Interlaken is a spread of homes around Pinto, College and Kelly lakes, just outside Watsonville. We're an insulation contractor based in Hollister, and we drive over for the same calls we get at home.
Those calls are the usual ones, a hot room over the garage, cold floors, a power bill that won't come down. What's different out here is the ground. Houses close to the water and on low lots can have crawl spaces that stay damp, and insulation laid over a damp problem only hides it, so we look under the floor and in the attic before we recommend anything.
What sets the price and the schedule
Your price comes from what's already in the attic or crawl space and what it takes to fix it. I measure how many inches are up there now and check its condition, because old insulation that's soaked or full of droppings has to come out first, and removal adds cost and time. Foam costs more than loose fill and seals air while it insulates. For most attics I'd rather seal the gaps and top up with blown-in, which is loose fill blown through a hose, unless your ductwork runs up there. The schedule turns on the size of the space, how easy it is to reach and how much has to come out. Your number comes from my visit.
Crawl spaces, damp ground and termites
Cold floors usually trace back to the crawl space, and near the lakes that space can stay damp. Santa Cruz County is rated a very heavy termite damage area in the state's residential code, so before anything goes under your floor we check the framing for damage and moisture. Insulation over wet wood just gives the termites a blanket. Where the ground stays wet, a vapor barrier or closed-cell foam, a dense foam that blocks moisture, can be a better fit than batts. If your house has a basement, our basement insulation work starts with the same look for water.
Checking the address and the wiring
Permit rules depend on where a house sits, so I check each address with the city or county building office before we start. The County of Santa Cruz has an address lookup that shows whether a property is inside a city or in unincorporated county, which tells me whose rules apply. The other thing I check is the wiring. If old or damaged wiring is in the way, we don't bury it under insulation. Repairing or replacing it is an electrician's job, and the county requires an electrical permit for that work unless its code exempts it, so it gets sorted out before our crew starts.