Mass Home Comfort
Find contractors
Insulation · Gloucester, MA

Insulation in Gloucester, Massachusetts

Compare contractors serving Gloucester, Essex County — call them directly, or send one request and let the ones who want the job come to you.

30 contractors serving Gloucester.

Contractors serving Gloucester

Claimed listings within 5 miles come first, then the rest by rating, then distance. Google ratings as of October 2026. How we list and rank contractors

Mass Save in GloucesterEligible

Gloucester is served by National Grid, so homeowners qualify for the full Mass Save weatherization program. The no-cost Mass Save Home Energy Assessment is the starting point; once measures are approved, Mass Save typically covers 75-100% of attic, wall, and air-sealing costs (100% for income-eligible households), plus the 0% Mass Save HEAT Loan up to $25,000 for the homeowner share. Given Gloucester's age, an assessment frequently flags knob-and-tube wiring that must be de-energized before dense-packing, and in pre-1981 attics the chance of vermiculite that needs testing before any insulation goes in.

Read next

Insulation in Gloucester — what to know

Permits in Gloucester

Insulation in Gloucester usually needs no standalone building permit, but the contractor should hold a current Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration, with a Construction Supervisor License (CSL) for structural work. Mass Save incentives require a participating, approved contractor. Spray foam must meet Massachusetts fire and ignition-barrier code. Knob-and-tube remediation in Gloucester's old harbor-area homes needs a licensed electrician and electrical permit before dense-packing; exterior changes in historic neighborhoods may warrant a check with the town first.

Where a permit is required, insulation work in Gloucester is filed with the Gloucester Building Department; see the Gloucester Building Department’s contact, portal and who pulls the permit on permits.llc.

Typical project cost

Gloucester sits on the North Shore coast, so pricing runs near or modestly above the eastern Massachusetts average. Attic insulation typically runs $1,500-$4,000, dense-pack wall insulation $2,000-$6,000, and air sealing $300-$1,500; spray foam runs higher per square foot. Cost is driven by very old construction, tight access in dense harbor neighborhoods, salt-air air leakage, and frequent knob-and-tube clearing. As an National Grid town, Gloucester gets the Mass Save 75-100% incentive, which can bring out-of-pocket near zero on approved measures.

About Gloucester homes

Gloucester is an Essex County seaport of about 29,830 residents across roughly 14,630 housing units, with a median home age near 83 years, one of the older stocks in this batch. The housing runs from densely packed 19th-century homes in the harbor neighborhoods and Annisquam to mid-century and later builds out toward the West Parish.

At that age, and with salt air and harsh coastal wind, most Gloucester homes have under-insulated or hollow walls, attics that have lost R-value, and significant air leakage. Older balloon-framed and plaster-and-lath houses are routine dense-pack candidates, and knob-and-tube wiring and pre-1981 vermiculite are real possibilities.

Common questions — Insulation in Gloucester

Does Mass Save pay for insulation in Gloucester?
Yes. Gloucester is served by an investor-owned utility, so after a no-cost Mass Save Home Energy Assessment the program covers 75 to 100 percent of approved insulation and air sealing (no cost for income-eligible households) and finances the rest through the 0 percent HEAT Loan.
My old Gloucester harbor home is drafty and cold. Where do I start?
Air sealing usually delivers the biggest early payoff on a wind-exposed coastal home, paired with attic insulation. The Mass Save assessment uses a blower-door test to locate leaks and prioritize the work.
My home is over 80 years old. Could it have knob-and-tube before I insulate?
Quite possibly. Active knob-and-tube must be de-energized or remediated before walls are dense-packed, which Massachusetts requires for fire safety. The Mass Save assessment will identify it as a first step in Gloucester's older homes.
Should I worry about vermiculite in my pre-1981 Gloucester attic?
Yes, check it. If you see loose, pebbly gray-brown loose-fill, have it tested before any work, since vermiculite can contain asbestos. The assessment flags it and abatement comes before new insulation.
Do I need a permit to insulate my Gloucester home?
Insulation itself usually doesn't need a building permit. Knob-and-tube remediation requires an electrical permit and licensed electrician; confirm your insulation contractor is HIC-registered and Mass Save participating before work begins.

Insulation guides for Massachusetts homeowners

All Insulation guides →

Insulation contractors in nearby towns

EssexRockportManchester-by-the-SeaHamiltonIpswichBeverlyWenhamMarblehead