Duct installation runs $10-$25 per linear foot installed in 2026 when you include materials and labor together, with Homewyse's January 2026 basic cost sitting at $13.95-$23.19/LF for a standard residential job. Labor alone accounts for $5-$10 per linear foot on top of material cost, which is why regional labor rates drive most of the variance you see between bids. The average US home carries about 100 linear feet of ductwork connecting supplies and returns across living spaces, putting a typical installed cost at $1,400-$5,600 all-in for the full home.
Home size scales linear feet more-or-less linearly up to about 2,500 sqft. A 1,200-1,500 sqft home runs 80-140 LF and lands at $1,500-$3,500 installed. A 1,500-2,000 sqft home carries 100-180 LF at $2,000-$4,500. A 2,000-2,500 sqft home needs 150-220 LF and runs $3,000-$5,500. Larger or multi-zone homes above 2,500 sqft often double the linear feet (300+ LF) and push $6,500-$12,000 because multi-story framing forces extra trunk turns and longer branch runs to reach second-floor rooms.
Labor share is roughly 60-70% of the total duct installation bill, which means the cheapest way to reduce total cost is to pick a material with lower per-LF labor, not just lower per-LF material. Flex duct is routed by a single installer walking a roll through joists; sheet metal requires a two-person crew to hand-crimp, snap-lock, and mastic-seal every joint, which is why the sheet-metal labor line alone doubles versus flex even before material is counted. HVAC crews bill $50-$150/hr depending on metro — a single installer on flex can finish 80-120 LF in a workday, while sheet metal hand-fabrication lands at 30-60 LF per day with a two-person crew.
Use the calculator above to price your specific linear feet, material, and access combination. Then read on for the material-by-material comparison, the accessibility premium that can add 30-40% to the labor line, and the six non-linear-foot items that every legitimate bid should itemize. For adjacent scope, the ductwork install cost calculator frames whole-project totals by project type, and the ductwork replacement cost calculator adds demo and haul-off to the per-LF baseline here.
Residential duct installation cost by home size, US 2026. Source: Homewyse, Angi, Fixr.| Home size | Linear feet | Typical installed cost | Installed $/LF |
|---|
| 1,200-1,500 sqft | 80-140 LF | $1,500-$3,500 | $18-$25 |
| 1,500-2,000 sqft | 100-180 LF | $2,000-$4,500 | $18-$25 |
| 2,000-2,500 sqft | 150-220 LF | $3,000-$5,500 | $18-$25 |
| 2,500-3,500 sqft | 200-300 LF | $4,500-$7,500 | $18-$25 |
| 3,500+ sqft multi-zone | 300+ LF | $6,500-$12,000 | $20-$30 |