Spray foam insulation quotes in Iowa

Our Iowa service area

Area	County	Zone	Median year built	Pre-1980	Gas heat	Heating degree days
Des Moines	Polk County	5A	1961	70%	64%	6,178

Electric utilities in our Iowa counties

MidAmerican Energy Co (11¢/kWh); Interstate Power and Light Co (17.9¢/kWh); Midland Power Coop (13.6¢/kWh); Consumers Energy Coop - (IA) (15¢/kWh).

EIA-861 2024 residential prices.

Iowa energy code

2012 IECC with Iowa amendments, effective March 12, 2014. Iowa amendments relax wall insulation in zone 6 and raise the air-leakage test threshold to 4 ACH50. (NAHB; Iowa Administrative Bulletin, ARC 1301C)

Iowa's energy code now sits with DIAL

Iowa still builds homes to the 2012 IECC, but the rule moved. The old energy chapter, 661 IAC 303, was rescinded effective September 10, 2025, by the same rulemaking that rewrote the state building code chapter, and in November 2025 that chapter moved to the Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing as 481 IAC Chapter 301. Rule 301.24 adopts the 2012 IECC residential provisions for homes of three or fewer stories. Iowa first adopted that edition effective March 12, 2014, and projects begun by May 31, 2014 could still use the 2009 edition. An amendment effective August 12, 2026 set the energy-modeling reference home at 4 ACH50, up from 3, to match Iowa's blower-door limit. The state's residential code is the 2024 IRC, with its energy chapter replaced by rule 301.24.

Iowa Code section 103A.10 applies the state's energy standards to all construction with heated or cooled space, and for new construction started on or after July 1, 2008, they replace any local minimums adopted before that date. Remodeling or renovating a one- or two-family home is outside the code's scope, and permit applications for that work don't need the energy compliance statement other projects must file. Local building departments enforce the code; towns without one may still issue permits. DOE rates Iowa's amended code as equal to the 2009 IECC and 6.6% less efficient than the 2012 model. It estimates the 2024 IECC would add $9,477 to a new Iowa home and save $502 a year, an 18.9-year payback, on about 7,655 housing starts a year.

New homes must test at 4 ACH50 or less; a third-party test is required only where the code official asks for one. Iowa's duct sealing rule lets air-impermeable spray foam seal duct joints without additional joint seals, and duct leakage tests go to an approved third party. Exterior wall cavities can't be used as return ducts. Confirm the edition and any local amendments with your city or county building department.

Sources: Iowa Administrative Code 481, Chapter 301, State Building Code (IAC 9/30/26); Iowa Administrative Bulletin, ARC 1301C (2012 IECC adoption, effective 3/12/14); Iowa Administrative Bulletin, ARC 0412D (effective 8/12/26); Iowa Administrative Code 481, Chapter 300, State Building Code: Administration; Iowa Administrative Code 661, Chapters 300 to 399 (transfer and rescission notes); Iowa Code 2026, section 103A.10; U.S. DOE Building Energy Codes Program, Iowa status.

Climate zones 5A and 6A by county

PNNL's county data puts 59 of Iowa's 99 counties in zone 5A and 40 in zone 6A on the 2015 IECC map. The 2021 map moves 25 counties to 5A, leaving 15 in 6A: Black Hawk, Cerro Gordo, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Hancock, Kossuth, Lyon, Mitchell, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Sioux, Winnebago, Worth. Polk County is 5A on both. Iowa's adopted code is the 2012 edition, so ask your building department which zone it assigns before you size attic or slab insulation.

Sources: PNNL-33270, Guide to Determining Climate Zone by County: Building America and IECC 2021 Updates (data files).

Why Iowa utilities pay so little for insulation

Senate File 2311, passed in 2018, set limits on what Iowa's rate-regulated utilities can spend on efficiency. Iowa Code section 476.6 now bars the commission from requiring or allowing a gas efficiency plan whose projected average annual cost exceeds 1.5% of the utility's expected Iowa retail revenue, or an electric efficiency plan above 2%. Electric customers can opt out of paying for a plan if, when approved, its efficiency and demand response plans scored below one on the ratepayer impact test. Plans must still include low-income programs run with local community action agencies. Ask your municipal utility or co-op about its own programs.

Sources: Senate File 2311, 87th General Assembly (2018), enrolled; Iowa Code 2026, section 476.6.

MidAmerican, Alliant and Black Hills Energy in 2026

MidAmerican's 2026 home rebates cover appliances, heat pump water heaters and smart thermostats, with no insulation line. Its Income-Qualified Multifamily program is the exception: up to $2.75 per square foot for attic insulation that starts at R-19 or less and ends at R-49 or more, plus up to $0.50 per square foot for air sealing done with it. Projects need approval before work starts, must finish within six months and are capped at 70% of eligible cost.

Alliant Energy says it no longer processes claim-form rebates. Its Iowa offers are instant discounts on heating and cooling equipment through distributors and discounted products in its online Marketplace, with no insulation offer listed.

Black Hills Energy still pays for insulation retrofits for Iowa natural gas customers: up to $350 for R-19 or more in a floor above a crawlspace, up to $200 for adding R-12 or more to basement walls, and up to $50 for R-8 duct insulation in unconditioned space. Work must be done in 2026 and the application filed within 45 days of the invoice or by January 15, 2027, whichever comes first. Homes with electric heat get no insulation rebate, labor on self-installed jobs doesn't count, and the invoice must itemize insulation by area. The form sets R-values, not insulation type. Black Hills also offers free home energy assessments. Confirm with your utility before you sign a contract.

Sources: MidAmerican Energy, Home Discounts and Rebates; MidAmerican Energy, Income-Qualified Multifamily 2026 Iowa Incentive Information (PDF); Alliant Energy, Rebate Terms and Conditions; Alliant Energy, Iowa General Rebates; Black Hills Energy, 2026 Residential Rebate Program, Iowa natural gas (PDF); Black Hills Energy, Iowa residential programs.

Weatherization and LIHEAP through community action agencies

Iowa HHS runs the federal Weatherization Assistance Program under new rules, 441 IAC Chapter 63, effective October 1, 2026. A household qualifies with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, or if it receives SSI or Family Investment Program assistance. Owners and renters can apply; landlords must agree, and rents can't be raised because of the work. Applications run October 1 to September 30 through the community action agency in your county, using the same application as LIHEAP, and all services depend on available funds. HHS says the work follows a computerized energy audit and includes high-density wall and attic insulation, blower-door-guided air sealing and safety checks of combustion appliances.

LIHEAP heating applications open October 1 for households with a member 60 or older or disabled, November 1 for everyone else, and close April 30. The Community Action Agencies Unit is at 515-776-8871.

Sources: Iowa Administrative Code 441, Chapter 63, Weatherization (effective 10/1/26); Iowa HHS, Weatherization Assistance; Iowa HHS, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance.

Federal Home Energy Rebates: not open in Iowa

The Iowa Economic Development Authority's energy page expects over $60 million for HOMES rebates of $2,000 to $8,000 per household, about $60 million for electrification rebates capped at $14,000, and just over $2 million for contractor training. When we read it on October 22, 2026, it still said the rebates "are not yet available" and that households could generally expect them "by mid-2025."

Sources: Iowa Economic Development Authority, Residential Energy Efficiency Programs.

State tax credits for insulation: none found

The 2025 IA 148 tax credit schedule lists no credit for insulation or home energy efficiency. Its energy entries are the renewable energy, wind energy production, solar energy system and geothermal credits. Confirm with the Iowa Department of Revenue.

Sources: Iowa Department of Revenue, 2025 IA 148 Iowa Tax Credits Schedule Instructions (41-153a, 09/11/2025).

Contractor registration with DIAL

Anyone earning at least $2,000 a year from construction in Iowa must register with DIAL, unless they only work on their own property. Iowa's definition of construction work names building insulation contractors. Registration costs $50, renews every year and requires an Iowa unemployment insurance number even with no employees. With few exceptions, contractors based outside Iowa must also file a $25,000 bond that guarantees taxes and payments owed to the state. Out-of-state subcontractors aren't covered by a general contractor's registration or bond. Self-employed contractors who pay no more than $2,000 a year in wages, don't work with or for other contractors in the same phase of construction, and aren't an LLC, corporation or partnership can register without the fee. A first violation can bring a $500 citation, and repeat violations up to $5,000. Check a contractor's registration with DIAL before you hire.

Sources: Iowa DIAL, Contractor Registration; Iowa DIAL, Register as a Contractor; Iowa Code 2026, chapter 91C, Construction Contractors; Iowa Administrative Code 871, rule 23.82, Definition of construction employer.

Radon

Iowa HHS notes that EPA considers all of Iowa high risk for radon in homes. At 4 pCi/L or above, mitigation is recommended, though not on a single test result. HHS and the American Lung Association offer one free test kit per household while supplies last, and the state radon hotline at 1-800-383-5992 sells low-cost kits. Credentialed radon mitigation contractors install systems that lower radon levels, and HHS lists certified measurement and credentialed mitigation specialists.

Sources: Iowa HHS, Radon.

Utility insulation programs

Iowa state Home Energy Rebates

Cost ranges and foam basics: spray foam guide.