Ductwork Installation & Replacement

Why Ductwork Decides How Your System Performs

Ductwork — the network of air ducts carrying conditioned air from the furnace or air handler to each room — is the part of a heating and cooling system homeowners never see and contractors most often skip in a quote. It is also where a great deal of comfort is won or lost. A correctly sized, properly sealed duct system delivers the air the equipment produces; a poor one wastes it into an attic or crawlspace before it reaches a room.

This is why a new furnace or air conditioner sometimes disappoints. The equipment is doing its job, but the distribution system cannot carry the air. Replacing the unit without evaluating the ducts treats the visible half of the system and leaves the other half alone.

Signs Your Ductwork Needs Attention

• Rooms that never reach temperature while others overshoot
• Weak airflow at registers furthest from the air handler
• Whistling, rattling, or booming when the system starts up
• Visible dust streaking around supply vents
• Energy bills climbing without a change in how you use the system
• Ducts running through an unconditioned attic, garage, or crawlspace
• Flexible ducts that are crushed, kinked, or sagging between supports

Ductwork Services Our Network Covers

• Full duct replacement — new trunk and branch runs throughout the home
• Partial replacement — replacing damaged, undersized, or unreachable sections
• New runs — extending the system to an addition, attic conversion, or finished basement
• Duct sealing — closing leaks at joints and seams with mastic rather than tape
• Duct design and load calculation — sizing the system to the house, not to what was there before
• Airflow balancing — adjusting dampers so each room gets its share after installation
• Zoning — adding dampers and controls so floors or wings can be conditioned independently

Sealing or Replacement — Which Do You Need?

Sealing is the cheaper intervention and often the correct one. If the duct layout is sound and the sizing is right, closing leaks at the joints can recover most of the lost airflow for a fraction of replacement cost. It is worth asking any contractor to price sealing as an option rather than quoting replacement by default.

Replacement earns its cost when the ducts are undersized for the equipment, physically damaged, contaminated, or laid out so badly that no amount of sealing will fix the airflow. A contractor who measures static pressure and inspects the runs can tell you which situation you are in. One who quotes replacement without looking cannot.

Ductwork Installation Cost

Full duct replacement in an average single-family home commonly falls between$4,000 and $12,000. Adding individual runs typically costs$500–$2,000 each, and sealing an existing system often runs$1,500–$4,000.

The single biggest cost driver is access. Ducts in an open basement or a walkable attic are straightforward; ducts buried in finished ceilings or a tight crawlspace mean opening and repairing drywall, which can double the labour. Material choice, the number of runs, and whether zoning controls are added move the figure as well. Treat these brackets as orientation — a contractor who has seen your house is the only source of a real number.

What a Good Duct Quote Includes

A proposal worth comparing says more than a price. Look for a load calculation rather than a like-for-like replacement, a stated plan for sealing and insulating runs in unconditioned space, post-installation balancing, and who is responsible for any drywall repair. If two quotes differ sharply, the cheaper one has usually left one of those out.