Whole-home duct cleaning
Dryer vent cleaning
Camera inspection
Sanitizing & deodorizingWhole-system duct and dryer vent check with before-and-after photos - you see exactly what came out of your vents
That "$99 whole-house special" is a bait ad - the real number appears once they are in your hallway, or the "clean" is a shop-vac at the register. We photograph the inside of your ducts before and after instead.
Styles & brands we work with
- Whole-home duct cleaning
- Dryer vent cleaning
- Camera inspection
- Sanitizing & deodorizing
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After
Before
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Before
AfterHow Much Does Duct Repair & Sealing Cost in Union City?
Duct repair and sealing in Union City typically runs $275 to $650 for the average single-story home, with most jobs landing around $400. Small fixes like sealing a single disconnected joint in a South Hayward-adjacent tract home often come in under $300, while re-insulating and sealing a full attic system in the hills can climb past $900. The number you pay depends on how much ductwork we can reach, how many leaks we find, and what the ducts are made of.
We give you a written estimate before any work starts, on the spot, whether you’re in a 1960s ranch near Kennedy Park or a newer townhome off Alvarado-Niles Road. Call (877) 824-3121 and we’ll schedule a walkthrough.
Duct Repair & Sealing Cost Breakdown (2026)
Every job is quoted by the leak and by the hour of labor involved, not by a flat package that hides the real scope. Here’s how the pieces break down for Union City homes this year:
| Job | Typical price range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Sealing minor leaks (up to 5 joints) | $180 – $310 | Mastic or foil-tape sealing on accessible joints in attic or crawlspace |
| Full system sealing (10-20 joints) | $380 – $700 | Every reachable joint, boot, and seam sealed and pressure-checked |
| Replacing a disconnected or crushed duct run | $220 – $480 per run | Removing damaged flex or rigid duct, fitting a new run, reconnecting |
| Re-insulating exposed attic ductwork | $3.50 – $6.00 per linear foot | Wrapping bare or degraded ducts to stop heat gain and condensation |
| Repairing a punctured or damaged flex duct | $150 – $320 | Patching or replacing a section where the jacket has torn |
| Mastic sealing at the air handler plenum | $150 – $280 | The single biggest leak point in most homes, sealed and checked |
| Rerouting or extending a duct | $425 – $950 | For additions, finished garages, or rooms that never get enough air |
| Rigid metal duct replacement (per run) | $480 – $1,100 | Upgrading from failed flex to rigid duct where accessible |
In Union City specifically, we see two cost patterns that don’t match the rest of the Bay Area. Homes built in the 1950s and 1960s around the Decoto district often have the original rigid galvanized ductwork still in place. That metal lasts, but the joints leak after 60 years of thermal cycling, and sealing them costs less than installing new flex. The tract homes built in the 1980s and 1990s near Alvarado and the Union Landing area typically have flex duct with disintegrating outer jackets. That’s a different repair, often including insulation wrap and re-strapping.
The biggest driver is a simple fact most homeowners don’t realize: most leaks are reachable. When ducts run through a low-pitch attic (which is what most Union City houses have) or a crawlspace, we can get to them. When a duct run is buried behind drywall or a finished ceiling, sealing costs more because we’re cutting access or working through a tight space. That’s why we walk the system first before quoting.
What Affects Duct Repair & Sealing Pricing in Union City
Six things move the number up or down. We measure each one during the estimate so you know exactly what you’re paying for.
- How many leaks and how big. A home with two loose boots leaks a little. A home with fifteen leaky joints plus a separated plenum leaks 30% to 40% of its air into the attic. More joints to seal means more labor, and labor is the largest part of the bill.
- Duct type and condition. Bare metal duct seals cleanly with mastic and lasts decades. Flex duct with a torn outer jacket needs replacement, not sealing, because sealing a compromised duct just hides the problem. Rigid metal repair often costs less than people expect because the duct itself is still sound.
- Access. A leaky attic in a single-story rancher is easy. A two-story home where the attic is too low to crawl through, or a home where ducts run through a sealed chase, is a harder job. We don’t guess about access, we check, and we tell you before we quote.
- Whether it’s the plenum or a branch. The connection at the furnace or air handler is where we find the worst leaks in most Union City homes. Sealing the plenum is one of the highest-value repairs you can make because that’s where the system pushes the most pressure.
- Local climate and building age. Union City sits close enough to the bay that our summers are mild and our heating season is short. That sounds like good news, but it means duct problems quietly get worse for years without anyone noticing, because the system isn’t running hard enough to show the symptom. We see under-insulated attic ductwork fail earlier in the older tract homes near Whipple Road and the Dyer Street corridor because condensation from cool evening air accelerates jacket breakdown.
- Whether sealing happens alongside a cleaning. If you’re already having us clean the system, adding sealing to the same visit costs less than booking a second trip. That’s how a lot of jobs land in the $400 to $550 range instead of $600 and up.
If you’re seeing the signs of a failing system (uneven room temperatures, dust settling after the heat kicks on, higher energy bills than last year), it’s usually cheaper to fix the leak than to replace the equipment. Start with our Duct Repair & Sealing in Union City service page to see how we scope the work.
How to Save on Duct Repair & Sealing
There’s no magic discount that makes a necessary repair cost less. There are, though, a few honest ways to keep the number down without cutting corners:
- Bundle sealing with your cleaning. When we’re already in the attic with the Rotobrush system, adding seal work is far cheaper than a separate visit. If you’re due for a cleaning anyway, this is the single best way to lower the total.
- Fix the plenum first. If the budget is tight, sealing just the air handler connection often gives you the largest share of the airflow benefit for the cheapest single repair. We can tell you during the estimate whether that makes sense for your home.
- Get an estimate before the small leak becomes a big one. Sealing a loose joint costs a fraction of resealing an entire collapsed run. We see that pattern repeat in the older homes around Kennedy Park.
- Ask us what’s included. A written estimate that lists every joint and run keeps you from paying for “extra” repairs later. We price the scope, not the hours we’re there.
- Take the free estimate seriously. Our estimates are free and we don’t upsell repairs the system doesn’t need. Call (877) 824-3121 and we’ll tell you straight whether it’s a $250 job or a $700 one.
One thing worth flagging: don’t let a contractor seal ducts with duct tape alone. It fails within a few seasons. We use mastic or approved foil tape and check the work with a pressure test or a smoke test so you know the seal is real.
FAQs – Duct Repair & Sealing Cost
Is duct sealing worth the cost in Union City?
For most homes here, yes, especially if your ducts are more than 20 years old. Sealing a leaking system typically pays back through lower heating and cooling costs within a few years, and it fixes the dust and uneven-room issues that usually prompted the call in the first place. A typical sealing job runs $380 to $700 and often cuts air loss by a meaningful amount. Call (877) 824-3121 for a free estimate so you know what your specific system needs.
How much does it cost to seal a single disconnected duct?
Reconnecting and sealing a single separated duct run usually costs $220 to $480 depending on access and whether the run has to be replaced. If it’s just a loose joint in an accessible attic, it can come in under $220. That’s the common case in the 1960s Decoto homes. Call (877) 824-3121 and we’ll give you a firm number after a quick walkthrough.
Is it cheaper to repair my ducts or replace the whole system?
Repair is almost always cheaper when the equipment itself is still working. Seal work and a new run or two typically total $275 to $950, while full duct replacement can run several thousand dollars. If the ductwork is crushed under a slab or completely deteriorated throughout, replacement can be the only route, but that’s a minority of the homes we inspect. Call (877) 824-3121 and we’ll tell you honestly which side of that line your system falls on.
Can duct sealing lower my PG&E bill in Union City?
Yes, usually by a measurable amount if your ducts are leaking. Air that escapes into the attic and crawlspace is money you’ve already paid to heat or cool. We routinely find homes around Alvarado and the Union Landing area losing a fifth or more of their conditioned air to leaks. Sealing stops that loss. The exact savings depend on your system and rate, but most homeowners notice the difference on their next bill. Call (877) 824-3121 for a free assessment.
How long does duct repair and sealing take?
Most jobs finish in a single visit, usually two to four hours. A simple joint seal or plenum repair can be done in under two hours; a full system re-seal with a few new runs takes half a day. We can usually schedule quickly because repair is one of our three core services, not something we subcontract. Call (877) 824-3121 and we’ll book a time that works.
Why Duct Cleaning Union City for Repair & Sealing
We focus on three services: air duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, and duct repair. That’s it. It means we bring the right equipment to fix what we find, not just a nozzle and a smile. Our home base explains the full scope.
We run professional-grade Rotobrush and Nikro duct cleaning systems, the kind built for this work rather than consumer vacuums or improvised tools. When we find damage during a cleaning, we can repair it the same day with duct-repair capability on hand, so you don’t have to call in a second contractor and coordinate another appointment. We work with trusted air quality brands including Honeywell, Aprilaire, Abatement Technologies, and Guardsman, which matters when you’re thinking about whole-system filtration and not just the ducts themselves.
If you also want to address dryer vent safety, we offer that as a distinct service, because a clogged dryer vent is a genuine fire hazard and deserves its own visit. Clean ducts. Healthier air. Done right.
Get a Free Duct Repair & Sealing Estimate in Union City
If your energy bill has crept up or you’re noticing dust, drafts, or rooms that never quite match the thermostat, the cheapest next step is a free estimate. We’ll walk the system, tell you what’s leaking and what it costs to fix, and give you a written number before any work begins. We serve Union City and surrounding cities across the East Bay, so wherever you are in the area, we can come out.
Call (877) 824-3121 today for a free duct repair and sealing estimate. Estimates are free, pricing is upfront, and we’ll tell you straight what your ductwork needs.
Pricing reflects the Union City market as of 2026. Duct Cleaning Union City offers free estimates. Call (877) 824-3121.
What Our Customers Say
"Did the dryer vent while they were here for a small add on price. The dryer now finishes a load in one cycle instead of two."
- Emily Wong"Ran a negative air machine on the whole system rather than the shop vac on a stick that the cheap outfit down the road uses. Showed me the before and after photos from inside the trunk line and it was genuinely disgusting."
- Michelle Lawson"Fair price and thorough work. They ran about an hour and a half past the estimated finish time, so don't schedule anything tight after."
- Neil Brooks