RESNET Certified Inspector | Builder Focused Turnaround | Immediate Electronic Reports
Stellar Building Performance serves Palm City, the largest community in Martin County, from the Martin Downs corridor west along Martin Highway and out to the new Newfield villages.
What Is a Duct Leakage Test?
A duct leakage test measures how much air escapes the duct system instead of reaching the rooms it was sized for. In Palm City it is required on every new home with conditioned living space, and given the largest community in Martin County, and where most of the county’s new construction is going, most of that work runs on a schedule that does not leave room for a re-test.
We handle Newfield by Mattamy Homes, over 3,800 acres planned for roughly 4,000 homes across nine villages alongside one-off spec work. 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.
The result documents compliance under the Florida Energy Conservation Code before Martin County Building Department signs off.
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Local Palm City and Martin County Projects Our Team has Worked On
Florida Energy Code Duct Leakage Requirements
The Florida Energy Conservation Code governs every residential permit in Palm City, and it applies to any conditioned structure built as living space.
Palm City is an unincorporated community, not a municipality, so there is no city building department. Every residential permit here is issued and inspected by the Martin County Building Department.
Palm City is also where most of the county’s new construction is going. Newfield by Mattamy Homes covers more than 3,800 acres and is planned for roughly 4,000 homes across nine villages with about 70 percent of the land left as open space, on a buildout measured in years rather than seasons. That means repeating plan types, phased closings, and a testing schedule that has to keep pace with production rather than react to it.
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?
On a production schedule in Palm City, a failed duct leakage test is not one problem — it is the same problem repeated across every house on that plan.
Ducts losing air outside the conditioned space can cause:
For Palm City projects the test does two jobs at once: it satisfies Martin County Building Department and it tells the builder whether the assembly actually performed the way it was drawn.
How We Keep Our Services Simple and Easy
We want completing your Duct Leakage Testing in Palm City to be as easy as possible.
1.
Schedule your test
You tell us the Palm City address and when the home will be ready. Production at Newfield’s scale means the testing schedule has to keep pace rather than react.
2.
onsite testing
We show up at the Palm City address with everything needed. 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
Everyone on the Palm City project team gets the signed report the same day, not on the next visit.
5.
Ready for Final Inspection approval
With the report on file, Martin County Building Department can close out the permit and issue the certificate of occupancy.
Contact Us for Fast & Convenient Duct Leakage Testing in Palm City
Why Builders Choose Stellar Building Performance
Stellar Building Performance
No missed appointments or reschedules.
Responsive scheduling for Palm City 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
Typically 30 to 60 minutes for a Palm City home. The setup takes longer than the measurement itself, and nothing about it is destructive.
In Palm City, 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, Martin County Building Department can hold final approval until it is. That is the whole reason to use a provider who is local to Palm City 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.
In most cases, no. Other trades can keep working in Palm City while we test — we only need the openings closed and the house in its final configuration.
Duct Leakage Testing Code Reference
Duct Leakage Test Florida Requirements Explained
Duct leakage testing is required in Palm City 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 Palm City to Pass Final Inspection?
Similar Services
Most Palm City projects need more than one of these. We do all of them, on the same schedule and in the same report chain.
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 Palm City area!
Energy Code Calculations
Energy performance calculations required for Florida residential building permits and code compliance documentation.
Helping Palm City Builders Stay on Schedule
Fast Scheduling
Testing in Palm City gets scheduled to land before the inspection, not chase it.
accurate results
Calibrated equipment and a RESNET certified inspector, so the number holds up when Martin County Building Department reviews it.
immediate reports
Same-day digital reporting to the whole Palm City project team, with deficiencies named if there are any.
Other Areas We Serve
Local duct leakage testing in Palm City, with additional service throughout Brevard County, Indian River County, St. Lucie County, Martin County, and Okeechobee County.
