Tell us what's going on up there.

What to tell us

You don’t need the right words for any of this. “It’s hot upstairs and I think something lives in the attic” is a perfectly good start. If you have them handy, these details help us give you a useful answer the first time:

• Your ZIP code, so we know where you are and whether you're on the foggy side of the hills or the hot side.
• Roughly how big the attic is. Use the footprint of your top floor: the attic sits right on top of it. For a one-story house, that's its square footage.
• What's up there now, if you've looked: nothing at all, a thin layer, old and dirty insulation, or signs of rodents.
• What made you get in touch. Bedrooms that bake in summer, drafts, a high energy bill, scratching in the ceiling, a musty smell, or a home you're about to sell.
• Whether you own or rent. If you rent, the owner will need to sign off on any work.

Sending photos instead of booking a visit

Prefer not to have anyone over? An estimate from photos or video is an option, and the form above has a box for it. Email the pictures to the address on this page, with your ZIP code, and we'll take it from there.

The photos that help most:

• The hatch, open, from below, so we can see how big it is and how it's framed.
• The view from the hatch in each direction, with as much of the attic floor in the frame as you can get.
• A tape measure standing straight up in the insulation, so the depth is readable.
• Vents at the eaves and the gable ends, and any ducts you can see.
• Anything that worries you: dark stains on the roof boards, droppings, chewed wiring, wet patches.

A short video, panning slowly from the hatch, often shows more than a dozen photos.

Photos can't show everything an inspection does. Depth varies across an attic, and some problems only show up in person. So a photo estimate may come back with a few questions before we write the quote.

Staying safe while you're up there

You don't have to climb in at all. A photo from the top of the ladder, with your head and shoulders through the hatch, is plenty. If you do go further:

• Step only on the joists, or on a board laid across them. The ceiling between the joists won't hold your weight.
• If you see rodent droppings, take the photo and leave them be: the California Department of Public Health says not to sweep or vacuum them (why).
• If the insulation looks like small gray-brown or silver-gold pebbles, it may be vermiculite. The EPA advises assuming it contains asbestos and not disturbing it. Photograph it from the hatch and tell us when you write (more on vermiculite).
• If the attic is too tight, too hot, or you'd simply rather not, skip it. That's what the free inspection is for.

Text messages

The form has a separate box for text messages, and it starts unchecked. Tick it and we may text you about your request at the number you gave. Leave it blank and we'll use phone or email instead. It isn't needed for an estimate, and you can reply STOP to any text to opt out.

Where we are

Attic WISE is based in Redwood City and works in 30 cities across eight Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma. There's no storefront or showroom to visit; we come to you. The full list of cities is on the about page. If yours isn't on it, call and ask.

Rather start with a number?

The estimator asks a few questions about your attic and shows a Bay Area market range, then lets you request a free inspection. The cost page has ranges for each of our services and the published sources behind them.