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What Is a Blower Door Test?
Blower door testing is required for all new homes in Florida to verify that the building envelope meets air leakage requirements under the Florida Energy Conservation Code before final inspection.
Stellar Building Performance provides professional blower door testing for builders, contractors, and developers across Brevard County, Indian River County, and St. Lucie County. Our testing helps confirm that homes meet required air tightness standards so projects can move forward to final inspection without delays.
A blower door test uses a calibrated fan mounted in an exterior doorway to measure how much air leaks through a home’s building envelope. The results help verify whether the home meets required air tightness standards under the Florida Energy Conservation Code, as required for all new residences in FBC Section R402.1.4.2.
Florida Energy Code Blower Door Requirements
The Florida Energy Conservation Code requires all new residential dwellings (any conditioned structure with a living space) to meet specific air leakage limits. By the most recent Florida Energy Conservation Code (2023), the home must not exceed 7 Air Changes per Hour at 50 Pascals under typical compliance paths.
Blower door testing by a certified individual from Stellar Building Performance provides the measurement needed to verify this requirement has been met, and documentation for filing and approval by municipal building departments.
Why is Blower Door Testing Beneficial?
Blower door testing helps ensure homes meet modern energy efficiency standards.
Excessive air leakage can cause:
Testing confirms the home’s air tightness, improves quality control, and verifies compliance with the required energy codes before final inspection. Passing your blower door test the first time helps avoid costly delays and rework before final inspection.
How We Keep Our Services Simple and Easy
We want completing your Blower Door Testing to be as easy as possible.
1.
Schedule your test
You contact us to schedule testing once the home is ready for inspection.
2.
onsite testing
Our experienced inspectors install professional blower door equipment and performs the air leakage test.
3.
Diagnostics and Measurements
We measure the home’s air leakage rate and identify problem areas if leakage is excessive.
4.
Report delivered same day via email
You receive the report immediately after test completion via email to verifying energy code compliance for inspection approval.
5.
Ready for Final Inspection approval
The building department issues certificate of occupancy needed to close out your buildng permit!
Contact Us for Fast & Convenient Blower Door Testing!
Why Builders Choose Stellar Building Performance
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Other Areas We Serve
Local blower door testing throughout Brevard County, Indian River County, and St. Lucie County.
Frequently asked questions about Blower Door Testing
Most blower door tests take ~30 to 60 minutes depending on the size of the home.
Testing is quick, non-destructive, and designed to fit easily into construction schedules so builders can move forward with inspections without delays.
Simple rule of thumb: if it’s a conditioned space intended for people, it will require blower door testing.
By code definition, any dwelling unit permitted for residential use requires blower door testing. This includes:
Common Structures Like:
Additional Structures Like:
A blower door test is typically required before final inspection or Certificate of Occupancy (CO). Many builders do not realize this requirement until it appears on the permit card or is flagged by the building department during final inspection.
No, not at all. Work does not need to stop to have everyone vacate the building; everyone can stay inside.
Testing does require that all doors, windows, and other openings in the building envelope remain closed for the duration of testing. As long as these can remain closed, everyone can stay.
Our technicians check in with any other trades onsite, let them know the test will be happening, and give them time to prepare their materials/tools prior to testing.
Yes, it most certaintly can and will. If blower door testing is required on your permit and has not been completed, the building department will delay final approval and Certificate of Occupancy until the test is performed and documented.
This is why it is critical to choose a testing provider like Stellar Building Performance who understands the importance of being on time to keep your final inspection checklist flowing smoothly.
Blower door testing is typically performed at the end of construction, when the building envelope is complete but before final inspection. Windows, doors, and penetrations should be installed and sealed for accurate results. Reference our Blower Door Pre-Testing Checklist included in your quote for a comprehensive guide to prepare for your test.
Blower Door Testing Code Reference
Blower Door Test Florida Requirements Explained
Blower Door Testing has been required for all residential dwellings since the introduction of the 2017 Florida Building Code for Energy Conservation Sections R402-R405. Testing by Stellar Building Performance will be in compliance with these sections. Our specialists are experts on the building codes, and can answer any questions you may have about the codes, but feel free to read excerpts from the current building code, 2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, Eighth Edition, below.
questions? give us a call, this is our specialty!
This code line explains testing procedures and Prescriptive Path air leakage requirements.
R402.4.1.2 Testing.
The building or dwelling unit shall be tested and verified as having an air leakage rate not exceeding seven air changes per hour in Climate Zones 1 and 2, and three air changes per hour in Climate Zones 3 through 8. Dwelling units with an air leakage rate less than three air changes per hour shall be provided with whole-house mechanical ventilation in accordance with Section R403.6.1 of this code and Section M1507.3 of the Florida Building Code, Residential. Testing shall be conducted in accordance with ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380 and reported at a pressure of 0.2 inch w.g. (50 pascals). Testing shall be conducted by either individuals as defined in Section 553.993(5) or (7), Florida Statutes, or individuals licensed as set forth in Section 489.105(3)(f), (g) or (i) or an approved third party. A written report of the results of the test shall be signed by the party conducting the test and provided to the code official. Testing shall be performed at any time after creation of all penetrations of the building thermal envelope.
Exception: Testing is not required for additions, alterations, renovations or repairs of the building thermal envelope of existing buildings in which the new construction is less than 85 percent of the building thermal envelope.
During testing:
1.Exterior windows and doors, fireplace and stove doors shall be closed, but not sealed, beyond the intended weatherstripping or other infiltration control measures.
2.Dampers including exhaust, intake, makeup air, backdraft and flue dampers shall be closed, but not sealed beyond intended infiltration control measures.
3.Interior doors, if installed at the time of the test, shall be open.
4.Exterior doors for continuous ventilation systems and heat recovery ventilators shall be closed and sealed.
5.Heating and cooling systems, if installed at the time of the test, shall be turned off.
6.Supply and return registers, if installed at the time of the test, shall be fully open.
7.If an attic is both air sealed and insulated at the roof deck, interior access doors and hatches between the conditioned space volume and the attic shall be opened during the test and the volume of the attic shall be added to the conditioned space volume for purposes of reporting an infiltration volume and calculating the air leakage of the home.
This code line explains result requirements under the most common energy code compliance path in Florida, the Performance Path.
R405.2.2 Building air leakage testing.
Building or dwelling air leakage testing shall be in accordance with Sections R402.4 through R402.4.1.2. If an air leakage rate below seven air changes per hour at a pressure of 0.2 inch w.g. (50 pascals) is specified for the proposed design, testing shall verify the air leakage rate does not exceed the air leakage rate of the proposed design instead of seven air changes per hour.
In some instances, to comply with building code, your project may require additional testing. Compliance documents required as part of your permit package, commonly called Energy Calculations, determine code requirements for your specific project. These code lines outline Duct Leakage Test requirements. We can test this while onsite for your Blower Door Test if it is required.
R403.3.3 Duct testing (Mandatory).
Ducts shall be pressure tested to determine air leakage by one of the following methods:
1.Rough-in test: Total leakage shall be measured with a pressure differential of 0.1 inch w.g. (25 Pa) across the system, including the manufacturer’s air handler enclosure if installed at the time of the test. All registers shall be taped or otherwise sealed during the test.
2.Postconstruction test: Total leakage shall be measured with a pressure differential of 0.1 inch w.g. (25 Pa) across the entire system, including the manufacturer’s air handler enclosure. Registers shall be taped or otherwise sealed during the test.
Exceptions:
1.A duct air leakage test shall not be required where the ducts and air handlers are located entirely within the building thermal envelope.
2.Duct testing is not mandatory for buildings complying by Section R405 of this code. Duct leakage testing is required for Section R405 compliance where credit is taken for leakage, and a duct air leakage Qn to the outside of less than 0.080 (where Qn = duct leakage to the outside in cfm per 100 square feet of conditioned floor area tested at 25 Pascals) is indicated in the compliance report for the proposed design.
A written report of the results of the test shall be signed by the party conducting the test and provided to the code official.
R405.2.3 Duct air leakage testing.
In cases where duct air leakage lower than the default Qn to outside of 0.080 (where Qn = duct leakage to the outside in cfm per 100 square feet of conditioned floor area tested at 25 Pascals) is specified for the proposed design, testing in accordance with Section R403.3.2 shall verify a duct air leakage rate not exceeding the leakage rate of the proposed design. Otherwise, in accordance with Section R403.3.3, duct testing is not mandatory for buildings complying by Section R405.
Need Blower Door Testing to Pass Inspection?
Similar Services
Stellar Building Performance specializes in building performance diagnostics.
Duct Leakage Testing
Verify duct system airtightness using professional duct blaster testing required for new construction inspections.
Energy Code Calculations
Energy performance calculations required for Florida residential building permits and code compliance documentation.
Helping Builders Stay on Schedule and Pass Inspections
Fast Scheduling
Builders get testing scheduled quickly to avoid delays.
accurate results
Professional equipment ensures reliable measurements.
immediate reports
Documentation provided immediately by email for inspection approvals.
