RESNET Certified Inspector | Builder Focused Turnaround | Immediate Electronic Reports
Stellar Building Performance is a Florida local, family-run company working across Sebastian and the wider Treasure Coast. Sebastian runs its own building department, and much of the new work here is scattered-lot infill in Sebastian Highlands, so we schedule around one-off starts rather than a single subdivision phase.
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 Sebastian it is required on every new home with conditioned living space, and given the north end of Indian River County, platted long before the current growth arrived, most of that work runs on a schedule that does not leave room for a re-test.
We handle single-family infill across thousands of pre-platted Sebastian Highlands lots 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 the City of Sebastian Building Department signs off.
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Local Sebastian and Indian River County Projects Our Team has Worked On
Florida Energy Code Duct Leakage Requirements
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.
The City of Sebastian Building Department runs its own plan review, permitting and inspections separate from Indian River County. Much of the work here is scattered-lot infill across Sebastian Highlands, one home at a time, so we schedule around individual starts rather than a single subdivision phase.
Why is Duct Leakage Testing Beneficial?
Across single-family infill across thousands of pre-platted Sebastian Highlands lots, one detail missed in framing shows up in every unit that follows. Testing in Sebastian is how it gets caught once instead of twenty times.
Ducts losing air outside the conditioned space can cause:
In Sebastian, 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 Sebastian to be as easy as possible.
1.
Schedule your test
You tell us the Sebastian address and when the home will be ready. We book against the city’s own inspection calendar rather than the county’s.
2.
onsite testing
We show up at the Sebastian 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. We note the problem areas while we are still standing in the house.
4.
Report delivered same day via email
The report goes out by email before we leave the Sebastian job, documenting code compliance for the inspection file.
5.
Ready for Final Inspection approval
With the report on file, the City of Sebastian Building Department can close out the permit and issue the certificate of occupancy.
Contact Us for Fast & Convenient Duct Leakage Testing in Sebastian
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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 Sebastian home. The setup takes longer than the measurement itself, and nothing about it is destructive.
Simple rule of thumb: if it’s a conditioned space intended for people, it will require duct leakage testing.
By code definition, any dwelling unit permitted for residential use requires duct leakage testing in Sebastian. This includes:
Common Structures Like:
Additional Structures Like:
In Sebastian, 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.
It can. The City of Sebastian Building Department needs the documented result in the file before it closes the permit, so a missing report in Sebastian is a stalled CO. We schedule so that does not happen.
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.
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.
Yes. The City of Sebastian runs its own Building Department and Fire Prevention Office, separate from Indian River County, with permitting through the MyGovernmentOnline portal.
Results and documentation go to the city, not to the county.
Yes. Sebastian Highlands is a large pre-platted subdivision, and most new work there is scattered-lot infill, one house at a time on individual lots.
A single conditioned dwelling triggers the same duct testing requirement as a home inside a contiguous production phase.
Duct Leakage Testing Code Reference
Duct Leakage Test Florida Requirements Explained
Duct leakage testing is required in Sebastian 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 Sebastian to Pass Final Inspection?
Similar Services
Stellar Building Performance covers the full energy-code package for Sebastian 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 Sebastian area!
Energy Code Calculations
Energy performance calculations required for Florida residential building permits and code compliance documentation.
Helping Sebastian Builders Stay on Schedule
Fast Scheduling
Testing in Sebastian gets scheduled to land before the inspection, not chase it.
accurate results
A RESNET certified inspector and calibrated gear — results the City of Sebastian Building Department will accept without a second visit.
immediate reports
The report is emailed the same day to everyone on the Sebastian job, not left in a truck.
Other Areas We Serve
Local duct leakage testing in Sebastian, with additional service throughout Brevard County, Indian River County, St. Lucie County, Martin County, and Okeechobee County.
