Aeroseal Duct Sealing Review: Cost, Savings and Limits

Last updated October 2026. Prices and incentive rules were checked on that date.

Aeroseal duct sealing is worth paying for when your ducts run through walls, floors, an attic or a crawlspace, a leakage test shows real loss, and some of the leaks sit where you cannot reach them by hand. It is the wrong purchase when your ducts are in plain view and mostly intact, because mastic and foil tape applied by hand cost far less and close the same leaks you can reach.

Aeroseal blows sealant particles through your pressurized ducts so they collect at the edges of leaks from the inside. The U.S. Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR say leaky ducts can cost a heating and cooling system as much as 20 percent of its efficiency, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where the technology was developed, says it seals 70 to 90 percent of duct leaks. It cannot fix a disconnected duct, and at A&E's posted price of $4,800 per system the payback can run longer than most people expect.

Below you will find how it works, what it can and cannot seal, what the research says it saves, what it costs here and elsewhere, and who should skip it. We sell this service, so we put our own numbers next to everyone else's.

Quick Facts: Aeroseal Duct Sealing at a Glance

Every figure here comes from a named source.

What Is Aeroseal and How Does It Seal Ducts From the Inside?

Aeroseal seals your ducts from the inside by pressurizing them and letting airborne sealant find the leaks on its own. Hand sealing works on the outside of the duct, so it only reaches what a person can see and touch. Aeroseal reaches leaks inside walls, floors and ceilings because the air carries the sealant there.

1. Prep and blocking. The technician blocks your registers and grilles and isolates the furnace or air handler, so sealant stays inside the ducts and out of your equipment and your rooms (NREL paper in ASHRAE Journal, February 2019).
2. Test. A machine pressurizes the ducts and measures how much air leaks out. It keeps measuring during the job, so leakage can be watched falling in real time.
3. Inject. The machine feeds sealant particles two to twenty micrometers across into the airflow (Berkeley Lab Innovation and Partnerships Office (2014)).
4. Seal. The particles stay suspended in the moving air until they reach a leak. They collect on the edges and build up until the gap closes. Sealing stops when the target is reached or the reading stops improving, and a flat reading can mean larger leaks that need hand sealing.
5. Report. A final test shows the new leakage number. A&E's duct sealing page says you receive a printed before and after report.

Berkeley Lab describes the sealant as a vinyl polymer with no lingering odor. A&E's page describes it as non-toxic and water-based and says it seals cracks up to 5/8 inch wide.

The test numbers are the proof, so ask for the before and after leakage readings on paper.

What Can Aeroseal Seal, and What Can't It?

Aeroseal closes thin leaks at duct joints, seams and boots, including leaks you cannot reach. It does not close wide gaps, reconnect a duct that has come apart, or fix duct design, and it does not clean or insulate anything.

If your ducts are crushed or disconnected, fix that first, because no sealing method makes up for a duct that is not attached.

How Much Energy Does Duct Sealing Save?

Federal sources say leaky ducts cost a system as much as 20 percent of its efficiency, and Berkeley Lab puts the heating and cooling savings from sealing at about 10 percent for basement ducts and 15 to 20 percent for attic or crawlspace ducts. What you save depends on how leaky your ducts are and where they run.

• ENERGY STAR (EPA, 2018) and the DOE Energy Saver tip, August 9, 2024: leaks can cost as much as 20 percent of efficiency. DOE adds that payback within a few years is possible in homes with significant duct leakage.
• Berkeley Lab slide deck by Dr. Mark Modera (undated, using 2005 energy figures): about 10 percent savings for basement ducts and 15 to 20 percent for attic or crawlspace ducts.
• DOE Building America case study (2014) (tested 2012): duct sealing alone can save up to 20 percent. The Raleigh, North Carolina units were projected, not metered, to save 17 percent and $300 to $600 a year.

Where the ducts run matters because lost heat does not always leave the house. Berkeley Lab's slides say about half the energy lost from leaky basement ducts is recovered inside the home, while for insulated ducts in an attic or crawlspace about 90 percent of the lost energy is not recovered.

You will see "up to 30 percent" quoted, including on a Pacific Power program page. The DOE and ENERGY STAR materials we checked say as much as 20 percent.

Plan on saving 10 to 20 percent of your heating and cooling energy, which is smaller than your whole utility bill, and only if your ducts actually leak.

How Much Does Aeroseal Duct Sealing Cost?

A&E's duct sealing page lists a flat rate of $4,800 per HVAC system, not including tax. Two 2026 contractor price guides from California and Utah put Aeroseal between $1,500 and $4,000, so our posted rate sits above that published range. Those guides come from other markets, so treat them as context and not as a quote.

Our rate covers the sealing, leakage tests before and after, printed results, labor and materials. A home with more than one HVAC system pays per system.

What moves the price: the number of HVAC systems, home size, how easy it is to reach and block every register, how much hand sealing comes first, and how much testing is included. Ask any contractor for an itemized quote.

Does Aeroseal Pay for Itself?

It pays for itself only when your heating and cooling bills are high and your ducts leak. This table divides $4,800 by the yearly savings at the low and high ends of the Berkeley Lab and ENERGY STAR range. It is our arithmetic and not a prediction for your home.

Comfort and air quality add value that this math leaves out. If your leakage test shows a low number, do not buy sealing. If it shows a high number in attic or crawlspace ducts, the savings side of the table gets much better. If price is the sticking point, see A&E's financing page and ask whether it applies to duct sealing.

Ask for the leakage test first, then do the payback math with your own bills.

Aeroseal vs. Mastic and Hand Sealing: Which Is Better?

Aeroseal seals more of the leakage, and hand sealing costs less where you can reach the ducts. The best result on many jobs is both: seal by hand what you can see, then let Aeroseal handle what you cannot. ENERGY STAR lists mastic, metal tape and aerosol-based sealant side by side as acceptable ways to seal ducts.

The leakage percentages come from one DOE case study of small apartments, so your results will vary.

If you can reach your ducts, start with mastic and a leakage test, and buy Aeroseal only for the leaks you cannot reach.

Aeroseal or Duct Cleaning: Which One Do You Need?

Cleaning removes dust and debris from inside your ducts, and Aeroseal closes the leaks that waste your heated and cooled air. They solve different problems, so one does not replace the other. Berkeley Lab says ducts need not be cleaned before sealing, which makes cleaning a choice about dust and air quality and not a requirement.

A&E's duct sealing page suggests cleaning first for best results and credits a duct cleaning done within 90 days of sealing toward the sealing price. To tell which problem you have, read Duct Cleaning vs. Aeroseal: Which One Do You Need?

Clean for dust and seal for leaks, and you can buy either one without the other.

Who Should Skip Aeroseal?

Skip Aeroseal if your ducts are exposed and intact, your leakage test comes back low, your ducts are damaged, or your home has no ducts at all. In those cases a cheaper fix or a different repair does more for you.

• Your ducts are exposed and mostly intact. Hand sealing with mastic and foil tape costs a fraction of the price and closes the leaks you can reach.
• Your leakage test is low. Little air escaping means little to save.
• Your ducts run through a basement. Berkeley Lab's slides say about half the lost energy is recovered there, and put the savings near 10 percent against 15 to 20 percent for attic or crawlspace ducts. The payback gets longer.
• Your ducts are crushed, torn or disconnected. Repair or replace them first. Sealant cannot close a gap wider than 5/8 inch.
• Your home has no ducts. Baseboard heaters, wall heaters, hydronic heat and ductless heat pumps have nothing to seal.
• The price does not fit your bills. Run the payback table above with your own numbers.

If you burn gas, propane or oil, ask for a combustion safety test after any duct sealing. ENERGY STAR recommends confirming there is no backdrafting of gas or oil-burning appliances and running a combustion safety test after ducts are sealed.

For some homes the right answer is no, and a leakage number tells you which kind of home you have.

Does Any Rebate or Tax Credit Cover Duct Sealing in 2026?

The federal tax credit no longer applies, and the programs that remain are limited to specific homes and utilities. The 25C credit is not allowed for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, according to the IRS FAQ on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The IRS energy efficient home improvement credit page, last reviewed April 28, 2026, lists insulation and air sealing materials but does not mention duct sealing by name, and it says labor costs for installing building envelope components do not qualify.

Both utility programs require a participating contractor, so ask whether yours is enrolled. We found no effective date on either page, so confirm current terms with the utility. Homes heated with propane, oil or wood do not meet either program's fuel rule as we read them.

Plan your budget as if no rebate exists, and treat any rebate you qualify for as a bonus.

Do Gorge and Portland Metro Homes Need Duct Sealing?

Many homes here were built before 1990, but age alone does not tell you how leaky a duct system is. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimates show the share of housing built before 1990 in our service area. A leakage test on your own ducts is the only way to know.

Source: Census Bureau ACS table B25034, 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates, our arithmetic. The counts include every housing unit, and not every one has ducts. The data does not say where ducts run or how tight they are. ENERGY STAR says a typical home loses 20 to 30 percent of the air in its ducts, which is why testing yours matters.

A&E seals ducts across the Columbia River Gorge, the Gresham and Portland Metro area and southern Washington, including Hood River, The Dalles, White Salmon and Gresham. See all Oregon and Washington service areas. Leaks that pull air from a dusty attic or musty crawlspace into your ducts also touch your indoor air quality, which ENERGY STAR lists as a reason to seal.

Many local homes are older, and only a test tells you whether your ducts leak.

What Should You Ask Before You Hire an Aeroseal Contractor?

Ask for the leakage number before the job and after it, in writing. Then ask these questions of whoever you hire.

1. What is my leakage today, and what test did you use to measure it?
2. What will you hand seal before injection, and is that in the price?
3. What warranty comes with the work, in writing, and who stands behind it?
4. Will you run a combustion safety test if I burn gas, propane or oil?
5. Are you a participating trade ally for any utility rebate I might qualify for?

A&E's duct sealing page says every job starts with a system test and ends with a printed before and after report. It also says most homes see 90 percent or better leakage reduction, often from about 30 percent to under 5 percent. That tops the 70 to 90 percent Berkeley Lab reports, so judge us by the report from your own job.

Treat a contractor who will not show you before and after numbers as a reason to keep shopping.

Aeroseal Duct Sealing Questions Buyers Ask

How long does Aeroseal last?

Berkeley Lab's technology summary says the seal lasts 10 years or more, and its technology transfer office describes the process as guaranteed for ten years. Who stands behind that guarantee, and what it covers, depends on the contractor and the program. Ask for the warranty in writing before you sign.

Is Aeroseal safe for my family and pets?

Berkeley Lab describes the sealant as a vinyl polymer with no lingering odors, and A&E's duct sealing page describes it as non-toxic and water-based. Your vents are blocked during the job. If you burn gas, propane or oil, ask for a combustion safety test afterward, which ENERGY STAR recommends after ducts are sealed.

Can Aeroseal fix disconnected or crushed ducts?

No. Aeroseal closes thin leaks, and the DOE and NREL guidance is that gaps wider than 5/8 inch should be sealed by hand first. A duct that has come apart or been crushed needs a repair or replacement before any sealing.

Do I need duct cleaning before Aeroseal?

Not as a technical requirement, because Berkeley Lab's technology summary says ducts need not be cleaned before sealing. A&E's duct sealing page credits a duct cleaning done within 90 days of sealing toward the sealing price if you want both.

How much does Aeroseal cost, and does it pay for itself?

A&E's duct sealing page lists $4,800 per HVAC system, not including tax. Two 2026 contractor guides from other regions publish $1,500 to $4,000. At $4,800 and a 10 to 20 percent saving, a home spending $2,500 a year on heating and cooling takes roughly 10 to 19 years to pay back, and a home spending $4,000 takes 6 to 12 years.

Is there a tax credit or rebate for duct sealing in 2026?

The federal 25C credit ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, according to the IRS. Energy Trust of Oregon offers no-cost duct sealing for qualifying manufactured homes, and Pacific Power's Washington program lists $500 and $1,000 incentives for qualifying electrically heated homes. Both require a participating trade ally contractor, so ask before you book.

Can I seal my ducts myself with mastic or foil tape?

You can seal the leaks you can reach and see. ENERGY STAR recommends mastic or metal-backed foil tape for accessible leaks and says never to use gray duct tape. Hidden leaks inside walls, floors and ceilings are where hand sealing runs out.

Is Aeroseal Duct Sealing Worth It?

Aeroseal is worth it when your ducts are hard to reach, your test shows real leakage and your heating and cooling bills are high enough to pay back the price. It is not worth it when you can reach your ducts, your leakage is low or your ducts are broken.

Spending several thousand dollars on something hidden in your walls is a big decision, and wanting proof first is reasonable. Everything above comes from named sources, and where they disagree with each other or with our own claims, we said so.

Not sure whether your problem is dust or leaks? Duct Cleaning vs. Aeroseal: Which One Do You Need? explains the signs of each. Our HVAC services page covers the rest of what we do for your heating and cooling.

Every visit starts with a leakage test and ends with a printed before and after report.

Prefer to talk first? Schedule a service call or call Hood River at (541) 387-3311 or Gresham at (503) 618-9646, and tell us you are weighing duct sealing. Bring your last year of heating and cooling bills, since they say more about your payback than any brochure does.