Insulation Contractor in East Los Angeles, CA - Attics Sealed, Then Insulated
B&K Compton Spray Foam Insulation is an insulation contractor working in East Los Angeles, CA. We seal and insulate attics, walls and crawl spaces in older houses and rentals, and we clear out bad insulation first when it needs to go.
Older, close-set houses with low, crowded attics
East Los Angeles isn't part of the City of Los Angeles. It's one of the unincorporated communities the county looks after, and that changes who you deal with when a job needs paperwork. On our jobs here we mostly see older single-story houses and duplexes on narrow lots, set close together, from the shops and food stands along Whittier Boulevard up toward Belvedere Park. The lots usually run tighter than what we work on over in Downey.
Those houses tend to have shallow attics and small hatches, and the insulation up there is often old, thin or packed flat. So a good part of the job here is getting in, cleaning out what's gone bad and sealing the gaps before anything new goes down.
What we've learned working in East Los Angeles
Because East Los Angeles is unincorporated, building permits come from LA County Public Works through its East Los Angeles Building and Safety Office, not a city hall. The county's permit list names alterations, repairs and mechanical work but not insulation by name, so I tell you at the estimate whether your job needs a permit, and if it does, we handle the paperwork with that office, which adds some time before we start. Before you sign with anyone, check that they hold a state contractor license. We're licensed and fully insured.
Price comes down to what's already in your attic and what shape it's in, how much has to come out, how many gaps need sealing and whether we blow in loose fill or spray foam. The schedule turns on the same things, plus a permit if you need one and how hard the attic is to get into. On most blocks here the truck parks on the street and the hose runs up a narrow driveway, so I sort that out on the first visit. We do the same work in Norwalk and the cities around Compton, and I write every estimate myself, so you get the order of work and the price for your own house in writing.
Insulation services in East Los Angeles
- Spray foam insulation
- Attic insulation
- Blown-in insulation
- Home insulation
- Insulation removal
- Crawl space insulation
- Wall insulation
- Air sealing services
- Basement insulation
- Closed-cell foam insulation
- Open-cell foam insulation
- Commercial insulation
- Crawl space vapor barrier
- Vapor barrier installation
- Attic air sealing
- Retrofit insulation
Older houses here usually leak air at the top
Most of the older houses we get into here have insulation that's thin, packed down or patchy, with open gaps around can lights, pipes and the attic hatch. If we just pile more on top, it fights a draft the whole time, so we start with air sealing, closing those gaps first. Then we build the coverage up evenly, full depth at the edges, and we keep the eave vents clear so the attic can breathe. Foam costs more and seals air as it insulates, but in most of these attics, sealing and topping up loose fill is the better buy unless your ductwork runs up there.
Plenty of properties here have a back unit or a garage that became a bedroom, and those are usually the rooms people complain about first. Landlords call us about them too, and I look at the ceiling, walls and floor of that room on the same visit as the main house.
Book a free on-site estimate in East Los Angeles
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to East Los Angeles myself to look at the attic, walls or crawl space. I tell you what I see on that visit, then you get a written estimate. There's no pressure and no obligation to go ahead.
How a job goes when you call us in East Los Angeles
Call or send the form
Call (562) 232-8636 or use the form and tell us what's going on, like a hot room, a climbing power bill or something you found up there. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out.
I look at the space
I come out myself, get into the attic, walls or crawl space and tell you what I see before I leave. It helps to clear a path to the hatch and move anything stored right under it.
You get a written estimate
It lays out what needs fixing first, what we'll do and in what order. If your job needs a permit, I tell you that here too.
We handle the permit paperwork
If your job needs a permit, we deal with the county office, and they say at application whether a plan check is required. That review decides when we can start, so we plan the install around it.
Crew installs, I check it
Our trained crew does the work, and before we pack up I check it and walk it with you. If the material means you'll be out of the house for a while, you'll know when it's fine to come back before we start.
Attic and foam insulation work
Insulation questions from East Los Angeles
How much does attic insulation cost for an older house in East Los Angeles?
The price is set mostly by what's already in your attic, so I give you a number after I've been up there, not over the phone. Old insulation that's soaked or full of droppings has to come out first, and that's often the biggest part of the job. Sealing gaps and topping up with blown-in, loose fill blown through a hose, usually costs less than spray foam unless your ductwork runs through the attic.
Does an insulation contractor in East Los Angeles need a California state license?
Yes, when the job needs a building permit, uses any extra workers or runs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, according to the Contractors State License Board. A contractor has to hold that license before they give you a bid, so it's fair to check before you take anyone's estimate. We're licensed and fully insured.
When is the first inspection due on a county permit in East Los Angeles?
You have to request the first inspection within 12 months of getting the permit. After that, a follow-up inspection has to be scheduled every 6 months to keep the permit active, and the details are on the county's building permit site. When your job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and go over those dates with you.
What causes the room over the garage to get so hot in an East LA house?
Usually it's thin insulation and open gaps, not the air conditioner. Rooms over a garage or in a converted garage often have little in the ceiling and walls, and air slips in around pipes, lights and the hatch. We seal those gaps first, then insulate, so the new material isn't fighting a draft.
How long do we have to stay out of the house after spray foam insulation?
You'll know before we start, because the re-entry time, when it's safe for you, the kids and pets to come back in, depends on the product, and I go over it at the estimate. Blown-in work in the attic usually doesn't keep people out of the house the way spray foam can. We plan the job around that so nobody's guessing.
How do I know if the old insulation in my attic needs to come out first?
If it's been wet, smells or has droppings in it, it needs to come out before anything new goes in. Laying fresh insulation over it just buries the problem. I check for this on the first visit and show you what I find, and if removal is needed, it goes first in the written estimate along with any repairs.
Call us about your East Los Angeles attic
We're open until 11 PM on weekdays, so call (562) 232-8636 after work or send the form whenever it suits you.