1/4" foamboard insulation and housewrap

Which one gets installed first? Do you need housewrap with foamboard? Thoughts on the ideal way to install or what are manufacturer requirements? Thanks in advance.

Here is some information from Building Science.

You never mentioned what the exterior wall covering is or the underlayment.(is there any ?)

Logic to me would be the foam is a barrier and can only have issues if any water gets behind it then gets trapped
while the house wrap is resistive but allows escape.

With foam board at the sheathing any water can at least have a chance to escape at any point of opening
even with tyvek there.

The wrap or Tyvek certainly would cut down any chance of water getting into a foam board seam opening.

Now if you put it the other way water can find into a seam and trail away from the opening getting trapped.
The water if behind the wrap might be at a location where there is no chance of evaporation.

So board first then wrap.

(tried to follow the link but found lots of that section confusing)


Short answer: Foam can be used, depending on the type and local building inspectors. I usually see housewrap installed over the sheathing because it is easiest for the windows/doors/etc to be flashed that way.

Too many variables depending on your location.
Here builders use one or the other and sometimes both, it depends on the manufacturer.

just no reverse lapping of either material would be a great start