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 Air Duct Repair Across Wellesley
Air duct repair in Wellesley typically costs between $350 and $1,400, depending on whether the job involves sealing a small leak, replacing a crushed section, or rebuilding part of an old retrofit trunk line. Most of the repair work we do in Wellesley comes down to two things: decades of debris built up inside oversized ducts, and failing connections in homes that were converted from old gravity systems decades ago. The good news is that a proper camera inspection tells us exactly what is wrong before we touch anything, and you get a written price before any work begins. Call (980) 447-2498 for a free estimate.
Why Linden Air Duct Cleaning Is Wellesley’s Preferred Air Duct Repair Company
Wellesley homeowners call us because we do something most duct cleaners do not: we show you what is inside your ducts before we quote a repair. Marcus Veale, who leads our team, built our process around transparency. Every technician who arrives at a Wellesley home is background-checked, identity-verified, and arrives in a clean, marked uniform with a photo ID badge shown at the door. Before the visit, you receive the tech’s name and photo so you know exactly who is walking up your driveway. That is the Threshold Standard, and it has been our operating rule since 2004 as part of the Threshold Group family.
We also write the price down before work starts. No surprise invoices, no bait-and-switch. And every repair we make in Wellesley carries a 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If a covered repair fails, we return at no charge. That is the accountability Wellesley homeowners deserve when they let someone into their basement, their attic, or their bedroom crawlspace.
Duct Replacement in Wellesley
Duct Replacement in Wellesley is what it sounds like: we remove a section of failed ductwork and install new material that matches your system’s airflow requirements. In Wellesley, this almost always means working inside older homes where the original galvanized steel from the 1950s or fiberglass duct board from the 1960s has split, rusted through, or collapsed. The job involves cutting out the old section, fitting new sheet metal or flex duct, sealing every joint with mastic and UL 181 tape, and then testing airflow at the registers.
Crushed Run Replacement
We frequently find the return or supply trunk in a Wellesley basement has been crushed by decades of storage, a shifted foundation wall, or careless work during a prior remodel. A crushed run does not just reduce airflow. It forces your furnace to work harder and pulls dust from the surrounding basement air into the system. We replace the section, re-support it with strapping, and confirm the static pressure returns to spec.
Duct Board Swap-Out
Fiberglass duct board from the 1970s was not built to last 50 years. In many Wellesley Colonials, it has become soft, mold-stained, or so brittle that it crumbles during cleaning. When that happens, the only honest fix is to cut out the board and replace it with insulated sheet metal. Duct replacement work like this in Wellesley typically runs $650 to $1,200 per major section, and you receive a written price before any work starts.
Ductwork Installation in Wellesley
Ductwork Installation in Wellesley means adding new runs where none existed or extending a system to reach part of the house that has always been cold in winter and stuffy in summer. In Wellesley, the most common version of this is adding a return duct to a second floor that only ever had one small return in the hallway. Homes built between 1910 and 1950 were often heated by radiators or a single gravity system, and when central air or forced hot air was added later, the upstairs register layout was an afterthought.
Adding a Second-Floor Return
Older Wellesley homes trap heat upstairs because there is nowhere for air to return to the blower. We install a new return riser, cut the register opening, and tie it into the existing return plenum. The result is balanced pressure, less dust, and a system that actually delivers warm or cool air where the family sleeps. In a standard Wellesley Colonial, an added return typically costs $900 to $1,700.
Register and Boot Replacement
Registers and the metal boots behind them take a beating. Kids step on them, vacuums bang into them, and old cast-iron floor registers from the 1930s are often painted shut or rusted through. We replace the boot, reseal the connection to the duct, and install a new register that actually opens and closes. Small, practical work that makes a real difference in a Wellesley home.
Trusted Brands We Service in Wellesley
Our Wellesley crews work with professional-grade equipment from Rotobrush and Nikro, and we recommend air-quality upgrades from Honeywell and Aprilaire when a homeowner wants better filtration after a repair. Because Wellesley’s older ducts hold so much debris, a standard clean rarely solves everything. We keep the common parts, sealants, filter media, and replacement grilles on our trucks so we are not making Wellesley homeowners wait for a second appointment. If your system has a failing motor, a leaking coil box, or a broken damper, we can usually address it during the same visit.
Common Air Duct Repair Problems We See in Wellesley Homes
- Disconnected flex duct behind interior walls. In Wellesley’s 1950s and 1960s conversion homes, flex connectors behind second-floor registers often separate from the main trunk. Supply air dumps into the wall cavity instead of the room. We find this with a camera, then reattach and seal the connection with UL 181 tape.
- Crushed galvanized runs and failed joints. The oversized octopus retrofits in Wellesley Hills and along Cliff Road have joints sealed with old tape that has dried and split. Duct tape, despite the name, was never meant for ducts. We mastic-seal every exposed joint after cleaning.
- Fiberglass duct board degradation. In Wellesley’s 1910 – 1950 Colonials, fiberglass duct board added during furnace modernizations gets soft and crumbly. Agitation during a cleaning can cause it to shed fibers and lose integrity. We inspect, cut out damaged sections, and replace with insulated metal.
- Asbestos-containing insulation or mastic in unfinished basements. This is the one that stops a job in its tracks. Some 1950s – 60s conversion work in Wellesley Hills and College Hill used asbestos-containing duct wrap or mastic tape. If we see it during a camera inspection, we pause, explain what Massachusetts DEP (310 CMR 7.15) requires, and walk you through the notification and abatement process before any negative-pressure work proceeds.
Pricing for Air Duct Repair in Wellesley, MA
Here is what Wellesley homeowners can expect, in plain dollars. A straightforward repair like sealing accessible joints with mastic and repairing a small flex connector typically runs $350 to $500. Replacing a crushed galvanized section runs $550 to $900. Rebuilding a section of an old fiberglass duct board run or replacing a failed trunk section runs $800 to $1,400. Adding a new return riser runs $900 to $1,700. The size of your home, the accessibility of the duct, and whether asbestos abatement is required will move the final number. You will not get a per-vent price from us. You get one flat price per system, in writing, before any work starts. Call (980) 447-2498 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Wellesley
Our crews regularly work in Wellesley and the surrounding towns. If you are in Needham, Framingham, Newton, or Medfield, we bring the same camera-first inspection and written-price process to your door. And if your project involves anything beyond a simple repair, our Air Duct Repair team can assess the full system, not just the visible section.
Serving Wellesley, MA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Wellesley 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 Air Duct Repair in Wellesley
Because you cannot know what is inside a 100-year-old duct just by looking at the register. A 1920s Wellesley Hills Colonial often has retrofitted trunks, abandoned gravity runs, and old connectors hidden in walls. We run a camera scope through the supply and return before quoting any repair so the written price reflects the actual work, not a guess. That is how we avoid the industry’s worst habit: finding “unexpected” issues after the van is in your driveway. Call (980) 447-2498 to schedule an inspection.
Yes, we can clean and repair original galvanized steel ducts as long as the metal is structurally sound. We use agitation tools and negative pressure to clear debris, then inspect seams and joints for rust-through or separation. If a section has rusted through, we cut it out and weld or tape in replacement metal with mastic sealing. If the galvanized is too far gone for repair, we quote the section replacement before we start, never after.
Wellesley’s dense oak, maple, and elm canopy means a heavy spring pollen load that works its way into return-air intakes. Homes in Wellesley Farms and Wellesley Hills with mature trees directly overhead typically benefit from servicing every 3 years, while homes on cleared lots may go 5 years. If you notice a visible yellow-green film on the return grilles in April or May, the ducts are collecting it too.
You will not see it from inside the room, but here is what to look for: one upstairs room that never gets warm enough in January, persistent dust on the furniture even right after cleaning, or a register that barely moves air while the one down the hall blows hard. When a flex connector separates from the main trunk, supply air dumps into the wall cavity. The room loses airflow, the system loses pressure, and you keep paying to heat a stud bay. It is a 45-minute repair once we identify it.
If the duct insulation or mastic tape contains asbestos, yes. Massachusetts DEP regulation 310 CMR 7.15 requires notification and specific handling before any negative-pressure cleaning or duct disturbance can lawfully proceed. If our camera inspection finds what looks like asbestos-containing wrap or mastic in your Wellesley basement, we stop and explain the exact sequence required. There is no shortcut here, and any contractor who ignores it is creating a safety and legal problem for you, not just for themselves. We do not take that risk with your family’s air.
Call (980) 447-2498 for a free estimate, or to ask Marcus Veale directly about what we find in Wellesley’s older homes and what it costs to put right.
Written by Marcus Veale, Owner at Linden Air Duct Cleaning, serving Wellesley homeowners with camera-first duct inspections, written pricing, and repair work covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise.