What Home Renovation Savings pays for insulation in Hamilton
We re-read the program's pages and both eligibility documents on October 3, 2026. There are two ways in: an attic-only stream with no assessment, and the assessment stream, where insulation, windows, air sealing and a heat pump water heater are bundled.
Attic, no assessment
The attic stream pays half of the after-tax cost, up to $1,250 for an attic from R-12 or less to R-50, $1,000 from R-25 or less and $800 from R-35 or less. A participating insulation contractor must do the work.
Attic, with assessment
In the assessment stream an attic brought to at least R-50 pays $1,500, $1,200 or $900 by starting R-value, pro-rated by the share of the roof you insulate (minimum 50%).
Cathedral ceiling or flat roof
$750 in the attic stream and $780 in the assessment stream. Any combination of attic, cathedral and flat roof counts as one measure, capped at $1,500 in the assessment stream.
Exterior walls
$1,200 for R-7.5 to R-12 added, $2,100 for more than R-12 to R-20 and $3,600 for more than R-20. Minimum 20% of wall area, pro-rated.
Basement walls, slab and headers
Walls up to $1,500, a slab $500 and a header $300. Wall plus slab is capped at $2,000, and all three at $2,300.
Crawl space and exposed floors
Crawl space walls $600 or $1,200, ceiling $1,200, header $300, combined up to $2,700. An exposed floor over a garage earns $300 at R-20 or more.
Semis and row homes
Semi-detached and end-unit row homes get 75% of the walls and basement maximums. Middle-unit rows get 50%.
Audit rebate and cap
The assessment stream returns $600 for the audits and caps insulation rebates at $7,700, inside an overall $10,000 limit, or $5,000 for Enbridge gas homes.
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Attic stream work must be finished by November 30, 2026 and entered in the system by December 31. In the assessment stream, the post-audit must be scheduled by November 30 and completed by December 31, 2026, or within 180 days of your first assessment.
Hamilton's older housing
The 2021 Census counts 222,810 households in Hamilton, with 61% living in homes built before 1981. 56% live in detached houses, 72% in an eligible type and 66% own. 6.6% reported needing major repairs. In a house from the 1950s or 1960s, the attic is usually the cheapest to do, followed by basement walls and then exterior walls.
How the $7,700 adds up
The assessment stream caps insulation at $7,700. A house could reach it with an attic ($1,500), exterior walls ($3,600), basement walls ($1,500), a slab ($500) and a header ($300) before pro-rating, and those add up to $7,400 plus an exposed floor at $300 for $7,700. Few houses do all of them, and the overall cap of $10,000 or $5,000 for gas homes still applies.
Pro-rating catches people out
Every surface is paid by share of area covered. A 60% attic job at $1,200 pays $720, and a 50% cathedral ceiling pays 50% of $780. If you leave a section uninsulated, the rebate falls proportionally. Ask the contractor for the percentage of each surface in writing, because the follow-up assessment checks it.
Do not start early
Insulation done before the first assessment, or before the in-home visit for the attic stream, is not eligible. A Hamilton homeowner who has already had work done this year cannot claim it now. If you got a rebate for the same work from an earlier Enbridge or IESO program, the program does not pay twice for it.
How to claim in Hamilton
- Confirm the house is an eligible type and whether any past rebate covered insulation.
- Choose a stream: pre-register for the attic stream, or book a home energy assessment for the full bundle.
- Get quotes that state the R-value you start with, the R-value you reach and the share of each surface you will insulate.
- Do not start any work until the in-home visit or first assessment has happened.
- Keep invoices and your property tax bill for the paperwork, and finish before the November 30 and December 31, 2026 dates.
Common questions
How much can Hamilton homeowners get?
Up to $7,700 for insulation in the assessment stream, inside the overall cap.
Are walls pro-rated?
Yes, by the share of exterior wall area insulated, with a 20% minimum.
Can I start work before the audit?
No.
Is there a loan?
We did not find a City of Hamilton energy loan in our verified list.
What to do next
See Hamilton window and door rebates and the Ontario rebate calculator.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 3, 2026: Home Renovation Savings: assessment upgrades, Home Renovation Savings: attic insulation, Home Renovation Savings eligibility requirements (PDF), Attic stream requirements (PDF), Statistics Canada 2021 Census, table 98-10-0233-01. All Hamilton rebates → Every Home Renovation Savings rebate →
