Home energy audits in Iowa City, IA
Iowa City has some of the most interesting — and challenging — housing stock in the state. Neighborhoods like Longfellow, Goosetown, and Northside are full of character and full of energy problems that conventional insulation upgrades alone can’t solve. A proper home energy audit reveals exactly what’s happening in your house rather than applying a generic playbook.
Why older Iowa City homes lose so much energy
Homes near the University of Iowa frequently date to the early twentieth century, and further out, postwar ranches and 1970s split-levels present their own set of leakage and comfort issues. Homes in Iowa City often lose energy through attic bypasses, basement leakage, and unsealed wall cavities — especially in the older neighborhoods. The combined effect of stack pressure (warm air rising and escaping at the top of the house) and wind pressure can pull substantial volumes of outside air through a leaky envelope every hour. In older homes, we routinely see ACH50 figures two to three times higher than modern code allows.
What the audit includes
Home Star Iowa’s audit process is built around BPI Building Analyst standards and combines several diagnostic tests:
Blower Door Testing
A calibrated fan measures total envelope leakage in ACH50 — a real number, not an estimate.
Blower door testing →Infrared Thermography
Thermographic imaging visualizes missing insulation and air bypasses that the eye can’t see.
Thermal imaging →Ventilation Assessment
We verify the home gets adequate fresh air without excessive energy loss.
Insulation Inspection
A hands-on inspection of accessible attics, walls, and crawlspaces.
Moisture Review
Basements, rim joists, and known problem areas get a dedicated moisture check.
DOE Home Energy Score
An official 1–10 score that can be useful at time of sale. Home Star Iowa is a DOE Home Energy Score Assessor and has used the program through BPI.org’s rater system for roughly eight years.
Home Energy Score →Common Iowa City problems
What you feel
- Cold second floors in winter, driven by stack effect pulling warm air upward and out through the attic plane
- Hot upper rooms in summer, where attic heat gain and leakage combine to overwhelm the HVAC system
What’s behind it
- Basement rim leakage — the band joist and sill plate are rarely sealed in pre-code construction
- Hidden attic bypasses behind dropped soffits, plumbing chases, and old chimney surrounds
- Knob-and-tube or mixed-vintage wiring that complicates insulation decisions and requires careful planning
What you walk away with
After testing, you receive a prioritized written report showing which improvements will deliver the largest comfort and energy gains per dollar spent. The audit is a flat $699, any size home. The goal is to help you make decisions in an order that makes sense — air sealing first, insulation second, mechanical upgrades third, in most cases. Rebates through MidAmerican Energy or Alliant Energy may apply to some of the work, and we’ll point you toward the relevant programs when they fit your project.
Serving Iowa City and the corridor
Home comfort testing across the Iowa City corridor, including Tiffin, Solon, University Heights, and surrounding communities:
A few things Iowa City homeowners ask
Can older Iowa City homes improve significantly?
Why are upstairs rooms hotter in summer?
Do I have to fix everything the report recommends?
How long does the appointment take?
Schedule your Iowa City energy audit
Blower door testing, attic insulation evaluation, infrared diagnostics, and combustion safety review — every assessment performed by a BPI-certified Building Analyst, certified since 2009.