I redid about half of mine once...  Because squirrels.


I won't ever make that mistake again.  

There's a reason HVAC guys make a decent living.


ETA: I don't remember cost, because there was a ton of damage (wiring) in my Attic, it was fairly expensive. But I can't recall the break down.

it's not rocket science
Just like everything else
if you can do it yourself you should
you will not see the value of paying somebody else to do it

This is why I stopped giving copies of duct design in bid packages. Was in the local Lumber Co one day, and one of the owners was talking to a couple guys at the counter. Owner looked-up and saw me and said "there's to2gas, let's ask him. The 2 guys slid the piece of paper over to me and questioned me about "how do we do this".....LMAO, it was my fucking design sheet. Needless to say, I fed them a load of bullshit

There you go. If you don't have any experience, you may be biting-off more than you want to chew. As a favor, I hired a couple friends, one being pretty mechanically-inclined (no hvac experience). Took them down into a crawlspace, spread-out all the sheetmetal in basic lay-out configuration. I showed them how to cut-in a duct reducer (standard 8" duct"), and both claimed "got it".

I had service calls to run, and when I returned a couple hours later, they were setting in the exact same spot with absolutely zero accomplished

I'd fixed plenty of butchered-up work done by those who thought they could do it. Not a slam on you per say.

I could probably rough in all supply ducts in a day to day and a half, maybe another day for returns. That's working alone, and not counting travel. $10K seems stupid expensive to me (if that's strictly ductwork, no equipment), but I've been out of the field a number of years, so I'm certain I'm out of touch cost-wise.

Find a small DBA guy in your area who's licensed, bonded, and insured. Ask for references. If you're comfortable enough, see what he'll discount for cash.

You can do it yourself.

Sounds like its a standard rambler with no ducting in crawlspace, attic, or garage?

Id figure buying almost all my duct, connections and fittings plus lots of silver duct tape and save 50-70% vs hiring out.

I used to be a tinner and am now a building inspector and id be willing to give you advice so if you want PM me and we’ll talk.

EDIT:  ill even come help if youre not too far from the North Metro.

You need to find an HVAC shop that makes ductwork.
I found one who made everything for me, supplied me with slips and drives, and hanger material.
The guy was a master, everything was absolutely perfect and looked great!
Running my ductwork was relatively easy, because it was all in the basement.
Depending on your location, it might be more difficult.

A good tinknocker makes stuff look easy when it isn't. They can eyeball something and whip it together so it looks like it was made on a operating table while the guy who thinks it's easy will spend 100 times longer and still have it look like a pile of smashed assholes. And it still won't work right because they didn't size it properly.

Can you design and install per industry standards?

If your time is worth money then pay somebody else to do it. I would rather pay and have some recourse when shit fucks up.

In that case , send the specs to a couple supply houses and get bids on the ductwork.
Add in tools you would need to buy.
Estimate how long you think it would take you.
Multiply that by 2.5 then do the math.
If it’s significantly cheaper to DIY go for it.
If not pay someone else but get a couple more bids.

Hire someone to do it.

Should be 2-3k for material if you got it for wholesale, and a weekend to do, if the attic is open.

You don’t know ANYONE who does hvac? Friend of friend? Paying for their time on a Saturday with your help, and paying them to get the material, should be ALOT cheaper than 10k, probably 5k total.

You know me from arfcom.
You know i’m an ex tinner.
I have the specialty tools.
I offered to help.

Really, what do you want?

Sounds like you have a great option.
If he’s up for it have chickendaddy out for the day.
Walk the job, make a plan and a materials list.  Game plan.
Once you have a plan find wholesale duct suppliers in your area.

Just run flexy duct everywhere

I kid dont so that

Duct tape has no place when installing ducting in a house!

Not true. Rookies leave meathooks every time  they cut a piece of sheetmetal.


Duct tape makes good band-aid.

Attached File

I am not a professional HVAC guy but I have a lot of experience working in the field including my own stuff.  Most all of the replies you've received thus far are pretty much spot on, but ductwork is also a task that a reasonably competent DIYer could do himself.  Sort of a double edged sword but don't kid yourself either; a lot of people are NOT competent enough to do this stuff.

My most recent project involved full rip and replacement of ductwork, installing exterior insulated sheet metal ducting in a residential attic....in Texas.  I also added zoning while I was doing all of this and drastically lowered the average electric bill during the summer.  If I were to bid out the project I just did, rip out existing, install new sheet metal ducting, modulating dampers including rezoning of supply air, and adjustment of blower CFM during multiple stages of cooling.....I would estimate this service at around $20k.  Sheet metal ductwork in a residential install is not very common due to how cramped it is to work in an attic.  Before I even started all of this work, I bought a lot of 2x6s and installed some crude flooring everywhere I would need to work and also bought about 8 workshop LED lights.  After everything was said and done, my cost for materials alone was around $5000.

You mention you have never done this type of work before, so my recommendation is to use flex duct only.  You will still need to buy sheet metal fittings like wyes, takeoffs or collars.  You will need to buy proper tools also including good wire cutters, sheet metal crimpers, zip tie tensioner, and of course 3 or 4 foot zip ties.  Additionally I would recommend at least 2 or 3 rolls of good quality flex duct tape for when you join different ducts together.

Please bear in mind that I am giving you a simple, high level overview of what you'd need at a bare minimum to accomplish this.  I have no idea at all what your duct run looks like or if it needs to be adjusted at all.  No one here can honestly tell you because we havent seen it, and I personally would not assist someone over the internet even if they did draw a rough outline of what their ductwork looks like.  There is real science behind what a particular area of your home might need a 10" branch line instead of an 8", or why your supply in one bedroom needs a 4" supply while the other one needs 6".  

Don't

Funny how the people with zero experience all say "Don't use flex duct"

Flex duct is far more thermally efficient than metal duct; by a factor of 3 or more.

Flex duct can't leak, it's one solid tube from point A to point B. Metal duct is almost never properly sealed with mastic; most guys skip it or tape it. I've never seen anyone completely seal every seam in a metal duct system in a residential project.

Air much prefers to flow through round tubes than square or rectangular cross sections of duct. Air flow efficiency is much higher in flex duct than metal duct.

Yeah Yeah Yeah.... everyone has a horror story of a bad flex job, rodents eating the old style flex, blah blah blah.

Fact is, flex done right is better. CFD proves it and the law of thermal dynamics prove it.

Live in an Amish built house.

Added heat pump 25 years ago.
Me and 2 brothers, one a HVAC guy.
Cost me $1900 and a 45/70.
Lots of beer.
Total.

We used ductboard and the flex crap.
No issues.

Took 1 day.

Manual D.

Use duct board.Thicker is better if the area it is running though is not conditioned space.
If it is conditioned, the one inch is more than adequate.
Eat it and buy the correct tools top work it.
Being able to cut a groove for miter folding is well worth the effort and cost of the tools.
Each piece should have only one seam that needs to be closed with foil tape.

I often do all four corners just in case the miter cutter went though the foil layer.

The lower mass of the duct board (compared to metal ducts) and the insulation
they provide makes it much better than sheet metal ducts.

Better than flex for larger runs.
Use flex from the duct board to individual registers.

Use the correct 'top hat' take offs.
Screw them in, seal with tape, done.

I’m self employed in the HVAC field.
I do commercial HVAC including ductwork.

I would pay someone else to duct my home.
It would cost me less

You can’t believe how much I hate residential ductwork.
The problem with most residential ductwork is that you are trying to minimize the intrusion into the living space.
If you’re not going to finish the basement then who cares how much space you waste.
The other alternative is an attic unit with a plenum and flex duct but it depends on if it will pass inspection.

I would honestly pay someone to do it.

Funny how people who have no clue of what others did, for a living, for decades, know of their "experience".



Go back and read OP.....here's a clue...'full basement".

Manual D

Duct board has more friction per 100 feet (the standard unit of measurement) Than both steel and flex ducts.
1" DUCTBOARD IS ONLY R4.6, so it is the worst of the three when looking at heat losses. Steel can be wrapped with R-6 or R-8
Flex has a much lower resistance to air flow than duct board. Also, duct board results in square ducts which are less efficient at air flow than round flex.
Screws in duct board? it is a fibrous material. tape??? Get off my job site you hack!!!  

Decades of doing it wrong may fit your description better......



Doesn't change any facts that I mentioned regarding the advantages of flex duct. Full basement doesn't change the fact that air flows better through tubes than squares and rectangles. Try reading a ductulator and see how much worse the typical rectangular duct performs than round.
Thermal losses are always greatest in steel ducts.
Steel duct joints all leak. Tape is a hack attempt to stop the leaks. Mastic on all transverse and longitudal joints is the only acceptable method of sealing steel ducts. Duct wrap never insulates as well as R-8 flex.

Sure thing Sheldon. Tell us which trade school you're in the first semester of?

If the basement is wide open and you have the plan that will make it up to code it isn’t that hard.  Helped a buddy do his new house last week. Took us a weekend to complete.

Get a friend to help speed it up.

The take off hats for flex to duct board look like a top hat with a bent brim.
they actually screw tough the duct board.
Fiber tape and sealer.

You can often make up for the slightly higher friction by
making the ducts slightly larger for not a lot of work or money.

The far smaller mass improves efficiency.

I had to calculate and install all the ducting during our “hurricane remodel” because NOBODY in the FL Keys does ducting. I installed the entire AC system actually. But the ducting... I made the plenum box from the foam board sheets, and then ran flex duct throughout the whole house. I’m so glad there wasn’t insulation or drywall in the house. I never would have been able to do it.

It sounds dumb but I was especially proud of my bathroom exhaust... insulated flex duct up to PVC cell core pipe sloped slightly downward to the outside wall. Pushes the poo stink out of the house and anything that condenses will run downhill

It won’t move air as evenly, but you could do it all in round pipe. HVAC supply houses usually carry it and some have folks who can size it for you. The worst part if you go that route is wrapping it with insulation.

I can and have done every aspect of building houses over the years working with my step dad who was a builder, plumber, electrician, HVAC etc. That said I will pay to have duct work installed everytime. lol

J-