One of the most important investments you’ll make for your home is your HVAC systems. We say this because those systems tend to account for about half of all your energy bills throughout the year. Therefore, you want to make sure that you get one that meets your budget now, as well as throughout the seasons.
One factor that homeowners might not consider in all this budgeting is the cost of ductwork. If you already have ductwork in place but it’s decades old, then you may be looking at duct sealing or duct repair needs. On the other hand, if you’re having ductwork installed for the first time, you’ll have to factor in this cost with the other costs of an AC system installation.
Ductwork Starts with Design
Your home is as unique as you are. Every home and every family has different comfort needs, and your air conditioner needs to be customized as such, including the ductwork. HVAC systems have to be designed in such a way that they provide a precise amount of air to match each room.
Our professionals determine this by conducting what’s called a cooling load calculation. We look at not only the square footage of your home, but other factors like how high your ceilings are, how many windows and doors you have, what type and how much insulation you have, and if there are any opportunities for energy loss. From there we can help you determine your ductwork needs, and subsequently, the costs.
Your First Step: Call the Professionals
Whether you’re adding on to your existing home or building a brand new residence, our professionals can review your plans and help you decide on the exact right HVAC design for your specific home.
Homeowners often think that they can simply just add on a new system to old ductwork or vice versa. But the truth is, every component of your air conditioner works seamlessly (ideally) together, and mismatching system components can do a lot of damage to system efficiency, in addition to wear and tear.
With all that out of the way, it’s time to determine the question that brought you to this blog post: How much does ductwork cost?
The Cost Depends
The short and likely frustrating answer to this question is, “it depends!” It’s based on factors like the job, the layout of your residence, and your specific cooling needs as well as your specific heating needs—since the two systems share ductwork. It can help to know, however, how HVAC professionals calculate costs. There are a few methods we can use:
By the Linear Foot
The average 6 room home (including living room space and kitchen/dining area) needs 30-90 linear feet of ductwork. Average cost is about $35-55 per foot.
By the Duct
Some HVAC installers will calculate costs by the duct, which can range from $150-$250 each.
Ductwork for new construction may also be a bit costlier because of the work involved. This work should only ever be done by a trained and experienced professional. Forgoing professional work can leave you with ineffective and inefficient ductwork, which means it’ll cost you more in the long run to fix than if you had just gone with a professional to begin with.
Contact Dayco Systems to get in touch with a high-quality Atlanta HVAC company!
