SolvedDuct Cleaning
Does this duct system quote look high for Los Angeles?
Asked by Ruben Russellin Los Angeles, California· 3/12/2026· 1084 views
I'm in Los Angeles, California and dealing with a 17-year-old duct system in our small commercial unit. Over the past two weeks, it has been pushing weak airflow to the upstairs rooms and we're now noticing the system sounds normal at startup but never quite settles into a steady cycle.
One contractor quoted $1,623 for repair, while another jumped straight to a $16,752 replacement because of the age. The weather here has been dealing us dry afternoon heat, so I do not want to wait too long, but I also do not want to approve the wrong scope.
If you were comparing bids on this, what would you want checked first? I especially want to know how much weight you would give to duct leakage, balancing, blower performance, and filter pressure drop.
ductsairflowcomfort
9 Answers
33
✓ Accepted Answer
We used the directory reviews to filter out firms that were vague about what they had actually tested. That saved us a lot of time. We had a related issue with our duct system in Los Angeles. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Mia Thompson·3/12/2026
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The recommendation should be tied to measurements, not just the age of the equipment. Age matters, but it is not a diagnosis on its own. For a duct system that is pushing weak airflow to the upstairs rooms, the first things I would ask for are duct leakage, balancing, blower performance, and filter pressure drop. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Los Angeles, California, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
26
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Before signing anything, I would ask the technician to show the readings and explain which number actually supports the recommendation. For a duct system that is pushing weak airflow to the upstairs rooms, the first things I would ask for are duct leakage, balancing, blower performance, and filter pressure drop. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Los Angeles, California, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
17
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The recommendation should be tied to measurements, not just the age of the equipment. Age matters, but it is not a diagnosis on its own. For a duct system that is pushing weak airflow to the upstairs rooms, the first things I would ask for are duct leakage, balancing, blower performance, and filter pressure drop. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Los Angeles, California, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
16
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We had something similar and the turning point was asking each company for the actual readings in writing instead of a verbal explanation. We had a related issue with our duct system in Los Angeles. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Chloe Kelly·3/12/2026
16
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If you can, ask whether they checked airflow before recommending equipment. We nearly replaced a system when the bigger issue was elsewhere. We had a related issue with our duct system in Los Angeles. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Lucas Mitchell·3/13/2026
9
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If you can, ask whether they checked airflow before recommending equipment. We nearly replaced a system when the bigger issue was elsewhere. We had a related issue with our duct system in Los Angeles. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Avery Hughes·3/12/2026
8
0
We had something similar and the turning point was asking each company for the actual readings in writing instead of a verbal explanation. We had a related issue with our duct system in Los Angeles. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Olivia Patel·3/12/2026
8
0
If this landed on my schedule, I would want to document the core readings first and then explain exactly why the repair does or does not make economic sense. For a duct system that is pushing weak airflow to the upstairs rooms, the first things I would ask for are duct leakage, balancing, blower performance, and filter pressure drop. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Los Angeles, California, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.