Insulation Contractor in Hawthorne, CA - Cooler Rooms in Older Houses
D&J Hawthorne Insulation Services is an insulation contractor based in Hawthorne, CA. We seal the leaks and add or replace insulation in attics, walls and crawl spaces so hot upstairs rooms and drafty older houses stay comfortable.
- Service area
- Hawthorne, CA
- Call
- (424) 307-8033
Older houses and small businesses across Hawthorne
Hawthorne is our home city. I started the business here in 2023 after years of heating and air work in hot attics, and most calls we get here are about the same thing: upstairs rooms that won't cool down and attics nobody has touched in decades. The city is mostly older single-family houses close together on small lots, with plenty of apartments and a steady run of shops and small commercial buildings, and we do the same work across the line in Inglewood, Lawndale and Gardena.
Those older houses shape the job. Attics tend to be low and tight with the ductwork running through them, ceilings are full of can lights and old wiring holes, and some houses sit over a crawl space, so we spend as much time sealing and checking what's already there as we do adding material.
Our services in Hawthorne, CA
A lot of Hawthorne attics still have the thin, settled layer the house was built with, which is why the bedrooms heat up by afternoon and the power bill climbs. We measure how many inches are up there, seal the gaps first and then bring the whole attic up evenly, edges included.
When the ductwork runs through a hot attic or the room over the garage never cools down, spray foam insulation can make sense because it seals air while it insulates. It costs more than loose fill, so I'll tell you plainly when sealing the gaps and topping up would do the job instead.
In older attics we often find insulation that was soaked by an old roof leak or fouled by rodents, and new material laid on top just hides the problem. We bag it, haul it out and clean up, and I point out what caused it so it gets fixed before anything new goes in.
Ceilings in older houses leak around can lights, pipes, wiring holes and the attic hatch, so hot attic air drifts into the rooms below. We close those gaps before insulating on nearly every job, because insulation can't stop a draft on its own.
Houses here that sit on a crawl space often have cold floors in winter because the space under them is open and bare. We check down there for moisture and pests first, then insulate under the floor so the material stays where it belongs.
We also work for owners of shops, offices and small commercial buildings around Hawthorne, often when a space is changing hands or getting ready for a new tenant. I look at what's there and how the space is used, then put the scope and price in writing.
Every service we offer
Spray foam insulation
Attic insulation
Blown-in insulation
Home insulation
Insulation removal
Crawl space insulation
Wall insulation
Air sealing services
Basement insulation
Closed-cell foam insulation
Open-cell foam insulation
Commercial insulation
Crawl space vapor barrier
Vapor barrier installation
Attic air sealing
Retrofit insulation
What happens when you call us in Hawthorne
Call or send the form
You call or fill out the form, and we set a time for me to come out. Weekends work too, since we answer the phone seven days a week.
I look at the space
I come out myself, check how many inches are up there and look for leaks, droppings, buried vents and wiring problems. You get a written estimate with the price, the plan and anything that should be fixed first, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
Seal first, then insulate
On the day, our crew covers your floors and belongings, seals the leaks and then puts the insulation in. If the job needs a permit, we pull it and book the inspections, and since the city's building office is open Monday to Thursday and closed Fridays, inspections land on those days.
Walk the finished job
When the crew is done, I check the work myself and then walk it with you so you can see the depth and the sealed gaps. Ask whatever you want while we're up there, because no question is too small.
Hawthorne insulation questions answered
Who handles building permits for insulation work in Hawthorne?
The city's Department of Building and Safety processes permits and plans for construction in Hawthorne and enforces the federal, state and local construction laws that apply. Whether your particular job needs a permit is a question for that office, which you can reach at (310) 349-2990. When a job does need one, we pull it and set up the inspections.
Can I apply for a building permit online in Hawthorne?
Yes. The city's Citizen Self Service portal is where you apply for permits and plans, check a record's status and review plan submittals. On jobs where we pull the permit, you can still look up the record there and follow along.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Hawthorne?
You schedule it through that same online portal. If your permit was issued before July 2022, the city asks you to call the office to schedule instead. On permits we pull, we book the inspections ourselves, and the inspector checks the work against the approved plans and the codes that apply.
How much does it cost to insulate an attic in Hawthorne?
The price comes down to how big the attic is, what's up there now and how much has to happen before new material goes in, so I give you a written number after I've seen it. Old insulation that's soaked or full of droppings has to come out first, a tight, low attic takes longer to work in, and the amount of sealing and the material you choose both move the number. Timing turns on the same things, plus whether a permit and inspection are involved.
How do I handle corrections from a business license inspection in Hawthorne?
If the Building Inspector lists corrections that need work on the building, you pay permit and plan check fees on top of the inspection, because the application fee for a new business location covers only the Code Compliance Inspection. The city's page says that permit fee is based on the cost of the work, and it lists 2 to 5 business days to process an online business license application. If insulation or sealing is on the list, I can come look and put the scope in writing.
What causes upstairs rooms to stay hot in older Hawthorne houses?
Usually it's a thin or settled layer of attic insulation plus gaps in the ceiling that let hot attic air leak down, and the room over the garage is often the worst. Buried eave vents make it worse by trapping heat and moisture in the attic. I check all three when I come out, because adding insulation without sealing the leaks or clearing the vents leaves you where you started.
Get a free written insulation estimate for your Hawthorne home
Send the form or call, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Hawthorne house myself, look at the attic, walls or crawl space, and give you a written price and plan at no charge. There's no pressure to book.
- Call
- (424) 307-8033
- Location
- Hawthorne, CA 90250
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Have us look at your Hawthorne attic
Call (424) 307-8033 any day until 11 PM, and if a roof leak or bad wiring needs fixing first, you'll hear about it before you spend a dollar on material.