Guides
Duct Sealing Cost per Run: What US Homeowners Pay
Duct sealing cost per run runs about $35 to $120 for manual sealing and $900 to $2,200 for whole-home Aeroseal in Midwestern markets, with labor adding to the total.
What to take away
- Manual duct sealing costs roughly $35 to $120 per accessible run in Midwestern markets. Whole-home Aeroseal runs $900 to $2,200, not per run.
- Most invoices bill by the hour plus materials, not by the run. Expect $95 to $165 per hour for a two-person crew.
- Access decides the price. A run behind drywall can cost three to five times a run in an open basement.
- Aeroseal quotes vary by more than manual sealing quotes because the process is licensed to a limited number of contractors.
- Nobody mentions the diagnostic test until the quote. It adds $150 to $400.
What the range covers
Sealing a duct run means closing the joints, seams and takeoffs where conditioned air escapes. The work itself is cheap. Getting to the work is not.
A single accessible run in a basement or crawlspace is a small job. A whole-house sealing program treats every run in the system, which is why the two prices look unrelated.
Contractors in Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri quote both ways. The manual figure is built from labor hours. The Aeroseal figure is built from a license, a machine and a day of setup.
Line by line
The table below splits a typical Midwestern invoice. Ranges are illustrative and drawn from contractor quotes, not a national survey.
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Manual sealing, per accessible run | $35 | $120 |
| Manual sealing, per buried or boxed run | $110 | $260 |
| Aeroseal, whole home (1,800 to 2,500 sq ft) | $900 | $2,200 |
| Mastic and mesh materials, per run | $6 | $18 |
| Foil tape and sealant, per run | $4 | $12 |
| Duct leakage test before and after | $150 | $400 |
| Drywall access and patch, per opening | $90 | $300 |
| Two-person crew labor, per hour | $95 | $165 |
A ten-run basement job with no access problems lands near $500 to $900. The same ten runs behind finished ceilings can pass $2,000 before anyone patches drywall.
What moves the number
Access is the largest driver. A run in an open joist bay takes minutes. A run inside a soffit takes an hour and a hole in the ceiling.
Leak size matters less than people expect. A wide gap at a trunk takeoff can be sealed in one pass. Twenty pinholes along a seam take longer.
System size sets the Aeroseal floor. The machine pressurizes the whole duct system, so a 2,500 sq ft house with two zones costs more than a 1,200 sq ft ranch.
Labor rates vary by state. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports mean hourly wages for HVAC mechanics and installers well below the billed rate, because the billed rate carries truck, insurance and overhead. Read the BLS occupational data on HVAC mechanics and installers before you argue about an hourly figure.
Example
A homeowner in Grand Rapids got three quotes for sealing twelve runs in a 1968 ranch with a full unfinished basement. Quote one was $640 for manual mastic and mesh. Quote two was $1,450 for Aeroseal. Quote three was $2,100 for Aeroseal plus a leakage test and a new trunk takeoff.
The homeowner chose quote one. Post-work leakage testing was not included, so nobody measured the result. That is the common outcome.
What quotes leave out
The diagnostic test is the first omission. Without a before-and-after leakage number, you cannot tell whether the sealing worked. The duct sealing methods and benefits overview explains why measurement matters more than material choice.
Drywall repair is the second. Contractors seal, then leave. Patching and painting is a separate trade and a separate invoice.
Insulation damage is the third. Sealing a run often disturbs the wrap around it. Replacing that wrap follows material standards that affect the final price, and the ASTM notes on duct insulation materials describe what those materials are rated for.
Permits and code review are the fourth. Some jurisdictions require a mechanical permit for duct alteration. Ask before the crew arrives.
Where people overspend
Paying for Aeroseal on a system with three accessible runs is the most common waste. Manual sealing does the same job for a fraction of the cost when you can reach the ducts.
Skipping the leakage test is the second. You pay for work you cannot verify.
Sealing before replacing is the third. If the system is being replaced within two years, the sealing money is better spent on the new install. Our cost to replace ductwork in a house breakdown shows where sealing sits inside a full replacement budget.
Choosing a contractor on price alone is the fourth. A cheap quote with no test is not a cheaper job. It is a smaller job.
Common questions
Is duct sealing cost per run cheaper than whole-home Aeroseal?
Yes, almost always. Per-run manual sealing is a few hundred dollars for a typical basement. Aeroseal is a whole-system price starting near $900.
How much does duct sealing cost if the ducts are buried?
Expect $110 to $260 per run, plus drywall work. Buried runs are the single biggest reason a quote doubles.
Does Aeroseal cost include the leakage test?
Sometimes, sometimes not. Ask directly. A standalone test runs $150 to $400, and without it you have no proof of the result.
What is a fair duct sealing price in the Midwest?
For an accessible system under ten runs, $500 to $900 is a fair manual range. Above that, get three quotes and compare the scope, not the total.
