Most Minnesota homes are losing thousands of dollars a year — and you can’t see it
Your home’s envelope — the attic, walls, rim joist, basement, and air seal between conditioned and unconditioned space — is the foundation of every heating and cooling decision you make. It’s also the unglamorous part of home improvement: nobody walks into your house and compliments your R-value. But the math is hard to argue with.
Insulation is one of the few home improvements that pays you back in measurable utility savings every month for the life of the home. The Twin Cities sits in ASHRAE Climate Zone 7 — one of the most demanding residential climate zones in the lower 48 — with roughly 8,000+ heating degree days a year. Our homes work harder, longer, and against bigger temperature differentials than homes almost anywhere else in the country.
Most Minnesota homes built before 1990 — and especially before 1980 — were insulated to standards far below current code. Many have R-19 or less in the attic, where current ENERGY STAR recommendations call for R-49 to R-60. Wall cavities have settled fiberglass with significant gaps, or no insulation at all. Rim joists are often completely uninsulated, leaving a continuous cold band around the entire perimeter of the home.
The fix isn’t always complicated. The first conversation is always: where is your home actually losing heat?
Questions?
Need more information? Not sure where to turn? Visit our FAQ page for answers to your top-asked questions!
Why Three Rivers?
Insulation isn’t one product — it’s a category. We use blown cellulose for most attics and dense-pack walls; blown fiberglass where cellulose isn’t ideal; closed-cell spray foam for rim joists, rooflines, and air-barrier applications; open-cell spray foam in interior wall cavities; fiberglass batts in framed cavities accessible during construction; and rigid foam board for basement walls and exterior continuous insulation.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. We pick the material that fits the application, your home’s existing assemblies, and your budget — not the material with the biggest markup.
Insulation should generally come before HVAC replacement, before solar, and alongside any major remodel. A tighter envelope means smaller HVAC equipment that’s correctly sized, a smaller (and cheaper) solar system needed to offset what’s left, and dramatically better heat-pump performance. We coordinate with our sister company iSolar Minnesota for homeowners pursuing both — sequencing the work for the best outcome and lowest combined cost.
For larger projects, we run post-work blower door testing and confirm the home is tighter than it started. We don’t disappear after the install. We expect you to see the difference, and we want to know if you don’t.
Joanna Biessener
16:33 22 Apr 26
Three Rivers Contracting was amazing with getting our roof replaced basically in the middle of a snow storm as part of a project for putting in solar panels. Megan was always in contact, making sure we were taken care of. They were as quick and efficient as possible given we had about 5 inches during the install. When the snow melted months later and we needed additional cleanup, they did not hesitate to get out make sure everything was taken care of. Very professional, very on point, and the roof and solar panels look amazing! Will hire them again when/if new projects come up.
Keith Johnson
16:50 20 Apr 26
Three Rivers was very polite and professional. They kept the work area clean and they did a great job. Megan helped us set up our project and Ed was focused on what we needed to do. We added another bedroom to our house and the girls couldn't be happier with it. Thank you Megan and Ed for all your help throughout this process.
Maria Charles
18:11 08 Apr 26
Very professional and friendly Very satisfied with my work that was done I would Recommend you thanks for the hard work great job
Jason Erdman
15:29 08 Mar 26
Shawn and Megan were so wonderful to work with. Explained everything from start to finish. All materials were delivered on schedule and all work was completed in a timely and professional manner. I would highly recommend this company!
J L
21:11 05 Feb 26
Kate Karch
16:01 12 Dec 25
We recently partnered with Three Rivers Contracting for a full roof replacement, and the experience exceeded our expectations. One of the smartest aspects of their approach is their partnership with GavNat, a public adjuster, to maximize insurance coverage. This demonstrated to us that client satisfaction is truly at the core of their business.
From start to finish, the entire team was outstanding—especially Megan. She ensured we had clear, timely information at every stage of the process. With multiple parties involved—the public adjuster, contractors, and insurance company—Megan’s guidance was invaluable. She answered every question promptly and made sure we understood next steps, which gave us confidence throughout the project.
The roof itself looks fantastic. Sean, the project manager, was patient and thorough in explaining our options, and the crew completed the installation in just one day. They were respectful of our property, which was especially important since I work from home. The process was smooth, efficient, and caused minimal disruption to our daily lives.
Three Rivers Contracting offers reasonable pricing for the quality of work delivered. They go above and beyond to ensure clients only pay what they’re responsible for and strive to make the experience positive. Having heard countless contractor horror stories, I approached this project with skepticism—but I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.
I highly recommend Three Rivers Contracting for any home repairs or updates. Their professionalism, transparency, and commitment to client satisfaction set them apart.
From start to finish, the entire team was outstanding—especially Megan. She ensured we had clear, timely information at every stage of the process. With multiple parties involved—the public adjuster, contractors, and insurance company—Megan’s guidance was invaluable. She answered every question promptly and made sure we understood next steps, which gave us confidence throughout the project.
The roof itself looks fantastic. Sean, the project manager, was patient and thorough in explaining our options, and the crew completed the installation in just one day. They were respectful of our property, which was especially important since I work from home. The process was smooth, efficient, and caused minimal disruption to our daily lives.
Three Rivers Contracting offers reasonable pricing for the quality of work delivered. They go above and beyond to ensure clients only pay what they’re responsible for and strive to make the experience positive. Having heard countless contractor horror stories, I approached this project with skepticism—but I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.
I highly recommend Three Rivers Contracting for any home repairs or updates. Their professionalism, transparency, and commitment to client satisfaction set them apart.
Kelly Foehl
01:10 21 Feb 25
Three Rivers installed a new roof and made the process simple and stress free. They even helped with the mortgage and insurance companies, which can be the biggest pain. We enjoyed working with Shawn, Megan and the entire team of professionals. The roof looks great and they cleaned up well and took extra care to avoid landscaping/plants. Have already recommended them to friends.
James Harsh
15:58 06 Feb 25
We hired Three Rivers to replace multiple windows and big sliding doors in a newly purchased home. Shawn, Ed and the entire Three Rivers team were phenomenal from start to finish. We received multiple bids on this project but preferred to work with a local small business rather than a large company.
Everything from choosing the right materials to fit our needs and budget, to the exceptional care and craftsmanship they showed, I would highly recommend working with them.
Everything from choosing the right materials to fit our needs and budget, to the exceptional care and craftsmanship they showed, I would highly recommend working with them.
John Benjamin
21:27 15 Jan 25
Anne Kaintz
18:23 10 Nov 24
Three Rivers Contracting did a great job replacing the roof on our house and garage after suffering a lot of hail damage. David Bull and Megan W. coordinated with their insurance adjusters (I think?) at Gavat so that we did not have to deal with our insurance company at all, even when it turned out that we needed new decking to meet current codes. Megan came by the house to walk us through dealing with the insurance checks so that we did not have to figure it out on our own or put them through the mail/drop them off ourselves. They did a great job of getting our insurance company to cover everything it was supposed to cover, even though it took several months and a lot of back-and-forth, so that it all ended up being extremely affordable for us.
Ray
22:10 09 Nov 24
We hired Three Rivers to repair the hail damage to our roof after trying (and failing) on our own to get our insurance company to cover the losses. Shawn and his team worked tirelessly with a public adjuster get the insurance to cover well-documented damage to our roof, gutters, and windows. We could not have proceeded with any repairs at all if not for their expertise and determination. They cautioned us that this approach takes time and they were right, but it was 100% worth it.
When it came to the planning and actual work, they were an absolute pleasure to work with. The subcontractors were professional and friendly. Their work is top of the line! We would hire them again and again, and we recommend them to everyone we know.
When it came to the planning and actual work, they were an absolute pleasure to work with. The subcontractors were professional and friendly. Their work is top of the line! We would hire them again and again, and we recommend them to everyone we know.
Zeel Vora
17:49 06 Oct 24
We used Three Rivers after a rusted-through pipe resulted in a kitchen demo. Ed and Shawn are great to work with and went the extra mile for us. They were thorough and transparent when it came to our budget and working with insurance, which was highly appreciated. Our new kitchen is beautiful and we are so happy with Ed’s handiwork. The entire kitchen needed to be demoed and he put so much hard work into our home. We will definitely be using Three Rivers again for future home upgrades — just look at the before and after photos!
Rick Hansen
04:43 11 Aug 23
I recently had my roof replaced and garage door frame wrapped by Three Rivers Contracting. Working with Shawn made this process incredibly smooth. He was very detailed and patient when helping me understand the whole process. It is obvious that Shawn and the whole team at Three Rivers is very knowledgeable about this line of work. I would highly recommend Three Rivers Contracting.
Crystal Kuseske
15:16 21 Jul 23
I had the BEST experience with 3 Rivers!!!! Megan was so fabulous, she was always super fast to respond and helped me every step of the way!!!! The crew men were also amazing and did fabulous work!!! Their clean up job was amazing!! I would highly recommend 3 rivers!!!! Very happy with them!!
John Ahnemann
15:58 27 Jun 23
I have used 3 rivers not only for my own house, but for friends, neighbors. clients, and in general anyone and everyone that will listen to me. I have dealt with dozens of contractors within my industry, and I have been completly satisfied with 3Rivers from start to finish. Cannot recommend them enough. Their process helped me get through an insurance claim where another contractor failed. They didn't, and my 63k insurance claim was finished all thanks to them. 10 stars.
lucrecia rawson
12:11 24 Jun 23
Three Rivers Contracting went above and beyond to help my family. They are professional with quality craftsmanship, competitive pricing, with strong communication skills, a quality typically hard to find in contractors. The best recommendation would be to let you know; I will contact them again for future projects.
Anna Symmank
19:40 23 Jun 23
I highly recommend Three Rivers Contracting after working with them on our roof replacement. We had been battling with an insurance claim and had only been able to get a partial replacement covered. Shawn helped walk us through the tedious process step by step to navigate dealing with the insurance company and helped to get our full roof covered. Shawn was knowledgeable, patient, and always quick to respond. The crew who worked on our house was polite, efficient, did a great job at cleaning up the mess, and even moved a couple of our flower planters we missed so they wouldn't be damaged. I am very happy with our experience and would definitely do business with them again for future projects.
Sheryl Adan-Castillo
02:56 02 Feb 23
We hired Three Rivers Contracting after we filed an insurance claim on the entire exterior of our house due to hail and wind storm damage. They replaced our roof, all windows, siding, soffits, fascia, and gutters. Not only did the guys do a great job installing everything in a timely manner, they were also super kind and friendly. Shawn and Anthony always kept us up to date on when things were going to be completed and were easy to communicate with and get in touch with. We would highly recommend Three Rivers to anyone looking to repair or renovate their homes or when dealing with your homeowners insurance company! Our house looks fantastic and we couldn't be more pleased.
Karl Warnke
23:45 31 Jan 23
Three Rivers hit all the goals you would want: Quality work, worked quickly and efficiently, left a clean job site, communicated promptly the entire way. They were VERY helpful in making sure that insurance paid for what they were supposed to pay for. Our house is more sturdy and more beautiful thanks to Three Rivers. I highly recommend them. If you are considering Solar they also do that and integrate the two processes seamlessly. Excellent work!
Steve Molenaar
20:27 21 Dec 22
We had the Ihles install our solar array in the fall of 2019. We are thoroughly pleased with the product and with their neat and professional job of installation. Over the past three years there have been no problems. It just runs and runs without needing any maintenance of any sort.
Our solar array consists of 48 365-watt Longi solar panels, mounted on Omco ground mount solar racking, and 2 SolarEdge SE7600H-US inverters. In the first year of operation, we generated 27,701 kWh.
To be even more carbon neutral, we also installed a Waterfurnace 5-ton, Series 7 geothermal heat pump. During the first heating season, the heat pump used 7,178 kWh x $0.10 /kWh = $718 to heat our 3,400 sq. ft. home.
Looking at our kWh production and consumption history, in that first year, we sold 20,612 kWh to the power coop, we purchased 10,541 kWh, for a net 10,071 kWh sold to the power coop. In the winter months when there are shorter daylight hours, we purchase more power than we sell. But starting about in February, we sell the Coop more than what we purchase. Since we installed the solar array, we haven’t had to pay any electric or heating bills, and as of the end of 2022, we have a credit of $756 on our electric bill. The solar array provides all our power, including what is needed to heat the house. Going solar is the best purchase we’ve ever made.
Our solar array consists of 48 365-watt Longi solar panels, mounted on Omco ground mount solar racking, and 2 SolarEdge SE7600H-US inverters. In the first year of operation, we generated 27,701 kWh.
To be even more carbon neutral, we also installed a Waterfurnace 5-ton, Series 7 geothermal heat pump. During the first heating season, the heat pump used 7,178 kWh x $0.10 /kWh = $718 to heat our 3,400 sq. ft. home.
Looking at our kWh production and consumption history, in that first year, we sold 20,612 kWh to the power coop, we purchased 10,541 kWh, for a net 10,071 kWh sold to the power coop. In the winter months when there are shorter daylight hours, we purchase more power than we sell. But starting about in February, we sell the Coop more than what we purchase. Since we installed the solar array, we haven’t had to pay any electric or heating bills, and as of the end of 2022, we have a credit of $756 on our electric bill. The solar array provides all our power, including what is needed to heat the house. Going solar is the best purchase we’ve ever made.
Conrad Ladoux
22:26 15 Dec 22
We had a very bad experience with our previous unnamed roofing company and were hesitant when picking a new one. We did our homework and checked out five local companies and reviewed the BBB reports. We were treated with respect, and timely responses to any questions asked. We were kept updated on all aspects of the job and did not have to deal with our insurance company as this was taken care of by Three Rivers Personnel. The job was completed as promised without issue. We have a flat roof over our porch and this has been a nightmare with leaking. This repair far exceeded our expectations and we are thrilled with the outcome. I would not hesitate to recommend Three Rivers Contracting to family or friends.
Keith Schwartz
21:23 03 Dec 22
We used 3 Rivers Contracters for a new roof, new LP Smart Siding, and some new Anderson Windows. Everything turned out awesome! They are super easy to work and communicate with. They were with us every step of the way. Whether it was help with the city, insurance, or just with the many questions we had, they were patient, professional, and helpful from the original planning all the way through the final product. Highly recommend.
J Flowers
17:03 16 Nov 22
We had a leak in our garage ceiling. Shawn from Three Rivers responded to my email with a possible diagnosis, estimated cost of repair as well as their proposed eta if the price was acceptable. Larry showed up, did a thorough inspection, confirmed the initial diagnosis and repaired the roof. Thanks again for your prompt response and professional service!
Karvee Kawalawu MSW, LGSW
03:19 24 May 22
I had the pleasure of working with Three River and got a new roof install after purchasing my home. I was amazed and happy about the professionalism display. I felt very comfortable and Shawn was very helpful in helping me decide on the roof type and color as I got so overwhelmed with the many options of samples 😀. I was informed of the next step and what to expect. The workers were on time and got the job done within a timely manner. I am very please and happy about the outcome of my roof and I definitely recommend this company and plan to use them in the future for other home improvement projects!! Thank you Three River🙏🏾
Jill Otterness
12:15 22 Dec 21
After having a house fire Three Rivers Contracting were there for us from Day 1. They were caring, kind and did an excellent job. Shawn, Megan and Larry were fabulous to work with making sure all work was done perfectly and great communication throughout entire process. They took care of our home and us like their own family and now we have a beautiful house again! I would highly recommend this company again and again!!
Kate Tetmeyer
12:22 02 Dec 21
Our roof looks amazing. It took awhile due to material delays but we got there. Shawn worked with our insurance company and gave us a very fair quote and the roofers did an incredible job. The last roof we had put on was literally falling off our house due to the poor workmanship and corner cutting of the last contractor. Well, the tree didn’t help, but it was shoddy work before that. Not 3rivers crew, they showed up, stayed, and took the time to do it right. We also had a gable end resided. Highly recommend- just be prepared to wait for the supply chain to untangle.
Melanie Walters
02:43 28 Nov 21
We've never had a good experience with a contractor, until we found Three Rivers. They replaced the roof on our home and all our windows. Wow. Professional, clean, and always kept us up to date on the progress of the jobs. And a decent price! They could get the work done literally months before the other contractors we spoke with. We will contact them for any future projects!
Scott Cogswell
21:30 17 Aug 21
We had our roof done by Three Rivers Contracting. Not only did Shawn fully explain the process and how insurance works he made sure we were comfortable and understood everything.
He set the date for our roof and by 8 am that morning we had a team of workers ready to go.
The entire team was so nice and polite. When my wife would have to take our dog out the workers on the ground made sure that it was clear and she was good to go.
Our roof was not up to code so additional work needed to be done and Shawn was on top of that working with our insurance. The guys did a fantastic job with our roof.
They cleaned everything up. They raked the yard, they picked through the mulch so that there was no roof pieces left behind. They even made sure that the yard displays were protected and put back.
I cannot say enough about Three Rivers Contracting and the job they did for us.
We are so pleased with the outcome and will make sure to recommend them in the future and if we have any other projects that need to be done we will be calling them.
He set the date for our roof and by 8 am that morning we had a team of workers ready to go.
The entire team was so nice and polite. When my wife would have to take our dog out the workers on the ground made sure that it was clear and she was good to go.
Our roof was not up to code so additional work needed to be done and Shawn was on top of that working with our insurance. The guys did a fantastic job with our roof.
They cleaned everything up. They raked the yard, they picked through the mulch so that there was no roof pieces left behind. They even made sure that the yard displays were protected and put back.
I cannot say enough about Three Rivers Contracting and the job they did for us.
We are so pleased with the outcome and will make sure to recommend them in the future and if we have any other projects that need to be done we will be calling them.
Let's Talk
The best way to understand your home’s specific situation is for one of us to come out and look at it. We’ll evaluate your envelope — attic, rim joist, accessible walls, basement, air sealing — and tell you honestly where the highest-ROI opportunities are.
If the answer is "you don’t need much, your envelope is in better shape than you thought, and the $800 rim joist project is the only thing worth doing right now," that’s what we’ll tell you. There’s no pressure, no quote at the kitchen table. The assessment is free.