How much does it cost to replace ductwork in a 2000 sq ft house?

Replacing ductwork in a 2,000 sq ft Tampa Bay home typically runs $2,800 to $4,400 for a partial replacement and $7,200 to $11,700 for a full replacement, depending on the number of zones, duct material (flex vs. rigid sheet metal), accessibility, and whether the air handler is being replaced at the same time. Homes in Tampa Bay often need full replacements sooner due to high humidity accelerating duct liner deterioration. Home Therapist provides FREE estimates so you get an exact number before any work begins.

Why is duct work so expensive?

Ductwork costs reflect labor-intensive work in tight attic spaces, the volume of material required to serve every room, and in Florida, the need for properly sealed, insulated ducts that resist moisture and heat. Tampa Bay attics routinely exceed 140 degrees in summer, so improperly installed or aging ducts lose significant conditioned air, making quality installation critical to long-term efficiency and comfort.

Can I install my own ductwork?

In Florida, ductwork connected to a licensed HVAC system must be installed by a licensed contractor under a pulled permit. DIY duct installation on a permitted system is not legal and can void equipment warranties and homeowner's insurance claims. Home Therapist holds HVAC license CAC1819196 and handles all permitting, so the work is done right and fully covered.

Should I replace 20 year old ductwork?

Yes, 20-year-old ductwork is typically past its useful life and should be replaced. Flex duct degrades, develops leaks, and loses insulation value over time, forcing your AC to work harder in Tampa's intense summer heat. Home Therapist offers FREE estimates and FREE diagnosis at (813) 343-2212.

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2026 Ductwork Pricing

Ductwork Installation Cost in Tampa Bay

New or replacement ductwork for your Tampa home. Section prices from $599, full-system replacement $7,200 to $11,700. Tampa attic heat + humidity demand proper R6-R8 insulation + antimicrobial options. Licensed CAC1819196. FREE in-home estimate.

Get your exact ductwork price Most duct replacements are finished in one day, and we haul the old ductwork away.

Home Therapist serves Tampa Bay, Florida. In the area? FREE estimates and FREE diagnosis.

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At a glance

Price per drop: $599 for R-6 flex, $699 for the R-8 upgrade
Partial replacement: $2,800 to $4,400
Full-home replacement: $7,200 to $11,700
Time on site: One day for most homes
Old ductwork: We haul it away
Permit: We pull it; the permit fee is billed separately
Warranty: Depends on the job; it is on your written quote
Estimate: FREE, in your home

Reviewed by Richard Morales, Co-Owner & FL Class B Air Conditioning Contractor (FL license CAC1819196)Updated Sep 16, 2026

Short answer: Most Tampa Bay duct replacements cost $599 per drop for R-6 flex duct, which is about 98% of the jobs we do, or $699 per drop for an R-8 upgrade. A partial replacement usually runs $2,800 to $4,400 and a full-home replacement $7,200 to $11,700. Most jobs finish in one day, and the estimate is FREE.

Quick Price Summary

Tampa ductwork installation: R6 Flex per section $599, R8 Flex $699, R8 Antimicrobial $799, R6 Metal Spiral $1,999. New air plenum: $999. Honeywell zone system with new ductwork: $2,599. Premium Daikin Fit EWC zone system: $4,999. Duct repairs are quoted after a FREE inspection. FREE estimate. Call (813) 343-2212.

2026 Ductwork Installation Pricing

Service	Price
Duct Work Repair (per section)	Quoted after a FREE inspection
Duct Work Replacement, R6 Flex	$599
Duct Work Replacement, R8 Flex	$699
Duct Work Replacement, R8 Antimicrobial Flex (recommended for Tampa)	$799
Duct Work Replacement, R4.2 Mobile Home Flex	$999
Duct Work Replacement, R6 Fiber Board	$749
Duct Work Replacement, R6 Metal Rectangle Duct	$1,599
Duct Work Replacement, R6 Metal Spiral Duct	$1,999
New Air Plenum	$999
New Coffin Box	$749
Insulation Wrap Around Units/Ducts (per foot)	$99
Manual Dampers Installation on Existing Ductwork	$399
Zone Board Replacement	$699
Zone Damper Motor Replacement	$699
Honeywell Zone Damper Replacement	$899
Honeywell Zone System Installation with New Ductwork	$2,599
Additional Honeywell Zone Damper Installation	$999
Automatic Fresh Air Damper to Return Plenum Installation	$1,199
Daikin Fit EWC Zone System Installation with New Ductwork	$4,999
Additional Daikin Fit Zone Damper Install	$2,499
Dryer Duct Installation/Replacement	$749
Range Hood Exhaust Duct Installation/Replacement	$749
Bathroom Exhaust Fan Installation	$949
Bathroom Exhaust Duct Connection	$749

Estimate your duct replacement

Count the supply vents in your ceilings. Each vent is fed by one drop of duct.

Supply vents (one drop each)

Duct typeR-6 flex $599 per dropWhat about 98% of our duct jobs useR-8 flex $699 per dropUpgrade, loses less cooling in a hot atticR-8 antimicrobial flex $799 per dropUpgrade, treated to resist mold

Also replacingA new air plenum $999A new coffin box $749

Estimated price$7,18812 drops of R-6 flex at $599

This is a rough number from our price list. Your written quote after the FREE in-home estimate is the final price. The permit fee is billed separately.

Call (813) 343-2212 Text us Book online

What’s Included & What Affects Price

Every ductwork installation includes:

Load calculation (Manual D) to size ducts properly for your Tampa home
All ductwork materials (insulation-wrapped R6 or R8 flex, metal, fiberboard per design)
Professional sealing with UL-181 mastic + foil tape (not duct tape, industry joke, not the real thing)
Hurricane-rated strapping to code
Removal + disposal of old ductwork
County permit and inspection coordination (Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco)
Post-install airflow balancing
Workmanship warranty (the length depends on the job and is on your written quote)

Why ductwork matters MORE in Tampa:

Attic heat (130-160°F in summer), Old R4 ducts lose 20-30% of your cooling before it reaches the room. R8 Antimicrobial Flex loses 10-15%.
Humidity (80%+), Non-antimicrobial ducts grow mold in Tampa. R8 Antimicrobial = dramatically less mold risk.
Hurricane code, Ducts must be strapped per FL code to survive storms.
Allergies, Tampa pollen + older fiberboard ducts = allergy factory. Modern metal or antimicrobial flex is much cleaner.

Factors that affect ductwork price:

Home size + zone count (more sections = more material)
Attic accessibility (tight crawl space = more labor)
Zoning complexity (single-zone simple vs multi-zone Honeywell/Daikin Fit)
Ductwork material, flex (cheaper) vs metal spiral (premium)
Whether new plenum/coffin box is needed ($999-$749)

New R-6 flex duct we installed in a Tampa attic.

R-4 vs R-8 Duct: Why Tampa Insulation Rating Matters

The R-value on your ductwork is the single biggest factor in how much cooling actually reaches your rooms in a Tampa attic, and most pre-2005 homes around here are running the cheapest grade the builder could legally install. R-4 flex was the standard builder spec for decades. It is thin, it has minimal fiberglass wrap, and it was designed for a generic “average” climate, not for an attic that hits 130 to 150 degrees from May through October.

Checking air temperature at the duct during an inspection in St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

R-6 sits in the middle as a budget upgrade. R-8 is the current Florida new-construction code minimum and the rating we install on every Tampa Bay re-duct job. The difference is not marketing fluff. It is straight thermodynamics: the bigger the temperature gap between the air inside the duct (about 55 degrees on a cooling cycle) and the air outside the duct (130 plus in your attic), the more heat tries to push through that wall. R-value tells you how much resistance the wall offers.

Real-world numbers we measure with a duct blaster and supply-register thermometer on Tampa attic systems: R-4 duct in a 130-degree attic loses 20 to 30 percent of the cooling output before the air reaches your bedrooms. R-8 in the same attic cuts that loss to 8 to 12 percent. That is a measurable difference of 70 to 100 cubic feet per minute of cool air actually arriving at your registers.

Translated into your power bill, the typical 2,000 square foot Tampa home with R-4 duct in a hot attic pays $400 to $700 per year more in cooling costs than the same home with R-8. Over a 15-year duct lifespan, that is $6,000 to $10,000 in lost money blowing into your insulation. The R-8 upgrade pays itself back in 3 to 5 years on energy savings alone, and from year 6 onward it is pure savings sitting in your account.

Flex vs Sheet Metal vs Hard Pipe in Tampa Homes

Three duct materials show up on Tampa Bay residential and light-commercial systems, and each has a real place. Picking the wrong one for the wrong location is how you end up with a 10-year-old duct system that should have lasted 20.

Flex duct is the workhorse of Florida residential. It is a wire-coil core wrapped in a plastic inner liner, surrounded by fiberglass insulation, sealed in an outer vapor barrier. Pros: easiest to install around trusses, lowest material cost, available in R-4 through R-8 ratings, quiet airflow. Cons: the inner liner degrades from UV and constant 130-degree attic heat, so flex in an unconditioned Tampa attic eventually cracks, sags, or develops pinhole leaks. Crushed flex (from someone walking on it during roof or insulation work) chokes airflow permanently.

Sheet metal is galvanized rectangular or round trunk material. Pros: long lifespan, holds shape, easy to seal at joints with mastic, no inner liner to degrade. Cons: requires external R-6 or R-8 insulation wrap (extra labor), louder if not sized right, harder to route through tight truss bays. Best fit: trunk lines and main supply runs.

Hard pipe (rigid galvanized or spiral) is mostly commercial, but it shows up on high-end residential where airflow precision matters. Most Tampa homes do not need it, and the labor cost rarely justifies the upgrade for a single-family system.

The best Tampa residential setup for most homes: R-6 flex runs to each register, which is about 98% of the duct replacements we do, with R-8 flex as an upgrade and galvanized sheet metal trunk lines where the layout calls for them. Typical cost ranges we see in Tampa Bay: a partial replacement $2,800 to $4,400, and a full-home flex re-duct $7,200 to $11,700. Sheet metal trunk designs are quoted after we measure.

What Tampa Bay customers say

“Great Team. Arrive on Time and do complete maintenance on our system. Recommend to anyone looking for quality service.”

Richard M., Google review

“They have been amazing from the quote to the installation. They were able to accommodate us last minute. Made all the updates needed and in less than 5hrs we had a new HVAC unit installed. We'll be using them for all of our upgrades”

Rona B., Google review

4.8 from 1,398 reviews · Read more reviews

Replacing the AC at the same time as the ductwork? Across 360 of our 2025 and 2026 quotes, a new system plus new ductwork typically came to about $19,000. See AC and ductwork replacement cost in Tampa.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to replace ductwork in a 2000 sq ft house?
Replacing ductwork in a 2,000 sq ft Tampa Bay home typically runs $2,800 to $4,400 for a partial replacement and $7,200 to $11,700 for a full replacement, depending on the number of zones, duct material (flex vs. rigid sheet metal), accessibility, and whether the air handler is being replaced at the same time. Homes in Tampa Bay often need full replacements sooner due to high humidity accelerating duct liner deterioration. Home Therapist provides FREE estimates so you get an exact number before any work begins.
Why is duct work so expensive?
Ductwork costs reflect labor-intensive work in tight attic spaces, the volume of material required to serve every room, and in Florida, the need for properly sealed, insulated ducts that resist moisture and heat. Tampa Bay attics routinely exceed 140 degrees in summer, so improperly installed or aging ducts lose significant conditioned air, making quality installation critical to long-term efficiency and comfort.
Can I install my own ductwork?
In Florida, ductwork connected to a licensed HVAC system must be installed by a licensed contractor under a pulled permit. DIY duct installation on a permitted system is not legal and can void equipment warranties and homeowner's insurance claims. Home Therapist holds HVAC license CAC1819196 and handles all permitting, so the work is done right and fully covered.
Should I replace 20 year old ductwork?
Yes, 20-year-old ductwork is typically past its useful life and should be replaced. Flex duct degrades, develops leaks, and loses insulation value over time, forcing your AC to work harder in Tampa's intense summer heat. Home Therapist offers FREE estimates and FREE diagnosis at (813) 343-2212.

When do I need new ductwork?

Signs: weak airflow despite clean filter, rooms that never cool/heat evenly, energy bills rising, visible duct damage in attic, musty smell, 20+ year old fiberboard ducts. We inspect free.

R6 vs R8 flex, big difference in Tampa?

Yes, R8 loses about 40% less cooling through attic heat than R6. $100/section extra. Payback 2-4 years in energy savings.

Why antimicrobial flex?

Tampa humidity grows mold in duct insulation. Antimicrobial R8 flex is treated to resist mold/bacteria. Dramatically less mold + allergy risk. $100 premium per section, worth it.

Should I add zoning at the same time?

If you have hot/cold spots or multi-story home: absolutely. Honeywell zone $2,599 or Daikin Fit zone $4,999 with new ducts is cheaper than retrofitting later.

What's an air plenum?

The large sheet-metal box that distributes air from the air handler to the ducts. New plenum $999 when replacing full duct system.

Can I replace just one duct section?

Yes. A repair is quoted after a FREE inspection, and replacing a section with new R-6 flex is $599 per drop. Common for localized damage.

Metal spiral duct, worth it?

Premium option. Lasts 50+ years, quieter, cleaner airflow. $1,999/section vs $599 R6 flex. Usually commercial or luxury residential.

Florida permit required?

Yes for full system replacement. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection. The permit fee is billed separately.

How long does installation take?

Single section repair: 2-3 hours. Full system replacement: one day for most homes, with more than one crew. The inspection is scheduled separately.

Hurricane safety?

All our installs strap ductwork per Florida hurricane code. Standard, not extra cost.

Old duct cleaning vs replacement?

If ducts are sound: cleaning instead of replacement. If damaged/old fiberboard: replacement. We recommend based on inspection.

How much does duct replacement cost in Tampa?

A typical full-home flex re-duct runs $7,200 to $11,700, and a partial replacement $2,800 to $4,400. New R-6 flex is $599 per drop, which is about 98% of our jobs, and the R-8 upgrade is $699 per drop. Sheet metal trunk designs are quoted after we measure. Final price depends on home size, attic accessibility, register count, and whether the air handler plenum needs replacement at the same time.

Is R-8 duct really worth it over R-4 or R-6?

Yes, especially in Tampa Bay attics. R-8 cuts conditioned-air loss from 20 to 30 percent down to 8 to 12 percent in a 130-degree attic. The energy savings of $400 to $700 per year pay back the upgrade in 3 to 5 years, then it is pure money in your pocket for the rest of the duct lifespan.

How long does flex duct last in Tampa?

Flex duct in a Tampa Bay unconditioned attic wears out faster than metal duct. The combination of constant 130-degree heat, UV exposure where any sunlight reaches it, and Florida humidity degrades the inner plastic liner over time. Sheet metal trunks last much longer than flex duct and outlive multiple AC system replacements.

Should I replace just the damaged sections or the full system?

Spot repair makes sense when you have one or two isolated leaks on otherwise healthy duct that is under 10 years old. Full replacement is the right call when the system is 15 plus years old, when you have multiple leak points, when the inner liner is visibly degraded, or when a hurricane drove rain into exposed sections. Patching old, brittle flex usually just kicks the can down the road 12 to 18 months.

Does Home Therapist do FREE duct system assessments?

Yes. Every duct estimate includes a full attic and duct inspection at no cost. We measure static pressure, check for visible leaks and crushed sections, inspect the air handler plenum, document the current R-value, and give you a written quote with photo evidence before any work is scheduled. Call (813) 343-2212 to book the FREE assessment.

Where we work

We serve the three counties of Tampa Bay from our shop at 1408 W Linebaugh Ave in Tampa.

Hillsborough County

Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Carrollwood, Town ’n’ Country, Plant City, Ruskin, Sun City Center, Apollo Beach, Valrico, Lutz, Seffner

Pinellas County

St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Tarpon Springs, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach

Pasco County

Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, New Port Richey, Holiday, Hudson, Trinity, Zephyrhills, Dade City

See every city and ZIP code we serve

Free Estimate Today

FREE estimates + FREE diagnosis. (813) 343-2212.

Call (813) 343-2212 Text us Book online

4.8 from 1,398 reviews · Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Licensed HVAC + Plumbing · Hablamos español

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★★★★★★ 4.8 (1,398 verified reviews)

Verified4.8★ · 1,398 reviews

🛡 FL Licensed: CAC1819196 · CFC1431159💼 $1M General Liability + Workers’ Comp🏠 Family-owned since 2017⚡ Same-day service

★★★★★Maintenance
Great Team. Arrive on Time and do complete maintenance on our system. Recommend to anyone looking for quality service.
Richard Myberg · October 2026 · Google

★★★★★Plumbing
Happy with the service and excellent communication with Home Therapist for help with a plumbing/ drain issue. Can recommend!
Jenn Bonilla · October 2026 · Google

★★★★★AC repair
I have the Service Maintenance Plan with them for my a/c and plumbing, their visit was pleasant making sure all was clean and functioning properly. I pay monthly $20 of which is…
Juanita Rosa · October 2026 · Google

★★★★★Plumbing
Excellent service and fair pricing from Home Therapist. Their quote was $180 less than similar plumbing company for simple disposal replacement. Plumber arrived promptly, worked efficiently, and answered all of my questions…
thomas rickard · October 2026 · Google

★★★★★Water heater
I had the best experience with this company. From the free estimate to everything in between. I have my beautiful new water heater and more room under my sink when he took…
Patti Send · October 2026 · Google

★★★★★Water heater
I had a great experience with Home Therapist Cooling, Heating, and Plumbing. We were getting our house ready to sell and the home inspection identified several plumbing issues that needed to be…
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★★★★★AC install
I was in need of air conditioning for my detached garage. My AI search for the most trustworthy mini-split AC installer led me to Home Therapist; my expectations were exceeded. Scheduling a…
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★★★★★AC install
Excellent service from Richard! He was professional, courteous, and very knowledgeable. He fixed my A/C problem quickly and explained everything clearly. I highly recommend Richard for anyone needing A/C service. had a…
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★★★★★AC repair
I had a great experience with Home Therapist AC Repair. Alejandro arrived on time to diagnose why my AC wasn't cooling and quickly found the problem that the previous company had missed.…
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Reviewed by Richard MoralesCo-Owner & FL Class B Air Conditioning Contractor, Home Therapist

Richard co-owns Home Therapist Cooling, Heating, and Plumbing and holds the FL Class B Air Conditioning Contractor license (CAC1819196) since 2017. The company holds licenses CAC1819196 (FL Class B AC Contractor, Richard Morales) and CFC1431159 (FL Plumbing Contractor, Alex Morales), serving Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties with a four-technician field team and 1,300+ customer reviews averaging 4.8 stars.

Published: April 18, 2026Last reviewed: September 16, 2026