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The duct report: what we check, and how we grade it.

After a duct inspection you get a one-page report — six items, a letter grade and a plain note on each. Here is what one looks like, and what the grades mean.

Duct reportSample — for illustration, not a real job
Building: single-storey houseSystem: central AC with gas furnaceDucts: flexible, in the attic
  1. LeakageTwo supply runs disconnected at the boot; several joints unsealed.D
  2. Airflow to roomsBack bedroom noticeably weaker than the rest.C
  3. Return airOne central return; bedroom doors closed at night choke it.C
  4. InsulationMostly intact; a few bare metal joints sweating.B
  5. Supports & routingStrapped properly, no crushed or kinked runs.A
  6. CleanlinessLight dust at the return; no debris or mould seen.B
Recommendation in this sample: reconnect and seal the two runs, seal joints, add a return path for the bedrooms. Equipment not due for replacement.
How to read it

Five grades, one question each.

Each grade answers one thing: does this item need attention, and how soon?

  • AGood as it is
  • BMinor — fix when convenient
  • CNeeds attention
  • DSignificant — fix soon
  • FNot working or unsafe

The notes matter more than the letters. They say what we saw, where, and what we'd do — so you can get a second opinion if you want one.

The six items

What each line of the report covers.

Leakage

Disconnected runs, open joints and gaps at boots and the air handler. Where needed, a pressure test puts a number on it.

Airflow to rooms

Air measured at the vents and compared room to room, so a weak room is shown, not argued about.

Return air

Enough return for the system, and a path back from rooms whose doors are closed.

Insulation

Duct insulation intact in the attic — bare ducts there lose cooling and can drip.

Supports & routing

Runs strapped, not lying crushed on joists or kinked around framing.

Cleanliness

Dust, debris and signs of moisture. Cleaning is recommended only when the inside actually needs it.

A calibrated fan fitted to the return grille of a house hallway for a duct pressure test, hoses running to a gauge
A duct pressure test, where leakage needs a number.
A flexible duct lying disconnected beside its metal boot in an attic, insulation around it
A disconnected run: that room's cooling goes into the attic.
A metal duct joint freshly sealed with grey mastic and wrapped in insulation
Joints sealed with mastic, not just tape.
Homes

Attic ducts

Many Waco houses run ducts through the attic. That's where leaks cost the most.

Businesses

Above the ceiling

The same six items for ducts above a drop ceiling or on a roof — rooms that never cool, suites that fight each other.

The sample above is illustrative. Your report describes your building and is yours to keep, whether or not you go ahead with any work.

One room too hot?

Ask for a duct inspection.

Homes and businesses across Waco.

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