RESNET Certified Inspector | Builder Focused Turnaround | Immediate Electronic Reports
Stellar Building Performance serves Cape Canaveral, the barrier-island city between Port Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, for builders working on new construction, condo redevelopment and substantial improvements.
What Is a Duct Leakage Test?
Cape Canaveral is 2.26 square miles of barrier island with no production subdivisions inside the city limits, so most of what gets tested here is a 94-unit three-story townhome community off Central Boulevard rather than tract housing.
A duct leakage test measures how much air escapes the duct system instead of reaching the rooms it was sized for. That matters more on a barrier island than almost anywhere else: the FIRM issued in January 2021 expanded the special flood hazard area across most of the city.
Registers are sealed and a calibrated duct blaster pressurizes the system to 25 Pascals, reporting the result as CFM25 per 100 square feet of conditioned floor area. Stellar Building Performance documents the result against the Florida Energy Conservation Code for the City of Cape Canaveral Building Division.
Request Cape Canaveral Duct Leakage Testing
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Local Cape Canaveral and Brevard County Projects Our Team has Worked On
Florida Energy Code Duct Leakage Requirements
The Florida Energy Conservation Code governs every residential permit in Cape Canaveral, and it applies to any conditioned structure built as living space.
Cape Canaveral runs its own City of Cape Canaveral Building Division. The whole city is 2.26 square miles of barrier island, and there are no production subdivisions inside the limits, so nearly everything we test here is condo, townhome or redevelopment work rather than tract housing.
The largest residential project in the pipeline is a 94-unit three-story townhome community off Central Boulevard, at roughly 2,800 square feet per unit. Attached product like that is tested unit by unit with the party walls treated as part of the envelope, which is a different job from a detached spec home and needs to be scoped that way.
Flood drives a lot of decisions here. The FIRM in force was issued in January 2021 and expanded the special flood hazard area across much of the city, and Cape Canaveral holds a CRS Class 8 rating. On elevated construction, mechanical equipment has to be elevated or flood-protected, which pushes air handlers and duct runs into places that affect both flood compliance and envelope leakage.
A duct test is required here whenever any part of the duct system or the air handler sits outside the conditioned space. Total leakage must be no more than 4 CFM25 per 100 square feet of conditioned floor area, or 3 CFM25 per 100 square feet at rough-in where the air handler is not yet installed. Where every duct run and the air handler are inside the thermal envelope, the code does not require a test at all.
Why is Duct Leakage Testing Beneficial?
Coastal construction in Cape Canaveral is unforgiving about air and moisture, and the duct system is where conditioned air goes missing.
Ducts losing air outside the conditioned space can cause:
In Cape Canaveral, duct leakage testing is what turns “it should be fine” into a documented number before final inspection. Passing the first time is what keeps the closeout on schedule.
How We Keep Our Services Simple and Easy
We want completing your Duct Leakage Testing in Cape Canaveral to be as easy as possible.
1.
Schedule your test
You tell us the Cape Canaveral address and when the home will be ready. We coordinate around the city’s review calendar.
2.
onsite testing
Our inspector arrives at the Cape Canaveral site and sets up. Registers are sealed and the duct blaster is connected to the system, which is then brought up to test pressure.
3.
Diagnostics and Measurements
We measure total duct leakage in CFM25 per 100 square feet and compare it against the limit for the test stage. If it is over, we identify where it is going rather than just handing you a fail.
4.
Report delivered same day via email
The report goes out by email before we leave the Cape Canaveral job, documenting code compliance for the inspection file.
5.
Ready for Final Inspection approval
With the report on file, the City of Cape Canaveral Building Division can close out the permit and issue the certificate of occupancy.
Contact Us for Fast & Convenient Duct Leakage Testing in Cape Canaveral
Why Builders Choose Stellar Building Performance
Stellar Building Performance
No missed appointments or reschedules.
Responsive scheduling for Cape Canaveral projects.
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Recent Duct Leakage Tests
Checking in from the field! See some highlights of our recent Duct Leakage Test site visits!
Frequently asked questions about Duct Leakage Testing
Most duct leakage tests in Cape Canaveral take 30 to 60 minutes. It is quick, non-destructive, and easy to slot in before final inspection.
In Cape Canaveral, duct leakage testing is required for new residential buildings where any part of the duct system or the air handler sits outside the conditioned space. That covers most homes with ducts in an attic, a garage, a crawlspace, or a soffit chase. If every duct run and the air handler are inside the thermal envelope, the code exempts the system from testing.
Common Structures Like:
Additional Structures Like:
Either one is allowed. A rough-in test is run before the drywall closes the system up, which is the better moment to catch a problem because the ducts are still reachable. A postconstruction test is run near the end, once the air handler is in and the home is approaching final inspection. The limit is 4 CFM25 per 100 square feet in both cases, except at rough-in without the air handler installed, where it tightens to 3.
Yes. If duct leakage testing is on the permit and the result is not documented, the City of Cape Canaveral Building Division can hold final approval until it is. That is the whole reason to use a provider who is local to Cape Canaveral and shows up when they said they would.
It is recommended to test as close to completion as possible. Our best suggestion is to be one of the last vendors in the project before the cleaners do their final clean. We provide a pre-inspection, get ready checklist in all of our proposals that is designed to make being prepared for your duct leakage test as simple and easy as possible.
No. Work does not have to stop and the building does not need to be cleared. We just need the envelope in its finished condition, with exterior doors and windows shut.
Duct Leakage Testing Code Reference
Duct Leakage Test Florida Requirements Explained
Duct leakage testing is required in Cape Canaveral under R403.3.3 of the 2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, Eighth Edition, which calls for ducts to be pressure tested at 25 Pascals either at rough-in or after construction.
The limits live in R403.3.4. Total leakage must be no more than 4 CFM25 per 100 square feet of conditioned floor area on a postconstruction test, and the same 4 CFM25 on a rough-in test where the air handler is installed. If the air handler is not in place at rough-in, the limit tightens to 3 CFM25 per 100 square feet.
There is a real exception: no duct test is required where the ducts and air handlers are located entirely within the building thermal envelope. Homes on the performance path under R405 are handled differently again, and are tested against the duct leakage rate assumed in the energy calculation.
We keep the full code language, including the complete text of R403.3.3, R403.3.4 and the R405 provisions, on our main duct leakage page: read the full Florida duct leakage code references.
questions? give us a call, this is our specialty!
Need Duct Leakage Testing in Cape Canaveral to Pass Final Inspection?
Similar Services
Stellar Building Performance covers the full energy-code package for Cape Canaveral projects, so one call handles the testing and the calculations that go with it.
Blower Door Testing
Verify the building envelope meets the 7 ACH50 air leakage limit using a calibrated duct leakage, required for new construction inspections. We provide this service across the Cape Canaveral area!
Energy Code Calculations
Energy performance calculations required for Florida residential building permits and code compliance documentation.
Helping Cape Canaveral Builders Stay on Schedule
Fast Scheduling
The FIRM issued in January 2021 expanded the special flood hazard area across most of the city. We schedule around it.
accurate results
Calibrated equipment and a RESNET certified inspector, so the number holds up when the City of Cape Canaveral Building Division reviews it.
immediate reports
The report is emailed the same day to everyone on the Cape Canaveral job, not left in a truck.
Other Areas We Serve
Local duct leakage testing in Cape Canaveral, with additional service throughout Brevard County, Indian River County, St. Lucie County, Martin County, and Okeechobee County.
