Localized for 1,000+ U.S. cities — adjusted for local labor, climate & permits
City comparison

Spray Foam Insulation cost: Clifton vs Kearny (2026)

Clifton and Kearny are a near-perfect match on spray foam insulation cost in 2026, both landing around $4,250.

Clifton NJ

$1,700 $6,750

Typically around $4,250

Kearny NJ

$1,700 $6,750

Typically around $4,250

Side by side

Clifton vs Kearny: full breakdown

FactorCliftonKearny
Typical 2026 cost$4,250$4,250
Estimated range$1,700–$6,750$1,700–$6,750
Labor index (vs US)×1.13×1.13
Climate zoneMixedMixed
Climate factor×1×1
Local permitNoneNone
Labor share$2,350$2,350
Materials/equipment$1,900$1,900

Localized 2026 planning estimates — not quotes. Each city adjusts the national spray foam insulation range for local labor, climate and permits.

The verdict

A wash — choose on quality, not city

This is a statistical tie on spray foam insulation cost, so let contractor reputation and project timing decide, not geography.

By type

Spray foam insulation by type: Clifton vs Kearny

Below, each spray foam insulation option is priced independently for both cities, with identical local labor, climate and permit logic applied — so the comparison holds up.

TypeCliftonKearny
Open-cell$1,700$5,050$1,700$5,050
Closed-cell$2,800$7,900$2,800$7,900

Localized 2026 planning estimates — not quotes. Each city adjusts the national spray foam insulation range for local labor, climate and permits.

By size

Spray foam insulation by area: Clifton vs Kearny

Spray foam is priced by board foot (1 sq ft at 1 inch thick), which works out to about $1.50–$5 per sq ft of surface installed depending on foam type and thickness. Closed-cell costs more but adds twice the R-value per inch.

SizeCliftonKearny
500 sq ft$1,000$2,700$1,000$2,700
1,000 sq ft$1,700$4,500$1,700$4,500
1,500 sq ft$2,500$6,200$2,500$6,200
2,000+ sq ft$3,150$7,350$3,150$7,350

Treat these as 2026 localized estimates for spray foam insulation, not quotes from a contractor.

Local labor reality

What insulation pros earn in each metro

With labor making up about 55% of a spray foam insulation job, wage differences between metros do most of the work here. These figures are real BLS OEWS installer wages, not modeled estimates.

Clifton, NJ
$38.3/hr

New York-Newark-Jersey City metro · about 23% above the US average installer wage.

Kearny, NJ
$38.3/hr

New York-Newark-Jersey City metro · about 23% above the US average installer wage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metro wages for HVAC installers (used as a trade-labor index).

Best time to buy

Cheapest time for spray foam insulation in either city

Fall is when everyone rushes to insulate before winter hits, making it the busiest and priciest season. Spring and summer see far less demand — and utility rebate budgets are often still full that early in the year.

Best window
Spring and summer
Avoid
The pre-winter fall rush
Off-peak savings
5–10%
Editors' roundtable

How much insulation is worth paying for?

Insulation is one of the few home upgrades where spending more can genuinely pay for itself. Our editors on the choices that decide both cost and payback.

The air-sealing case

Skip air-sealing and you're insulating around the very holes letting conditioned air leak out. Caulk, foam and weatherstripping are inexpensive and often return more felt comfort than a thicker blanket of insulation ever would — insist the crew handles the leaks before they bury them.

The R-value case

Insulate to the DOE recommendation for your climate zone — under-insulating to save money leaves comfort and energy savings on the table that would have paid the job back.

The rebate case

Insulation carries some of the strongest incentive money in remodeling, with utility and state rebates covering a real portion of the cost since the federal 25C credit expired at the end of 2025. Look up what applies on DSIRE, then schedule the work while rebate funds are still unclaimed for the year.

Our take

Don't half-do an insulation job to save money upfront: seal the air leaks first, insulate to the DOE target for your zone, and stack the rebates. The full scope pays back faster than the partial one.

FAQ

Clifton vs Kearny

Is spray foam insulation cheaper in Clifton or Kearny?

Practically identical — expect around $4,250 for spray foam insulation whichever city you're in.

Why does spray foam insulation cost more in Kearny than Clifton?

Labor rates explain most of it — 1.13 in Kearny vs 1.13 in Clifton. A mixed climate versus mixed accounts for the rest.

How much is spray foam insulation in Clifton, NJ?

In Clifton, spray foam insulation typically runs $1,700–$6,750 in 2026, with most homeowners paying around $4,250.

Do insulation pros really charge more in one city?

It's not a myth — BLS data puts installer wages at about $38.3/hr in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area and $38.3/hr in New York-Newark-Jersey City. Given labor is around 55% of a spray foam insulation job's cost, that gap explains most of the price spread.

When is the cheapest time to buy spray foam insulation — and does it differ by city?

Timing doesn't change by city here — Spring and summer is the cheapest window in both Clifton and Kearny, saving roughly 5–10%. Avoid the pre-winter fall rush in either location, when emergency replacements push prices up.

Should I choose where to live based on spray foam insulation cost?

Not on this basis — Clifton and Kearny cost about the same. Weigh contractor quality, scope, equipment tier and timing instead.

Keep comparing

Compare spray foam insulation in other cities

Updated June 2026 · By Serhat Özçelik