Radiant Barrier in California

Licensed & insured Every company we put you through to holds current licensing and insurance.
Know what to ask You are told what actually decides the price, so you can judge a quote.
Someone local You are put through to a technician who works your area, not a call center three states away.
Calls answered 7 days Someone picks up seven days a week, weekends included.

Is it urgent?

Can wait

Not urgent, and not a replacement for insulation — it is worth adding once the attic is properly insulated and air sealed, and it is worth far more inland than on the coast.

Two things override everything on this page. If anyone has symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure — headache, nausea or dizziness that improves outdoors — leave the building and call the gas utility or the fire service, not a duct company. And if you can smell burning while the dryer is running, unplug it and leave it.

Signs to look for

An inland or desert California house where the attic becomes extremely hot in the afternoon
Ductwork running through that attic, which is then working against the attic temperature
An upstairs that will not cool late in the day even with a correctly sized system
An attic that is already well insulated, where the remaining gain is radiant rather than conductive
A dark or unvented roof with a large sun-facing plane

How the work is done

Checking the attic is already insulated and air sealed first, because a radiant barrier over an under-insulated attic is the wrong order of work
Installing under the rafters rather than laying it on the attic floor, where dust settles on it and its reflectivity is lost
Keeping the required air gap, without which it does not function as a radiant barrier at all
Not blocking ventilation paths with it, which is the most common installation error

In California specifically

California's Mediterranean on the coast, hot and dry inland climate and its housing stock — stucco ranch and bungalow, tile or composition roofs, slab in the south and raised crawlspace through the Bay Area and the north — decide what is worth doing first. California is also the one state where duct leakage is routinely tested: Title 24 requires a HERS-verified duct test on most furnace or air-conditioner changeouts, so a duct problem here often surfaces as a failed test rather than as a complaint.

Before the technician arrives

Four things worth doing — and the first one is usually the thing people get wrong.

Be realistic about location. On the coast, in the fog belt, the payback is poor and there are better places to spend the money — we will say so rather than sell it.
Do the attic insulation and air sealing first. Radiant barrier over a thin attic is the expensive step taken out of order.
Ask how the air gap is being maintained, because without it the product does nothing.
If ducts run through the attic, mention it — it strengthens the case considerably.

What the work looks like

Photographs of radiant barrier being carried out, so you know what to expect on the day.

How it works

Three steps, and you decide at the end of them.

1
You call and describe the problem

Tell us what you have noticed and where — the room, the smell, the noise, how long it has been going on. Give us your ZIP code and we will match you to a licensed company covering your area. There is no form to fill in.
2
A local company takes it from there

They discuss the problem with you directly, arrange a time to inspect, and agree the work and the price with you before anything starts. That conversation is between you and them.
3
You decide whether to go ahead

You are under no obligation. If the quote or the approach is not what you wanted, you are free to say no and call someone else.

Radiant Barrier — FAQs

Do I actually need Radiant Barrier done?

Not urgent, and not a replacement for insulation — it is worth adding once the attic is properly insulated and air sealed, and it is worth far more inland than on the coast.

What does Radiant Barrier involve?

A reflective layer under the roof deck that cuts radiant heat gain into the attic. It works in hot sunny climates and does very little in cool or cloudy ones, which makes California one of the places it is genuinely worth considering.

What makes this different in California?

California's Mediterranean on the coast, hot and dry inland climate and its housing stock — stucco ranch and bungalow, tile or composition roofs, slab in the south and raised crawlspace through the Bay Area and the north — decide what is worth doing first. California is also the one state where duct leakage is routinely tested: Title 24 requires a HERS-verified duct test on most furnace or air-conditioner changeouts, so a duct problem here often surfaces as a failed test rather than as a complaint.

Are the companies licensed and insured?

Yes. We only pass calls to licensed, insured operators working in California, and you are welcome to ask to see a license number on arrival.

What does Radiant Barrier cost?

It depends on the property, the size of the system and what the inspection finds, so we do not publish a price — a figure quoted on a web page is not one the attending company has agreed to. You get a price before any work starts.

Radiant Barrier near you

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What happens when you call

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