# Heat Pump Ductwork Replacement in Sacramento > Heat pump ductwork replacement in Sacramento: static pressure and leakage tests, Title 24 targets, R-8 attic ducts and when sealing is enough. Get an estimate. URL: https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-ductwork/ Duct testing, sealing, resizing or full replacement so a heat pump gets the airflow it needs and passes the Title 24 test. [Tule Sacramento Heat Pump](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/) tests, repairs and replaces ductwork for ducted heat pumps throughout the Sacramento region, from the county itself to south Placer, east Yolo and El Dorado Hills. Licensed and insured contractors do the work. The ducts decide how much of the heat pump’s rated capacity reaches the rooms. A new outdoor unit on leaking, crushed or undersized ducts runs harder, sounds louder and still leaves the back bedroom warm. ## Why a heat pump is harder on ducts than a furnace Furnace air leaves the cabinet hot enough that even a thin trickle from a leaky run feels warm on your hand, so duct problems can hide for decades. A heat pump heats with cooler supply air and makes up for it with volume. ### More air through the same ducts Title 24 asks for a minimum of 300 cfm of airflow for each ton when the heat pump refrigerant charge is verified. Ducts sized for a furnace with a small air conditioner may not carry that. The extra air raises static pressure, the resistance the blower works against, and the blower either gets louder or delivers less. ### Where the losses show up A leak in the attic costs more in summer than in winter here. The California Energy Commission puts Sacramento’s 1% cooling design at 98 degrees, and attic ducts sit in air hotter still. Cool air lost through a torn boot or a disconnected run is paid for twice: once by the heat pump and again by the room that never gets it. The [hot weather guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-hot-weather/) explains the summer side. ## What happens on the first visit Before anyone decides to keep or replace the ducts, they get measured. - **Duct leakage.** A pressurized test of the whole system, or a record of an earlier ECC-Rater test if one exists. - **Static pressure.** Readings across the blower and filter, the clearest sign of undersized ducts or a starved return. - **Room airflow.** Supply at each register compared with what each room needs from the [load calculation](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-sizing/). - **The attic.** Run lengths, crushed or sagging flex, disconnected boots, insulation level and any wrap that could contain asbestos. - **The return.** How many returns there are, their size and whether bedroom doors cut them off. - **Access.** Hatch size, headroom and attic temperature, which change how long the work takes. The written scope separates sealing, repair and replacement, so you can see which numbers drove the recommendation. ## Keep, repair or replace Inside the City of Sacramento, the existing ducts usually stay. The City’s permit records for the twelve months ending October 25, 2026 list 1,950 permits for heat pumps; 176 of them added new ducts, while 1,167 carried the condition “No Duct Work Permitted”. The California Energy Commission’s 2019 survey found central air conditioning in 89% of SMUD households, so most Sacramento homes already have a duct system to work from. ### When sealing is enough If the ducts are the right size and in sound shape, sealing joints, boots and plenum connections brings leakage down to the Title 24 target. Homeowners report passing the test with original ducts. The test measures leakage, not the age or R-value of the duct. ### When targeted repair fits A single crushed trunk, a missing return or two rooms on long, undersized runs can be fixed without touching the rest. Adding or enlarging a return is often the change that brings static pressure down most. ### When replacement is the right call Replacement fits when the ducts fail throughout: brittle flex, runs that tear when moved, insulation well below R-8, or a layout that cannot carry the airflow without redesign. Older ranch houses deserve a careful look here. The Census Bureau’s survey counts about 70% of homes in Carmichael and North Highlands, and 77% in Arden-Arcade, as built before 1980, so original attic ducts are a realistic possibility, though each house has to be tested. The [home readiness check](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/tools/heat-pump-assessment/) walks through the duct questions before a visit. Know what your ducts measure before choosing A leakage test and a static pressure reading cost far less than a duct system you may not need, and they make every quote comparable. ## Title 24 rules for the ducts The state’s energy code treats a heat pump change-out as an alteration of an existing system, and the California Energy Commission’s 2025 single-family compliance manual spells out what that means for ducts. ### Existing ducts kept in service Swapping the outdoor unit, the air handler, a coil or a packaged unit puts the attached ducts in scope. The installer seals them, and an ECC-Rater measures the result. Passing means leakage of no more than 10% of system airflow in total, or no more than 7% to outdoors. Ducts that can’t get there still pass once all reachable leaks are closed and the rater confirms it by eye and with smoke. ### What is exempt Three cases skip the leakage test: a duct system with a prior ECC test on record, one with under 40 feet of duct, and ducts wrapped in asbestos insulation. A garage location is stricter, at 6% unless the leaks into the garage are sealed. ### New duct Adding over 25 feet of new duct brings two requirements: R-8 insulation in Sacramento-area climate zones and a leakage test. A fully new system has a tighter limit of 5% leakage and must also meet filtration, fan efficacy and airflow rules. The [permit and Title 24 guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-permit-title-24/) covers the paperwork, and City of Sacramento permit records list new ducts as their own “Change-out w/new ducts” option. ## Designing replacement ducts Replacement ducts are laid out with ACCA Manual D, the residential duct design method, working from the room loads. ### What the design sets - **Trunk and branch sizes** that carry the heat pump’s full airflow at a static pressure the blower can handle. - **Returns** large enough for the blower, with a path back from bedrooms when doors are closed. - **Short, straight runs** with gentle bends, supported so flex duct stays round. - **Register type and placement** so cooler supply air reaches the far side of the room. ### Ceiling registers and heating Where the ducts run through the attic, the supply registers sit in the ceiling. Heat pump supply air mixes well when the register throws it across the room, so the register choice matters more than the ceiling location. ### Ducted or ductless If a house has rooms the ducts can’t reach, ducted design is the scope here. Ductless mini splits are a separate trade not offered through this site, and a [variable speed heat pump](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/variable-speed-heat-pump/) on well-designed ducts is the closest ducted answer to uneven rooms; the [ducted vs ductless guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/ducted-vs-ductless-heat-pump/) explains the tradeoffs. ## Rebates and what duct work costs SMUD ties its heat pump rebate to the duct work. The program pays $3,000 on a qualifying variable-stage system and $2,000 on a two-stage system when either replaces gas heat, and both need a passing Title 24 verification plus R-8 insulation on any new ducts. The installer must be a participating contractor in the SMUD Contractor Network. Rebate-qualified installs can be arranged on request, with eligibility checked for each project under SMUD’s terms; the [SMUD rebate guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/smud-heat-pump-rebates/) lists the rest. ### Typical ranges A Sacramento-area gas furnace to heat pump conversion that also replaces the ducts typically lands between about $20,000 and $31,000 before rebates. Duct length, attic access and whether returns are enlarged drive the difference. Treat it as a budgeting range for the whole project rather than a quote. ### Sealing and repairs Sealing or targeted repair on its own has no reliable published local range. Its price follows the measured leakage, the number of runs, attic access and the method used. The [gas furnace to heat pump conversion](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/gas-furnace-to-heat-pump-conversion/) page shows where duct work fits in a full project, and the page on [heat pumps in older homes](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-older-homes/) deals with houses that need a duct system built from scratch. If the indoor cabinet is changing too, see [air handler replacement](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-air-handler-replacement/). ## What's included - A duct leakage test and a static pressure reading before the scope is set - A room-by-room airflow check against the load calculation - Sealing of accessible joints, boots and plenums with mastic or tape rated for the purpose - Replacement of crushed, torn or kinked flex runs, with straps and supports so they stay round - Return sizing, including an added or enlarged return where the blower is starved - New supply and return runs designed with ACCA Manual D where the layout changes - R-8 insulated duct on every new run in the attic - Plenum and transition fittings matched to the new air handler - Removal and disposal of old duct, with any asbestos-wrapped duct flagged for licensed abatement first - The ECC-Rater leakage test and the airflow measurement for the refrigerant charge check ## Keep, repair or replace the ducts | | Test and seal the existing ducts | Repair and resize parts of the system | Replace the duct system | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Fits best | Sound ducts that leak at joints and boots | A starved return or a few bad runs | Failed, undersized or poorly insulated ducts throughout | | Title 24 target | 10% total or 7% to outside, or seal all accessible leaks | Same, plus R-8 and testing on more than 25 feet of new duct | 5% leakage, plus filtration and fan rules | | City of Sacramento permit | Standard change-out | May need the new-duct option | Change-out with new ducts | | SMUD rebate condition | Pass the Title 24 verification | New runs insulated to R-8 | New ducts insulated to R-8 | | Comfort result | Less lost air; layout unchanged | Fixes the specific rooms and the return | Layout designed for the heat pump | | Check first | Leakage test result | Static pressure and room airflow | Attic access, asbestos and return locations | ## Related resources - Decision Guide [Should a Sacramento home get a ducted or a ductless heat pump?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/ducted-vs-ductless-heat-pump/)How the two systems get heat into each room, what the existing ducts decide, what SMUD's rebate-program data shows about cost, and where a ductless system is the better fit. - Learn [What does a heat pump permit in Sacramento involve, and what does Title 24 check?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-permit-title-24/)The permit office for each part of the region, what the City of Sacramento's standard change-out permit allows, every Title 24 test a change-out carries, and how SB 222 reshapes permits from 2027. - Learn [How is a heat pump sized for a Sacramento home?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-sizing/)How a load calculation turns your house, your town's design temperatures and your ducts into a capacity, why the old condenser's tonnage is a poor guide, and what Title 24 and the City permit allow. - Learn [How does the SMUD heat pump rebate work?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/smud-heat-pump-rebates/)What SMUD pays on a ducted heat pump, which homes and systems qualify, the permit and Title 24 steps the claim depends on, the Go Electric panel and circuit add-ons, and who files the paperwork. - Learn [How does a heat pump hold up in Sacramento's hot weather?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-hot-weather/)What happens inside a heat pump on a 100-degree afternoon, how the design temperature for your town sets its size, why attic ducts and outdoor-unit placement matter, and how to run it around summer peak pricing. ## 1. Your house and your bills What you have now, what isn't working, your utility and what you want the new system to do. 2. Load, ducts and panel A room-by-room load calculation, a look at the ducts and returns, the electrical panel and where the outdoor unit can go. 3. Permit, set, braze, test Permit pulled, old equipment recovered and removed, new units set, lines brazed, pressure-tested and evacuated before charging. 4. Verified and explained Airflow, charge and backup heat checked, the ECC-Rater visit for Title 24, and the thermostat set up and walked through. ## What this work looks like New insulated flexible ducts hung on straps from the roof trusses in the attic of a two-story Sacramento-area house Supply plenum with mastic-sealed seams rising from a heat pump air handler into the ceiling of a Sacramento garage Finished flexible duct runs on straps in a Sacramento attic, with a roll of foil tape and a bucket of mastic on a plank in the foreground Before After Test the ducts before anyone quotes new ones Tell us which rooms run hot or cold, where the ducts run and whether they were ever tested. The scope follows the numbers. ## Heat pump ductwork questions ### Can old ducts pass the Title 24 leakage test with a new heat pump? Yes, if they are sound. The test measures leakage, not age or insulation value, so older ducts that are sealed well can pass at 10% or less total leakage, or 7% or less to the outside. If they can't reach the target, sealing every accessible leak and confirming it with a visual and smoke test also satisfies the rule. Homeowners report passing with original ducts after sealing. ### How do I know whether my ducts are too small for a heat pump? A static pressure reading and a room-by-room airflow check show it. A heat pump needs at least 300 cfm per ton for the Title 24 charge verification, and undersized ducts or a small return push static pressure up and airflow down. Symptoms such as a noisy return grille or rooms that never reach the setpoint point to it, but only the measurements confirm it. ### Will ceiling registers heat the rooms properly with a heat pump? They can. A house with its ducts in the attic already heats through ceiling registers, and a heat pump can use them. What matters is enough airflow and registers that throw the air across the room, because heat pump supply air is cooler than a furnace's. If a room stays cold, the usual causes are a leaking or crushed run, a weak return path, or a register that throws air the wrong way. ### Do new ducts need to be insulated to a particular level? Yes. In Sacramento's climate zones, Title 24 requires more than 25 feet of new duct to be insulated to R-8 and leakage tested, and SMUD's heat pump rebate also requires new ductwork insulated to at least R-8. Attic ducts sit in the hottest part of the house on summer afternoons, so the insulation directly affects the air reaching the rooms. ### What happens if the old ducts are wrapped in asbestos? They are not disturbed until a licensed abatement contractor has dealt with them. Title 24 exempts ducts insulated with asbestos from the leakage test, so they can sometimes stay in place untouched. If they must come out for a new layout, abatement is scheduled first and priced separately. Old wrap that looks gray, fibrous or papery is treated as suspect until tested. ## Related services Furnace to heat pump conversion One ducted heat pump in place of the gas furnace and the central AC, sized from a load calculation and tested to Title 24. Older homes Ducted heat pumps for pre-war and mid-century houses, including a first duct system where the house never had one. Air handler replacement A new indoor fan and coil cabinet matched to the outdoor unit, with the drain, filter, backup heat and duct test done to Title 24.