THE INSULATION MAN

What THE INSULATION MAN does

The Insulation Man (legal entity Insulation Man LLC) is a woman-owned home insulation and air sealing contractor headquartered in Binghamton, New York, serving residential and commercial customers across an 85-mile radius spanning the Southern Tier of New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1975 as The Foam Man by John Gorshack and under current sole ownership of Susan Gahagan (President and CEO) since 2020, the company provides residential insulation (spray foam, cellulose, air sealing), new construction insulation, commercial insulation, and home energy assessments using blower door testing and infrared diagnostics. The technical foundation is building-science-based whole-home performance evaluation, combining diagnostic testing with insulation and air-sealing installation; the company emphasizes closed-cell spray foam (~R-7 per inch) and integrated air sealing as core differentiators.

The business model is project-based and primarily direct-to-consumer, with one-time revenue per job quoted following a free estimate or NYSERDA-funded energy assessment. Distribution combines an inside-sales phone motion, on-site energy assessments, and field sales for commercial and builder/contractor accounts; the company is also a participating contractor in NYSERDA's Comfort Home and EmPower+ programs and the sole Sealed/NYSEG rebate contractor in the region. Customers span income-eligible households (subsidized via NYSERDA), market-rate residential homeowners, and commercial property owners (warehouses, schools, offices, government buildings, houses of worship), with financing facilitated through GJGNY and NEIF loan programs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted per project.

Name

THE INSULATION MAN

Legal name

Insulation Man LLC

Website

https://insulationman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Woman-owned insulation and air sealing contractor (founded 1975) serving residential and commercial customers across the Southern Tier of New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania with spray foam, cellulose, diagnostics, and NYSERDA program-funded energy assessments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Insulation & Air Sealing Services

NAICS

Drywall and Insulation Contractors (238310)

akta.pro primary industry

Insulation & Air/Vapor Barrier Systems (Thermal, Acoustic, WRB/AVB) (IMAFAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spray Foam Insulation Systems (IMADAGAE), Cellulose (Recycled Fiber) Insulation (IMADAGAC), Duct Sealing, Insulation & Airflow Balancing (HSAOAIAH), Exterior Insulation & Weatherproofing (House Wrap, Air/Water Barriers) (HSAPAKAK)

Keywords

• Residential insulation services
• Commercial insulation installation
• Air sealing services
• Home energy assessment
• Spray foam insulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Binghamton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Residential Insulation Installation: Primary revenue stream from installing spray foam, cellulose, and other insulation types in existing homes and new residential construction. Revenue is project-based, one-time per job, with pricing quoted per project following energy assessments or estimates.
2. Air Sealing Services: Professional air sealing using spray foam, caulk, and weatherstripping. Typically bundled with insulation projects or offered as standalone service. One-time project revenue.
3. Home Energy Assessments: Comprehensive energy evaluations using blower doors and infrared cameras to identify inefficiencies. Assessments are the first step in the NYSERDA EmPower+ program and are offered at no cost for income-eligible households or quoted for standard customers.
4. Commercial Insulation: Insulation installation for commercial buildings including warehouses, schools, offices, apartment buildings, pole barns, boat houses, government buildings, and houses of worship. Project-based revenue with bids submitted for larger jobs.
5. New Construction Insulation: Insulation services for new residential and commercial construction, working with builders, contractors, architects, and trade partners. Project-based revenue.
6. HVAC Services Coordination: Coordination with HVAC contractor partners to integrate heating and cooling into home upgrade projects. The company facilitates the connection but HVAC work is performed by partner contractors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

THE INSULATION MAN is a woman-owned insulation and air sealing contractor serving residential and commercial customers in the Southern Tier of New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1975. The company installs closed-cell spray foam, cellulose, blown-in fiberglass, and mineral wool insulation, complemented by professional air sealing, blower door testing, and infrared thermal imaging diagnostics. It also coordinates HVAC integration through partner contractors and helps customers access NYSERDA incentive programs and energy-efficiency financing.

Product overview

THE INSULATION MAN is a woman-owned insulation and air sealing contractor offering residential and commercial services since 1975. The company provides a comprehensive suite of insulation products including spray foam insulation, cellulose insulation, and air sealing services, alongside diagnostic services such as infrared thermal imaging and blower door testing. The core product portfolio centers on whole-home energy efficiency solutions, combining insulation materials with professional air sealing and home energy assessments to reduce heating and cooling costs. Commercial services extend to new construction and existing buildings of various types. The company operates as a participating contractor in NYSERDA programs and offers financing options through various energy efficiency loan programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Air Sealing
• Cellulose Insulation
• Spray Foam Insulation
• Infrared Diagnostics
• Blower Door Testing
• HVAC Services Coordination
• Residential Insulation Services
• Commercial Insulation
• New Construction Insulation
• Home Energy Assessment

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 15-20% savings on heating and cooling costs after insulation and air sealing upgrades (EPA estimate cited on site)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SealedcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Insulation Man partnered with Sealed in 2017 to offer exclusive performance-based rebates for residential insulation and air sealing projects through NYSEG. Sealed provides direct rebates to homeowners, with Insulation Man being the sole contractor in the entire Southern Tier of NY qualified to perform qualifying work for this program. Rebates up to $2,000 are available for attic insulation projects.
• NYSERDAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInsulation Man is a participating contractor in NYSERDA's Comfort Home Program and EmPower+ incentive programs. This partnership enables the company to offer income-eligible homeowners no-cost or subsidized energy assessments and insulation upgrades, funded by NYSERDA rebates. The company is listed on NYSERDA's official contractor finder, receiving referrals through the program. The partnership is central to the company's GTM strategy for reaching income-qualified customers.
• Johns ManvillecoreTechnology or IntegrationInsulation Man is the only Johns Manville certified commercial spray foam insulation installer in the Southern Tier of New York. The company exclusively uses Johns Manville spray foam products, including JM Spider Plus blown-in fiberglass insulation and JM spray foam for new construction projects. This exclusive certification is a competitive differentiator.
• Green Jobs Green New York (GJGNY)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAs a participating contractor in NYSERDA programs, Insulation Man helps customers access GJGNY financing options including the Smart Energy Loan (3.99% or 3.49% APR) and On-Bill Recovery Loan, enabling customers to finance energy efficiency improvements and heat pumps.
• National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNEIF provides financing for energy-efficient home improvements that Insulation Man customers can access. NEIF offers unsecured installment loans with fixed rates, no fees, and terms up to 10 years. Insulation Man facilitates financing referrals but NEIF handles the loan origination.
• HVAC Contractor PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsulation Man partners with some of the most reputable HVAC contractors in the Southern Tier to integrate home heating and cooling into home upgrade projects. These HVAC partners adhere to Insulation Man's high standards and company philosophy. During energy assessments, auditors document HVAC issues which are relayed to partner contractors for follow-up appointments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TopBuild Corp: Public, national-scale insulation and building products installer (NYSE: BLD). Same core service — spray foam, fiberglass, and air sealing installation for residential and commercial — but operates at vastly greater scale across the U.S., providing a public-market comparable for Insulation Man's trade.
• Greenfiber: National manufacturer and installer of cellulose insulation (and other building products). Directly comparable cellulose product offering; Insulation Man installs cellulose as one of its three core insulation types, while Greenfiber operates at manufacturer-plus-installer scale.
• Installed Building Products (IBP): Public installer of insulation and complementary building products (NYSE: IBP). Performs the same residential and commercial insulation work as Insulation Man, including spray foam and air sealing, with national branch coverage — the closest publicly traded peer for unit economics comparison.
• Service Partners: Specialty distributor and installer of insulation and building products (Lone Star Funds portfolio company). Directly comparable insulation distribution + installation business model, but operates at national scale rather than as a single-region contractor.

Regional players

• Applegate Insulation: Regional cellulose and spray foam insulation installer operating primarily in the Southeastern U.S. Same insulation-and-air-sealing service mix as Insulation Man, including energy-efficiency retrofits, but focused on a different geography.
• Energy Home Insulation: Regional residential and commercial insulation contractor offering spray foam, cellulose, and air sealing. Comparable single-region operator model with similar service mix, though concentrated in a different U.S. market.

Emerging players

• Koala Insulation: Franchise-based residential and commercial insulation installer offering spray foam, cellulose, and air sealing. Competes with Insulation Man in the same service categories and customer segments, but via a national franchise model rather than a single-region independent operator.
• Dr. Energy Saver: Home-energy-efficiency contractor specializing in air sealing, insulation, and whole-home performance upgrades. Directly comparable 'house-as-a-system' retrofit offering and BPI-style building science approach used by Insulation Man.

Others

• NYSERDA: Not a competitor but a critical ecosystem/funnel partner. NYSERDA's Comfort Home and EmPower+ programs drive a significant share of Insulation Man's lead flow via the contractor finder — directly tied to the company's revenue base and growth trajectory.
• BPI (Building Performance Institute): Not a competitor but an ecosystem participant: BPI is the certifying body whose GoldStar Accreditation Insulation Man holds. Including as an 'others' peer because BPI-certified contractor status is central to Insulation Man's market positioning and qualifying for NYSERDA incentive programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-insulation-man

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about THE INSULATION MAN