Schedule Summary
Full Duct Schedule
| Run Label | Size | Material | Insulation | CFM |
|---|
How to Build a Duct Schedule
Select Imperial or Metric before entering values. Duct sizes will display in inches or millimetres and airflow in CFM or L/s to match, but numbers you have already typed are relabelled, not converted.
Enter a label such as "Supply - Bedroom 2", the duct size, material, insulation level, and design CFM for that run.
Click Add Duct Run for every supply and return run in the project until the entire duct system is listed.
Click Generate Duct Schedule to produce the formatted table with a total CFM summary, then export as a PDF for the permit set or CSV for further editing.
Understanding Duct Schedules for Canadian Permit Sets
A duct schedule is the bridge between a duct design decision and the crew installing the system. It's a simple table on paper, but it does real work: it tells the installer exactly what size, material, and insulation each run needs without them having to re-derive it from a load calculation on site.
What Belongs in Each Row
Each run in a duct schedule needs, at minimum, a size, material, and design CFM. Most Canadian permit reviewers also want to see the insulation level, particularly for runs passing through unconditioned space like an attic or unheated garage. Adding a clear label, such as "Supply - Bedroom 2" or "Return - Main Floor," keeps the schedule readable for anyone cross-referencing it against a floor plan.
Sizing Comes First
This tool documents duct sizes after they've been determined. It does not calculate friction rate or perform duct sizing itself. Run the duct sizing calculator first to determine the correct size for each run's design CFM, then bring those results here to build the formatted schedule for the permit package.
Insulation Requirements by Location
Ductwork inside the conditioned envelope generally needs no additional insulation, since any heat loss stays inside the building. Ducts running outside the plane of insulation, through an unheated attic, crawlspace, or garage, are a different story. Under Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada, ducts and plenums carrying conditioned air in that position must be sealed and insulated to the same level as the exterior walls, which is far above the R-6 to R-8 minimums used in many American codes. Provinces adopt their own editions and adjust the numbers, so confirm the figure for your jurisdiction. This tool offers R-6 through R-20 so the schedule can show whatever the local code requires, and its recommendation flags any run listed at R-6 or R-8 for a second look. Listing the insulation value on the schedule for every affected run helps the inspector confirm compliance at a glance.
Material Choices
Galvanized steel remains the most common duct material for main trunks, while flexible duct is frequently used for branch runs to individual registers due to its ease of installation around obstructions. Flexible runs lose airflow quickly when they are kinked or stretched, so the flexible duct calculator is worth a look before you commit a long branch to flex. Some systems use rigid fiberboard or lined sheet metal for sound attenuation near mechanical rooms. Whatever material is used, listing it on the schedule avoids confusion for anyone servicing the system years later.
Pairing With Other Permit Documents
A duct schedule rarely stands alone in a permit submission. It's typically paired with the load calculation report that established the design CFM values, and often with an equipment schedule listing the air handler or furnace the ductwork connects to. In Canadian housing the load calculation behind those CFM values is usually done to CSA F280, the standard for determining the required capacity of residential heating and cooling appliances in houses covered by Part 9 of the building code. Keeping all three documents consistent, so the CFM totals match, is one of the more common things a reviewer checks.
Frequently Asked Questions
A complete duct schedule lists each duct run with its size, material, insulation level, and design CFM. Many schedules also include the room or zone served, duct shape, and total equivalent length so installers and inspectors can trace airflow through the entire system.
Some Canadian municipalities ask for a duct schedule alongside the load calculation as part of a mechanical permit submission, though requirements vary significantly by authority having jurisdiction. Checking with the local building department before submission avoids delays from an incomplete package.
Ducts and plenums carrying conditioned air that run outside the plane of insulation, such as through an unheated attic, crawlspace, or garage, generally have to be sealed and insulated to the same level as the exterior walls under Part 9 of the National Building Code, and each province publishes its own edition. That is well above the R-6 to R-8 common in American codes, so confirm the exact value with the applicable provincial code. Ducts entirely within conditioned space generally don't require additional insulation.
Duct size is determined by matching the design CFM for that run to a duct sizing chart at an appropriate friction rate, typically using a duct sizing calculator or slide rule. The duct schedule generator documents the sizing decision after it's made, it does not calculate the size itself.
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