Whole-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.
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AfterFast, Reliable Duct Sealing Across Chicago
Chicago’s continental climate pushes residential ductwork harder than almost any major U.S. city. From the humid lake-effect summers that swell and warp metal joints to the deep winter cold that contracts seams and loosens connections, the temperature swing here forces air out of places it was never meant to escape. Most Chicago homeowners lose 20 – 30% of their heated and cooled air through leaks before it ever reaches a register. That’s money leaving your ducts every month.
We dispatch our Duct Sealing crews from our Chicago office, which means we’re working in Lincoln Park greystones, Southwest Side bungalows, and Loop high-rises regularly enough to know the building stock by neighborhood. We don’t guess at what we’ll find behind your walls. We know the galvanized steel systems common to 1920s two-flats, the retrofit flex-duct jobs in post-war brick, and the vertical chases that run twelve stories in Near North towers. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate, or read on for what duct sealing actually costs here and what separates a lasting fix from a temporary patch.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is Chicago’s Preferred Duct Sealing Company
We’ve been part of the Garrison Partners family since 2004, and our Chicago operation runs on The Garrison Standard: written price before work starts, arrival inside the quoted window, and a site left clean. No exceptions. Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, and our phones are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No voicemail loops, no callback queues.
Our 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every duct sealing job in writing. If a sealed joint fails, a mastic application cracks, or a connection we addressed starts leaking again within a full year, we come back and make it right at no charge. That includes a free second visit. Most competitors in the Chicago market won’t put a year-long guarantee on ductwork in writing. We do, on every job.
We also handle Air Duct Cleaning in Chicago and Dryer Vent Cleaning in Chicago, which matters because sealing dirty ducts traps debris permanently. We assess whether cleaning should precede sealing so you’re not paying to preserve a problem.
Duct Repair in Chicago
Duct Repair in Chicago addresses the physical damage that sealing alone won’t fix: crushed flex runs in tight crawl spaces, separated trunk lines in basements that flood seasonally, and corroded galvanized steel in original systems from the 1920s through 1950s. We see this work most often in pre-war buildings on the North Side and in bungalows across Archer Heights and Garfield Ridge, where decades of vibration, moisture, and thermal cycling have taken their toll. A typical duct repair in Chicago runs $280 – $650 depending on accessibility and material, with most single-section repairs completed in one visit.
Section Replacement vs. Spot Patching
When a galvanized steel trunk line has rusted through or a flex duct has collapsed, we cut out the damaged section and splice in new material rated for your system’s pressure class. Spot patching with tape or mastic over a failing section lasts months, not years. We price both approaches so you can choose, but we’ll tell you straight when patching is throwing good money after bad.
Basement and Crawl Space Access
Chicago’s tight lot lines mean many homes have minimal clearance below grade. We’ve worked in 18-inch crawl spaces under Humboldt Park bungalows and head-height basements in South Shore two-flats. The access challenge affects labor time, which is why we quote after seeing the space, not before.
Air Duct Sealing in Chicago
Air Duct Sealing in Chicago closes the gaps, seams, and connection points where conditioned air escapes into walls, attics, and crawl spaces. We use mastic compound and reinforced mesh for rigid ducts, and UL-rated foil tape for flex connections, never standard cloth duct tape which degrades in Chicago’s humidity cycles. A typical whole-system air duct sealing job in Chicago runs $850 – $1,800 for a single-family home, with smaller condo systems starting around $450 and large vintage homes with complex zoning reaching $2,400. We measure leakage before and after with a duct blaster so you see the difference in CFM.
Mastic Application for Rigid Systems
Mastic is a thick, water-based sealant we brush onto joints and seams in your galvanized steel or fiberglass duct board. It remains flexible after curing, which matters in Chicago where ducts expand in summer heat and contract in winter cold. A proper mastic job takes longer than tape but outlasts it by a decade or more in this climate.
Condensation and Mold Prevention
Sealing leaks also stops warm, humid summer air from entering cool return ducts and condensing. In lake-adjacent neighborhoods like Edgewater and Rogers Park, we see more moisture-driven mold in ductwork than inland areas. Sealing the envelope of your system is often the most cost-effective mold prevention step you can take.
Trusted Brands We Service in Chicago
Our equipment roster includes Rotobrush rotary brush systems for pre-sealing cleaning, Nikro negative-air machines for containment during repair work, and filtration and sealing products from Aprilaire and Abatement Technologies. We stock mastic, mesh, and connection hardware for Chicago’s most common duct dimensions so we’re not ordering parts while your system stays open. For homes with integrated air cleaners, we also work with Guardsman filtration products. Every tool on our van is professional-grade, not hardware-store gear, and we explain what we’re using and why before we start.
Common Duct Sealing Problems We See in Chicago Homes
- Original galvanized steel with failing seams. In pre-war brick two-flats from Lincoln Park to Bridgeport, the longitudinal seams on round and rectangular metal ducts were originally sealed with fabric and adhesive that’s now brittle. We strip the old material and reseal with modern mastic rated for the pressure and temperature range.
- Retrofit flex-duct connections pulling loose. Post-war bungalows on the Southwest Side often had flex duct added to original systems during renovation. The cable ties and tape used at connections degrade in Chicago’s attic temperature extremes, creating leaks at every transition point.
- Vertical chases leaking between units. In Loop and Near North high-rises, the shared duct chases that run floor to floor develop gaps at fire damper penetrations and floor separations. We seal from within the chase where accessible, and coordinate with building management when access requires common-area entry.
- Asbestos-lined ductwork requiring special handling. In Chicago’s older neighborhoods, some original systems have asbestos paper insulation on the exterior. We identify this before disturbing any material, follow Illinois EPA notification requirements, and coordinate with licensed abatement contractors when removal is necessary before sealing can proceed.
Pricing for Duct Sealing in Chicago, IL
Here’s what duct sealing actually costs in the Chicago market, based on the jobs we’ve completed across the city’s housing types:
| Service | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Single-section duct repair | $280 – $650 |
| Partial system sealing (up to 10 joints) | $450 – $850 |
| Whole-house air duct sealing | $850 – $1,800 |
| Large vintage home or multi-zone system | $1,800 – $2,400 |
| High-rise vertical chase sealing (per floor) | $650 – $1,200 |
What moves you within these ranges: accessibility (crawl space vs. full basement), material type (rigid steel takes longer than flex), whether cleaning must precede sealing, and whether asbestos abatement coordination is required. We inspect, measure leakage with a duct blaster, and write the price down before any work starts. That price does not move at the door. Estimates are free. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule.
We Also Serve Cities Near Chicago
Our Duct Sealing in Chicago crews also work in Evanston, Oak Park, Cicero, Berwyn, and Skokie. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our Chicago office, and we schedule these outer-ring jobs to minimize travel time and keep your appointment window tight.
Serving Chicago, IL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Chicago area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Duct Sealing in Chicago
Duct sealing in Chicago proper typically runs 10 – 15% higher than in collar suburbs due to tighter access, parking and equipment staging challenges, and the higher proportion of pre-war systems requiring repair before sealing. A whole-house seal in Oak Park or Evanston often falls at the lower end of our $850 – $1,800 range, while the same scope in a Lincoln Park greystone may land mid-range or above. Call (361) 326-5060 for an exact quote on your specific building.
Most single-family duct sealing jobs in Chicago take four to six hours from arrival to final leakage test. Pre-war two-flats and bungalows with original galvanized steel often run longer because we clean old seam material before applying mastic. High-rise units with vertical chases may require two visits if building access needs coordination. We quote time along with price so you can plan your day.
We seal ducts across all Chicago neighborhoods, from the North Side lakefront communities through the Loop and South Side bungalow belts to the far Southwest Side. We regularly work in Lincoln Park, Bridgeport, Humboldt Park, Edgewater, Rogers Park, Archer Heights, and Garfield Ridge, and we understand the building stock specific to each. If you’re within Chicago city limits, we cover you.
We do not classify duct sealing as an emergency service; it’s a scheduled repair that improves efficiency and comfort over time. However, our phones are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we will schedule you as soon as our calendar allows, typically within a few business days. If a duct failure has left you without heat in winter, we’ll prioritize the scheduling and assess whether temporary measures can bridge to the full repair.
The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every sealed joint, mastic application, and repaired connection for a full year from the date of service. If any sealed area leaks, cracks, or fails within that period, Hollis returns and makes it right at no charge, including a free second visit. The guarantee is in writing on every invoice. No competitor in the Chicago market matches this in writing on duct sealing work. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule your free estimate.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving Chicago as part of the Garrison Partners family since 2004.