of real attic R-values by year built, so age is a clue, not proof, and we do not say what any age of home holds.
- Hot upstairs. Heat in one room can come from the roof, the ducts, the windows or the AC. It is a clue about the attic, not proof.
- Summer bill. Bills depend on the size of the home, the age of the AC and who lives there. Compare yours with a similar home nearby.
- Last time insulation was added. Older layers may have settled or thinned. If you do not know, a look at the depth in your attic can tell you.
- Signs in the attic. Price guides say wet or contaminated loose-fill should be removed, not covered 3. A recent re-roof is a good moment to look at the attic.
What the score does not tell you
It does not measure your insulation. It does not give you a price. It does not decide whether you qualify for the FPL rebate, which needs existing attic insulation below R-8 4.
To confirm, find the type and depth of what you have, read the rebate rules and ask an installer for a written price.
Sources
- Chapter 553 Section 905 - 2001 Florida Statutes - The Florida Senate, 2001 (2001 Florida Statutes text)
- Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th Edition (2023), Table R402.1.2, December 31, 2023
- Block Renovation, attic insulation cost guide 2026, 2026
- FPL residential ceiling insulation program standards, September 1, 2025