I'll be honest: even to me, ductwork-only quotes can feel out of proportion. A furnace is a big, complicated machine. Ductwork is sheet metal. It doesn't feel like it should cost as much. But it often does, and I'd rather explain why than have you think we're padding the bill.
Why Is Ductwork so Labor-Intensive?
It can't be automated. Every run has to be designed for your house, then cut with hand tools and shears, fitted to the next piece, fastened to the structure and connected to the system. Designing it so it actually works well takes knowledge and time, and there's no good shortcut.
We price ductwork the same way as everything else we do. It's just that a ductwork job is mostly hours, not equipment. A furnace swap is usually one day. A ductwork job might be three.
How Big Is the Crew?
Two people by default. On larger jobs we'll send three or four, because some pieces need two people to hold them while a third fastens. More people means the job finishes sooner, but the total hours are about the same.
Why Does Access Matter so Much?
Because time is the main cost. In an unfinished basement, the crew can stand up, move around and reach everything. In a cramped attic, the same task can take three or four times as long. I've been in attics where it took me 10 minutes just to crawl from the hatch to the spot where the work was, before doing any work at all.
What Happens in Finished Spaces?
If the ducts need to run behind finished walls or ceilings, everything slows down. Cutting into drywall has to be done carefully. Reaching an addition on the far side of a finished house can mean opening up drywall along the way, running the duct and closing it back up, which can add thousands of dollars.
At the extreme, re-ducting a three-story house can run $50,000 or more with a new system, and an older multi-story home that was never built for ducts could reach $100,000. For most families, that's exactly where we'd steer toward a ductless system instead.
Do You Patch the Drywall?
Partly. We make clean cuts, ideally along the studs, so the piece goes back in easily and the patch is simple. We can put the piece back, and sometimes we do the joint compound. But matching the paint and texture so the patch disappears isn't our specialty. Handy homeowners often finish the patching themselves; others bring in a drywall pro. We'll tell you which parts we'll handle before we start.
How Much Can Ductwork Quotes Vary?
A lot more than furnace quotes. A furnace swap is fairly predictable. Ductwork depends on the layout of your house, how open or finished the spaces are, how many rooms need new runs, and how hard it is to get to them. Two houses of the same size can have very different ductwork prices.
Ductwork FAQ
Why Does My Ductwork Quote Cost More Than the Furnace?
Because the furnace is mostly equipment and ductwork is mostly labor. A job that takes three days of a crew's time costs more than one that takes one day.
Is Ductless Cheaper Than Adding Ducts?
Often, in a finished home without existing ducts. If you already have ductwork that's in decent shape, using it is usually the better deal.
Can I Lower the Cost of a Ductwork Job?
Sometimes. Clearing access to the work area, doing your own drywall patching, or timing the work with a renovation when walls are already open can all help.