Trusted Home Energy Audit for Glendale Homeowners
A home energy audit in Glendale typically costs $150 to $500, depending on how deep the inspection goes, and most audits take two to three hours from start to finish. At Walt’s Insulation, we’ve been running these audits across Glendale since 2000, which means we know exactly where these hillside and valley homes lose energy: leaky attic hatches, unsealed can lights, duct runs that were never properly connected, and insulation that settled decades ago.
Glendale’s summer heat doesn’t just make your AC work harder. It exposes every weak point in your home’s thermal envelope, and most homeowners feel it as uneven room temperatures, rising bills, or dust that never seems to settle. Our technicians show up on time, walk your home with you, and hand you a prioritized list of fixes that pay for themselves. Call Walt Brenner’s team at (747) 246-7237 and we’ll schedule your audit, often the same week. You’ll always reach a live person, any hour, any day.
What Our Home Energy Audit Service Includes
Every home energy audit we perform in Glendale combines diagnostic testing with a visual inspection. We’re not walking through with a clipboard checking boxes. We’re measuring air leakage, reading wall temperatures, and tracing where your conditioned air escapes. Here’s what’s included:
Blower Door Test
A blower door test is the single most important diagnostic in any home energy audit in Glendale. We fit a calibrated fan into an exterior door frame and depressurize your house, which forces outside air to rush in through every crack, gap, and unsealed penetration. The gauge tells us exactly how leaky your home is, measured in air changes per hour, and that number becomes the baseline for every insulation and air sealing recommendation we make. In Glendale, most homes built before 1980 test at twice the recommended leakage rate, and older hillside properties in Verdugo Woodlands and Rossmoyne often test even higher because of settling and seismic movement over the years.
Thermal Imaging Inspection
A thermal imaging inspection uses an infrared camera to see temperature differences inside your walls and ceilings, which plain eyes and even a blower door can’t show. We scan every exterior wall, the attic floor, and around windows and doors to find insulation voids, thermal bridging, and areas where insulation has slumped or been displaced by rodents. When we find a cold stripe across a bedroom ceiling in Glendale’s older Spanish-style homes, that’s usually a missed insulation bay, and we can pinpoint it to the exact joist space before we ever cut a hole.
Insulation Inspection
Our insulation inspection covers what kind of insulation you have, how much is actually up there, and whether it’s still doing its job. We measure the R-value in your attic, check for compression under storage platforms, and look for signs of moisture, mold, or pest activity that degrade insulation performance. A lot of Glendale homes we audit have original batt insulation from the 1960s and 70s, rated around R-11 when today’s code for our climate zone calls for R-38 or higher in the attic.
Duct Leakage Test
Duct leakage is one of the most overlooked energy drains in Glendale homes, especially where ducts run through hot attics and crawl spaces. We use a duct blaster system to pressurize your ductwork and measure exactly how much conditioned air is leaking before it ever reaches your registers. In our experience across Glendale, duct systems often leak 20 to 30 percent of the air they carry, which means you’re paying to heat and cool your attic. When we pair a duct leakage test with air sealing and proper insulation, the savings show up on your very next bill.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service for Home Energy Audit
Our audits frequently turn up insulation from Owens Corning and Johns Manville, and we know what their performance looks like after 10, 20, or 30 years in a Glendale attic. Owens Corning fiberglass batts are common in homes built in the 1980s and 1990s, and they often leave gaps around wiring and plumbing penetrations that were never sealed. Johns Manville blown-in fiberglass shows up in recent remodels, and we check for settled areas where R-value has dropped below what it should be.
We also audit homes with spray foam from Demilec, which performs very differently from fiberglass or cellulose. Spray foam can be the right answer for hard-to-insulate areas like rim joists and knee walls, but it has to be installed at the correct thickness and coverage to reach its stated R-value. Whether your Glendale home has Demilec, Owens Corning, Johns Manville, or any other make of insulation, our audit tells you exactly what’s working and what isn’t.
Signs You Need Home Energy Audit Right Now
- Your energy bills keep climbing while your habits haven’t changed. Glendale Water & Power and SoCalGas rates have risen steadily, so if your bill is up 20 percent or more over last year with the same usage, your home is leaking energy. An audit finds the exact source, so you’re not guessing with piecemeal fixes.
- Some rooms are always hot or cold no matter what the thermostat says. That’s a pressure and insulation problem, not a thermostat problem. In two-story Glendale homes, upstairs bedrooms often run 8 to 10 degrees warmer because attic insulation is thin and ducts leak before they reach the second floor.
- You can feel a draft near windows, outlets, or baseboards on windy days. Air leaks pull outside air in and push conditioned air out, especially when Glendale gets those strong afternoon winds through the Verdugo Mountains. If a candle flickers near an outlet or window frame, you’ve found a leak, and where there’s one, there are dozens.
- Your home gets dusty within days of cleaning. Dust doesn’t fall from nowhere. It’s pulled into your living space through gaps in the attic, crawl space, and ductwork, carrying fiberglass particles and whatever is in your crawl space. Sealing those gaps reduces dust dramatically, especially for allergy sufferers.
- You’re about to replace your HVAC system or install new insulation. Never spend thousands on new equipment without knowing where your home stands. An audit gives you measured, specific numbers so your contractor sizes equipment correctly and your insulation goes where it actually matters.
Our Home Energy Audit Process - Step by Step
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Walkthrough and interview. Our technician starts by walking your home with you, room by room. We ask about your comfort complaints, which rooms are too hot or too cold, what your average utility bill runs, and any moisture or pest issues you’ve noticed. This conversation tells us where to focus the deeper testing.
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Visual inspection of the building envelope. We inspect your attic, crawl space, exterior walls, windows, doors, and all accessible insulation. We’re looking for gaps, missing insulation, disconnected ducts, moisture stains, rodent damage, and areas where the original builder cut corners, which is common in Glendale’s older housing stock from the 1940s through the 1970s.
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Diagnostic testing. Here’s where we set up the blower door and duct blaster, then run the thermal camera across your ceilings and walls. The blower door quantifies total air leakage, the duct blaster measures how much air your ducts lose, and the thermal imaging shows exactly where the problems are hiding in your walls.
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Data review and findings report. We compile everything into a clear report with the measured numbers, photos from the thermal scan, and our recommendations ranked by payback period. The highest-value fixes go first: air sealing, attic insulation, and duct sealing typically return the fastest savings in Glendale’s climate.
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Your plan, your decision. There’s no pressure. We walk you through what we found, what it costs to fix, and what you can expect to save. You decide what to do next, whether that’s hiring us for a full insulation upgrade, fixing duct leaks, or starting with just the air sealing. The audit is yours to keep regardless.
How Much Does Home Energy Audit Cost in Glendale?
A standard home energy audit in Glendale runs $150 to $350 for homes up to 2,000 square feet, and a full audit with blower door testing, thermal imaging, and duct leakage testing runs $300 to $500 for larger homes or when you want everything measured. Here’s the breakdown by service:
- Basic visual audit and inspection: $150-$250. Includes the full walkthrough, insulation inspection, and a written findings report.
- Blower door test only: $200-$300. Gives you the air leakage number and identifies major leak locations.
- Full audit with thermal imaging and duct leakage testing: $350-$500. The complete package that gives you a room-by-room picture of your home’s energy performance.
What affects our Home Energy Audit in Altadena price most is home size, accessibility to your attic and crawl space, and whether we’re adding duct testing. Homes in Glendale’s hillside neighborhoods like Whiting Woods or Chevy Chase Canyon often have difficult crawl space access, which adds a bit of time. To avoid overpaying, ask exactly what’s included in the quote, whether thermal imaging is part of the audit or an add-on, and whether you get the report in writing. Our free estimate covers all of that upfront. And if you’ve gotten a written quote from another company, bring it to us. We’ll give you a free second opinion before you commit. Seniors and veterans always save 10 percent, and there’s never a trip charge for homes in our service county.
Home Energy Audit Near Glendale - Our Service Area
Walt’s Insulation runs home energy audits across Glendale and the surrounding cities, including La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Burbank, Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Alhambra, Eagle Rock, and Atwater Village. We also serve Beverly Hills and Commerce for homeowners who need the same measured, no-guesswork approach. Most Glendale homeowners get an audit within three to five business days of their first call. If you’re in our service county, there’s no trip charge, ever. Not sure if you’re in the county? Call us and we’ll tell you straight.
Serving Glendale, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Glendale area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions - Home Energy Audit in Glendale
A home energy audit is a room-by-room assessment of how your home uses and loses energy. It combines a visual inspection of your insulation, windows, doors, and ductwork with diagnostic testing like a blower door and thermal imaging to measure air leaks and insulation gaps. The result is a prioritized list of fixes that will lower your bills and make your Glendale home more comfortable.
Most audits we perform in Glendale take two to three hours for homes up to 2,500 square feet. Larger homes or those with hard-to-reach crawl spaces can take up to four hours. We schedule enough time to walk through the results with you before we leave, so you’re not waiting on a report that shows up days later.
A home energy audit in Glendale typically costs $150 to $500 depending on which tests you include and how large your home is. A basic visual inspection starts around $150, while a full audit with blower door testing, thermal imaging, and duct leakage testing runs $350 to $500. Call (747) 246-7237 for an exact quote, estimates are always free.
Yes, we audit homes with Owens Corning insulation regularly in Glendale. We check for gaps, compression, and settling that reduce the effective R-value, and our thermal imaging shows exactly where the Owens Corning batts or blown-in fiberglass aren’t performing. The audit findings tell you if adding more insulation on top of existing Owens Corning makes sense or if a full replacement is the better call.
If you suspect a gas leak, carbon monoxide, or sparking wiring, call your utility company or 911 first. Once any safety issue is resolved by the appropriate authority, we can often schedule an audit within 24 to 48 hours in Glendale. Our phones are answered by a live person 24/7, so if you call at 2 a.m. concerned about your home’s energy performance, a real human picks up and gets you scheduled.
Every service we perform, whether it’s air sealing, insulation installation, or duct sealing, is covered by our Done Right Promise for as long as you own the home. If it’s not done right, we make it right, no runaround and no charge. That lifetime workmanship guarantee is Walt Brenner’s name on the line, and we’ve been backing it since 2000.
You don’t need to do much. Clear a small area around your attic access and make sure the technician can get to your crawl space or basement door if you have one. Close all windows and exterior doors about an hour before the blower door test, and turn off any exhaust fans. We’ll handle everything else and explain each step as we go.
Schedule Your Home Energy Audit Service in Glendale Today
Stop guessing where your money goes every month. Get measured answers from a company that’s been serving Glendale since 2000 and stands behind every job with a lifetime Done Right Promise. Call (747) 246-7237 for your free estimate, and you’ll reach a live person, 24/7, ready to schedule your audit. Seniors and veterans always save 10 percent, and there’s no trip charge in our service county.
Written by Walt Brenner, Owner at Walt’s Insulation, serving Glendale since 2000.