Heating, cooling & ducts
Attic air duct replacement
Crushed, chewed and leaky attic flex duct replaced with insulated duct, sealed and supported properly.
Learn more →Air duct replacement · Seattle & Puget Sound
New duct runs. Sealed at every joint.
When a duct is crushed, torn, disconnected or full of nesting, we pull it out and run new duct sized to the room, with every joint fastened and sealed.
- Crushed and disconnected runs replaced
- Every joint fastened, sealed and supported
- Old duct hauled out, not left behind
New insulated ducts hung in an attic · Seattle, WAThe problem
When ducts stop doing their job
Your furnace or heat pump can only deliver what the ducts carry. A supply run that has come apart at the boot dumps heated air into the crawl space. A flex duct stepped on by a cable installer or flattened under a pile of insulation chokes the airflow to one bedroom. Rats tear into the outer jacket for nesting material and leave droppings inside. The system keeps running, but the far rooms stay cold in winter and warm in summer.
Replacement means taking out the damaged runs and putting in new duct that's the right size, routed with gentle bends, hung on proper supports and sealed at every connection. Sometimes that's two or three runs. Sometimes the whole system is past saving and it's cleaner to replace it all at once. We look at every run, photograph it and give you a list so you can see which is which.
Warning signs
Signs a duct run needs replacing
Damaged ducts usually show up as comfort problems first. These are the patterns we see.
- SIGN 01
One bedroom stays cold
A room that lags while the rest of the house is warm often traces back to a crushed or disconnected supply run.
- SIGN 02
Strong air near the furnace only
Good airflow near the furnace and a trickle at the far end of the house points to leaks or kinks along the way.
- SIGN 03
Heat bills climbing, same habits
Heated air leaking into an attic or crawl space makes the system run longer to keep up.
- SIGN 04
Torn or flattened flex duct
Flex duct with a ripped jacket, exposed insulation or a section squashed flat can't carry air the way it should.
- SIGN 05
Rodent droppings near ducts
Rats and mice nest in duct insulation. Droppings on or inside the duct mean the run is contaminated.
- SIGN 06
Rusted or separated metal duct
Old sheet-metal duct in a damp crawl space rusts at the seams and pulls apart at the joints over time.
Proof of work
See the difference
Drag the slider to compare. Illustrations of typical results on homes like yours.
BeforeAfterThe job, step by step Bellevue, WA
STEP 01
STEP 02
STEP 03
STEP 04How we do it
How we replace your ductwork
One crew handles the access, the duct work and the cleanup. This is the order we work in.
- 01
Map and photograph every run
We trace each supply and return from the furnace to its register, in the attic, the crawl space or both. Every problem gets a photo and a note: crushed, disconnected, torn, contaminated or undersized. You see the full picture before we quote, and you choose whether to replace a few runs or the whole system.
- 02
Remove the damaged duct
Old runs are cut free, bagged and carried out of the house. If rodents have been in the ducts, we wear protective gear, bag the contaminated material where it lies and clean up the droppings around the runs, so nothing is tracked through your home on the way out.
- 03
Run new duct sized to the room
New duct goes in at the size each room needs, routed with long, gentle bends instead of tight kinks. Runs are hung on straps at proper spacing so they don't sag, and kept up off the crawl space floor and clear of the insulation pile.
- 04
Fasten and seal every joint
Each connection is fastened with a clamp or screws, then sealed with mastic or foil tape rated for duct work. Boots are sealed where they meet the subfloor or ceiling, so the duct pulls air only from the house, not from the attic or crawl space.
- 05
Test airflow and show you
We run the system and check airflow at each register, compare it with what we found before, and take after photos of every new run. You get the photos and a list of what was replaced, along with anything we noticed nearby, like gaps rodents could use.
What you get
What duct replacement includes
| Inspection | Every supply and return traced and photographed before the quote |
|---|---|
| Removal | Damaged duct cut out, bagged and hauled away |
| New duct | Insulated flex or metal duct, sized to each room |
| Connections | Joints fastened, then sealed with mastic or rated foil tape |
| Support | Strapped at proper spacing, kept off the ground and out of insulation |
| Boots and registers | Boots sealed to the floor or ceiling; registers reinstalled |
| Rodent cleanup | Contaminated material bagged; droppings cleaned before new duct goes in |
| Photos | Before and after photos of every replaced run |
Diagram
- 1Trunk line
- 2Sealed takeoff
- 3Insulated flex duct
- 4Support strap
- 5Sealed boot
- 6Floor register
Compare
Replace a few runs or the whole system
Partial replacement is often the right call. Sometimes it isn't. This is how we help you choose.
| Factor | Replace damaged runs | Replace the whole system |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | A few runs are crushed, torn or disconnected | Most runs are failing, or the layout never worked |
| Rodent damage | Contained to one or two runs | Nesting or droppings spread across the system |
| Rest of the ducts | Sound, well hung and sealed | Brittle, rusted or poorly supported throughout |
| Comfort | Fixes specific cold or hot rooms | Rebalances airflow to the whole house |
| Disruption | Shorter job, fewer areas opened | Longer job, whole attic or crawl space worked |
Puget Sound homes
Why Puget Sound ducts wear out
Ductwork around here lives a hard life. A crawl space in Seattle or Everett stays damp through the long wet season, and metal ducts down there rust at the seams while the tape on older joints dries out and lets go. In Eastside tract homes from the 1980s and 1990s, the original flex duct is often lying directly on the vapor barrier, sagging between joists or pinched where someone crawled over it. Roof rats in the attic and Norway rats in the crawl space both treat duct insulation as nesting material.
Because we spend our days in attics and crawl spaces, we see the ducts the way they actually are, not just the registers. If rodents are getting in, we'll show you the entry points and can seal them so the new ducts stay clean. If the crawl space vapor barrier is torn or missing, we'll show you that too. You decide what to tackle, and you get one crew for the whole job instead of three different trades working around each other.
Pricing
What shapes the price
We price duct work run by run, after we've seen every one. These are the main factors.
- FACTOR 01
How many runs need replacing
A single crushed bedroom run is a small job. A full system involves every supply, every return and the trunk.
- FACTOR 02
Attic or crawl space access
Low clearance, tight hatches and deep insulation slow the work and can add steps to reach each run.
- FACTOR 03
Duct material and size
Insulated flex, rigid metal trunk lines and larger return ducts each have different material and labor needs.
- FACTOR 04
Rodent contamination
Runs with droppings or nesting need protective gear, bagging and cleanup before new duct goes in.
- FACTOR 05
Related fixes
Sealing rodent entry points, a new vapor barrier or added insulation are quoted separately so you can choose.
Great service. I highly recommend this company. Wish I would have found them years ago... Isaac, Kareem and Irving were professional, courteous, and friendly. Pricing was clear and there were no surprises. Very happy with our experience.
FAQ
Air duct replacement: questions we hear
Still unsure? Call (800) 674-4933 and talk it through with us.
How do I know if my ducts need to be replaced or just repaired?
A single disconnected joint can be reconnected and sealed. A run that's crushed, torn along its length or full of nesting needs to be replaced. When most of the runs share the same problem, like old flex with a crumbling jacket, replacing the system is usually the better use of your money. We photograph each run so you can see the difference.
Can you replace just part of my ductwork?
Yes. Most of our duct jobs replace only the runs that are failing. We tie new duct into the sound trunk lines, seal the connections and check airflow at every register afterward. If we think the rest of the system is close behind, we'll tell you, but we won't push a full replacement you don't need.
How long does duct replacement take?
Replacing a few runs is often a one-day job. A full system in an attic or crawl space takes longer, depending on the size of the house, how many registers there are and how easy the space is to work in. We give you a schedule with the quote, and the heat is off only while we're connecting new duct.
Do I need new ducts if I'm getting a new furnace or heat pump?
Not always. If the existing ducts are sound, sized right and sealed, they can serve a new system. If they're leaky, undersized or damaged, a new furnace or heat pump will be held back by them. A new system is a good time to look, since the work overlaps. We inspect the ducts as part of any equipment quote.
What do you do with rodent-damaged duct?
Contaminated duct is never cleaned and reused. We wear protective gear, cut out the affected runs, bag them on site and carry them out. The droppings around the runs get cleaned up, since they can carry hantavirus. Then we find and seal the entry points so the new ducts don't become the next nest.
Will new ducts lower my heating bill?
Ducts that leak into an attic or crawl space waste heat you've already paid for, so sealing that up generally helps. How much depends on how bad the old ducts were and what system you have. We won't promise a number. What you will notice is more even temperatures and stronger airflow in the rooms that used to lag.
Related services
Often done together
Heating, cooling & ducts
Air duct cleaning
Supply and return ducts cleaned register to furnace, with photos and a straight call on what to replace.
Learn more →
Rodents & pests
Rodent proofing
We find every gap rats and mice use, from roof vents to crawl space, and seal it with metal.
Learn more →
Crawl space & moisture
Crawl space vapor barrier installation
New crawl space ground cover, 6-mil or reinforced, lapped at the seams and run to the foundation walls.
Learn more →Let's see what's going on up there.
Book a free inspection. We'll photograph your attic and crawl space and walk you through what we find, before you decide anything.