Contractor Calculator · Spray Foam
Spray Foam Insulation Cost: Board Feet, Materials, and Labor
Spray foam sells by the board foot. Set area, assembly, foam type, and depth. Board feet, the materials range, and the R-value update as you type.
Pricing the whole job? Estimate it from a photo in about six seconds.
Fills between studs. The button sets a starting depth. Type your real cavity.
Kit foam price is two supplier listings for one named 620 board foot closed cell kit. Both read September 11, 2026. Local prices vary.
Spray foam insulation cost starts with the board foot
Batts sell by the bundle. Loose fill sells by the bag. Spray foam sells by the board foot, which is one square foot sprayed one inch deep.
So the count is a multiplication. Net area times depth in inches, rounded up. A 1,000 sq ft wall at 3.5 in is 3,500 board feet.
SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a photo of the space into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds.
What the foam itself costs
Two suppliers list the same named product, the Froth-Pak 620 sealant kit. It sells as a 620 board foot closed cell kit. IDI Distributors lists it at $847.04 before trade pricing. Panther East lists it at $1,033.60.
Divide each by 620. Kit foam lands between $1.37 and $1.67 a board foot. That 3,500 board foot wall is $4,781 to $5,835 in material, before labor.
We read both on September 11, 2026, price on the same node as the product name.
What we will not price
Contractor rigs buy foam in bulk drum sets, and neither supplier publishes a price for those. We found no published price for open cell kit foam either.
So this page prices kit foam only. The calculator still returns board feet and R-value for open cell, and says the price is not published rather than inventing one.
Open cell and closed cell by the inch
The number that drives the estimate is R-value per inch. Both makers publish it on a data sheet.
| Line | Open cell | Closed cell |
|---|---|---|
| R-value per inch | 3.8 | 7.0 |
| Core density | 0.50 lb per cu ft | 2.0 lb per cu ft |
| Depth for R-13 | 3.5 in | 1.9 in |
| Depth for R-30 | 7.9 in | 4.3 in |
| Depth for R-49 | 12.9 in | 7.0 in |
| Depth for R-60 | 15.8 in | 8.6 in |
Closed cell buys almost twice the R in the same cavity. That is the argument in a 2x4 wall, where depth is fixed.
The calculator rounds installed R-value down. Johns Manville prints R-25 at 3.5 in, its own rounding of 24.5. We show R-24. A calculator that rounds an installed R-value up helps a crew fail an inspection.
Turn the board foot count into a priced job
SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds, with material and labor lines. Pricing is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial.
The depth your climate zone asks for
ENERGY STAR publishes the 2021 attic levels off Table R402.1.3. Zone 1 wants R-30. Zones 2 and 3 want R-49. Zones 4 through 8 want R-60.
In closed cell that is 4.3 in, 7.0 in, and 8.6 in. In open cell it is 7.9 in, 12.9 in, and 15.8 in. That is deeper than most rafter bays.
Closed cell also has a pass limit. The JM Corbond III sheet allows one pass from 0.5 in to 4 in, and puts R-49 at four passes.
What the labor side pays
The occupation is Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall. The May 2025 national median wage is $23.62 an hour. The mean is $26.32.
The spread matters more than the middle. The 25th percentile sits at $20.77, the 75th at $29.32, the 90th at $37.59.
Those are wages, not billed rates. Your rate carries burden, rig cost, and margin on top.
Price a foam job in four steps
-
Measure net area, then set the depth
Subtract windows, doors, and anything that stays open. Then fix the spray depth.
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Multiply for board feet and round up
Area times depth in inches gives board feet. Round up, then add for overspray and trim.
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Check the R-value your depth buys
Multiply depth by 7.0 for closed cell or 3.8 for open cell. Round down, then check the zone target.
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Price material and labor separately
Kit foam at $1.37 to $1.67 a board foot is one line. Crew hours off your own wage sheet is the other.
Keep reading
Sources
Manufacturer data sheets
- JM Corbond III closed cell data sheet (R-7.0 per inch, ASTM C518 aged; 2026-09-11).
- IDI ULTRA-PURE open cell data sheet (R-3.8 at 1 in, ASTM C518; 2026-09-11).
- UltraTite 500 open cell data sheet (R-3.81 at 1 in; 2026-09-11).
Prices read live
- IDI Distributors, Froth-Pak Sealant 620 kit ($847.04; 2026-09-11).
- Panther East, DOW Froth-Pak 620 Sealant kit ($1,033.60; 2026-09-11).
Code and wages
- ENERGY STAR, Recommended Home Insulation R-Values (2021 IECC Table R402.1.3; 2026-09-11).
- BLS OEWS flat file (occupation 47-2131, May 2025; 2026-09-11).
Product
- SimplyWise Cost Estimator, App Store (4.8 rating; verified 2026-09-09).
Common questions about spray foam insulation cost
Board feet and price
How is spray foam insulation priced?
By the board foot. One board foot is one square foot sprayed an inch deep, so board feet equal area times depth.
What does spray foam cost a board foot?
Kit foam runs $1.37 to $1.67 a board foot. That is the Froth-Pak 620 closed cell kit over its 620 board feet, at $847.04 and $1,033.60, both listings read September 11, 2026.
Why does this page not price open cell foam?
No supplier publishes what it charges for open cell kit foam. We leave the price blank instead of borrowing a number, and still give board feet and R-value.
Depth, R-value, and code
How thick does spray foam need to be for R-30?
4.3 in of closed cell at R-7.0 an inch, or 7.9 in of open cell at R-3.8 an inch. Both round the depth up.
What R-value fits in a 2x4 stud bay?
About R-24 in closed cell and R-13 in open cell. The maker sheet prints R-25, its rounding of 24.5. We round installed R-value down.
Can SimplyWise price a foam job from a photo?
Yes. SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds, with material and labor lines. Free to try, at $29.99/mo.
Turn the board foot count into a signed job.
Snap a photo and get an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Free to try.