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Ductwork Replacement and Design in San Jose, CA
Bad ducts undo a good system. We measure what your home actually needs, then design and build ductwork to match. In-house team, permits pulled, inspection passed.
Serving Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties
Why Your Ducts Decide How the Whole System Performs
Ductwork is the part of the system nobody sees, so it is the part that gets skipped. In Bay Area homes built before 2000, ducts are often too small, badly routed, or leaking. The new equipment runs fine. The comfort never arrives.
One room bakes while another stays cold. Airflow at the register feels weak even at full blast. The system runs longer than it used to. You hear a whistle or a rumble when the blower kicks on. These are airflow symptoms, and replacing a furnace or a heat pump will not fix a single one of them.
Ozone Service treats ductwork as its own job, not a line item attached to an equipment sale. We start at the registers and work back toward the furnace or the heat pump, so the diagnosis comes before the recommendation. Some homes need the whole system redesigned. Some need two branches and a better return. You find out which one you have before you spend anything.
What You Get
Every ductwork project we complete includes the following, not as add-ons, but as standard scope:
Inspection and Airflow Readings
We inspect the existing runs, the plenum, and the return path, then take airflow readings room by room. You get a written scope showing what stays and what gets replaced, before anything is ordered.
Room-by-Room Design
We do not copy the old layout. We calculate how much air each room needs based on its size, its windows, its exposure, and the equipment feeding it, then size the trunk and the branches to deliver it.
Correct Return Air
Return air is where most systems fail. A home can have plenty of supply and one undersized return choking the whole system. We size the returns as carefully as the supply.
Sealed Connections
Every joint and connection is sealed. Leakage into an attic or a crawl space is the fastest way to lose the efficiency you paid for.
Permits and City Inspection
Every project is permitted through the relevant city or county building department. We schedule the inspection and close the job out only after it passes.
Testing Before We Leave
We verify airflow at each register against the design, not against a guess. Old material is hauled away and the work areas are left clean.
Warranty
Installation labor is covered for 3 years. With annual maintenance starting in year 4, coverage can extend up to 12 years, and we cover the first two maintenance years ourselves. Equipment carries the manufacturer’s own coverage, up to 12 years depending on the brand.
Repair, Seal, or Replace?
Not every duct system needs to come out. We tell you which of these three you are actually looking at.
Sealing and Balancing
Best for: sound layout, correct sizing, leaking joints
We seal the leaks and rebalance airflow across the house. The cheapest path, and we recommend it whenever it is the honest answer.
Partial Replacement
Best for: a few crushed, kinked, or badly routed runs
We replace the sections that fail and keep the rest. Common in homes where a room was added later and fed off an undersized branch.
What a Heat Pump Actually Costs After Incentives
The gross cost of a heat pump installation is only part of the picture. Bay Area homeowners have access to three stacking incentive programs that significantly reduce out-of-pocket cost.
We identify which programs apply to your project, ensure the installation meets all rebate program requirements, and handle the documentation. Most contractors don’t touch the paperwork – we do.
Sample Сalculation
San Jose homeowner, heat pump installation, standard income:
SVCE
$2,500
CA Energy-Smart Homes
$5,750
Net savings
$8,250
Rebate availability changes quickly and is often first-come, first-served or waitlisted. We calculate your exact eligibility and current stacking options as part of the free estimate – no guesswork, no surprises.
This Service May Cost Less Than You Think
Bay Area utility programs and state energy incentives may offset a significant part of your cost. We check what applies to your home and handle all the paperwork as part of your free estimate, at no charge.
From First Call to Final Inspection
Step 1
Free Estimate and Duct Assessment
We come out, inspect the ducts and the equipment, and take airflow readings. No charge, no obligation. You leave with a written scope and a timeline.
Step 2
Design
We lay out the new system on paper before anyone touches your ceiling. You see the plan and approve it.
Step 3
Permits
We file with your city or county building department before work begins.
Step 4
Installation
Old material comes out, new runs go in, joints get sealed. Most homes take two to four days. We protect floors and walkways every day we are there.
Step 5
Testing and Inspection
We verify airflow at each register, schedule the city inspection, and close the job out after it passes.
Why Bay Area Homeowners Choose Us for Ductwork
HVAC and Electrical Under One Roof
Ductwork rarely arrives alone. It comes with an equipment change, and often with electrical work. Because we are licensed in both trades, one team handles the full scope under one contract and one warranty.
We Measure Instead of Assuming
Airflow readings before and after are standard on every project. Most contractors size ducts off a rule of thumb and never verify the result. That is why so many new systems underperform in homes that look fine on paper.
We Say When Sealing Is Enough
If your layout is sound, we seal and balance and you keep the money. We would rather do the smaller job correctly than sell a replacement you did not need.
Authorized Dealer & Installer
Recently Completed in the Bay Area
Every project shown here was completed by our in-house team – permitted, inspected, and under full warranty.
What Our Customers Say
Commercial Ductwork
We design and install duct systems for commercial properties across the Bay Area, including offices, retail spaces, multi-unit residential, and light industrial. Commercial projects follow the same process: airflow calculation, proper permitting, licensed installation, city inspection.
For commercial inquiries, contact us directly to discuss scope and timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace ductwork in San Jose?
Yes, you do, and we pull it for you. Duct replacement is permitted work in San Jose and the surrounding cities. We file before we start and schedule the inspection when we finish.
How long does a ductwork replacement take?
Most homes take two to four days. Attics and crawl spaces with tight access take longer. We give you a specific number of days during the estimate, not after.
Will you have to cut into my walls and ceilings?
Usually not much. Most Bay Area homes run ducts through the attic or under the floor, and we work from there. If a section is buried behind drywall, we show you exactly where we need access before we start, and we patch what we open.
What kind of ductwork do you install, flexible or metal?
We use both, and the choice depends on the run. Rigid metal holds its shape and moves air with less resistance, so it works well for trunk lines. Insulated flexible duct is easier to route through tight framing for short branch runs. Problems come from flex duct being used badly, not from flex duct itself.
Is duct cleaning the same thing as duct replacement?
No, it isn’t. They are different services solving different problems. Cleaning removes dust from ducts that are otherwise sound, and that is covered on our Indoor Air Quality page. Replacement fixes ducts that are the wrong size, leaking, or badly routed. Cleaning a bad duct system does not improve airflow.
My house is from the 1960s. Could the old duct insulation contain asbestos?
It is possible, and we treat it seriously. Older duct wrap and tape sometimes contain asbestos. It will be determined during the initial visit, and Asbestos abatement procedure must be completed before the ductwork replacement is started.
Will new ductwork make the system quieter?
In most cases it will. Noise usually comes from air moving too fast through a duct that is too small, or from loose connections vibrating. Correct sizing and sealed joints fix both.
My upstairs is always hotter than downstairs. Is that a duct problem?
It often is. Two-story homes frequently have supply and return runs that were never balanced for the second floor. We measure airflow on both levels and tell you whether it is a duct issue or an equipment issue.
Get a Free Estimate for Ductwork Replacement
Send us your request and we will get back to you shortly
- go@serviceozone.com
- Serving Bay Area, 24/7
Serving the Greater Bay Area
* and other cities across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties
