Before closing on a new Oklahoma home, ask for the duct-leakage report for the actual house and each relevant heating-and-cooling system. Check what was tested, when it was tested, the result and the standard used to decide whether it passed. A bare number or a verbal statement that the home is energy efficient does not answer those questions.
A duct test also differs from a blower-door test of the building enclosure. Both can appear in a construction file, but they measure different things and should not be substituted for one another.
Identify the house, system and installation stage Start with the address, test date, tester, equipment or system identifier and whether the report describes rough-in or final testing. For a home with multiple systems, ask which report belongs to which system. Confirm whether the air handler was installed when the test occurred.
The Department of Energy and PNNL guide to duct-leakage testing explains why test setup and construction stage matter. Total duct leakage includes leakage from the tested duct system and associated equipment cabinet, while leakage to outdoors addresses air escaping outside the conditioned space. Those are different results.
Ask the builder to connect each report to the installed system, rather than handing you a sample from a similar floor plan. If equipment or ducts changed after testing, ask the tester or responsible professional whether the original report still documents the final installation.
Read the unit before comparing the number A result shown as CFM25 is airflow measured at a test pressure of 25 pascals. It is not the same as the CFM50 or ACH50 information commonly seen in a blower-door report. It also does not, on its own, tell you what percentage of your future utility bill will be lost.
If the report expresses leakage per 100 square feet, ask what floor area was used and which system that area serves. If one report gives total airflow and another gives a normalized result, have the tester explain the comparison. Avoid deciding that the smaller printed number automatically represents the better installation.
Our guide to a new home's blower-door report covers the enclosure test. Keep that record next to the duct report, with each result clearly labeled, so a missing document does not disappear inside a general “energy test” folder.
Ask which requirement applies to this home Request the specific code, contract promise or certification-program requirement against which the result was evaluated. Include the applicable version and the person responsible for that determination. A threshold used by one program is not automatically a universal requirement for every new house in Oklahoma.
ENERGY STAR's duct-leakage exemptions guidance describes circumstances in which certain testing requirements may be waived. A qualifying exemption from a leakage-to-outdoors test does not mean all duct testing is unnecessary. Ask for the written basis of any claimed exemption and which requirements remain.
The Oklahoma Construction Industries Board's FAQ distinguishes its licensing role from local permitting and enforcement responsibilities. Confirm the jurisdiction for the actual address, whether the home is in Oklahoma City, another municipality or an unincorporated area. Do not infer the applicable requirement from the builder’s marketing territory.
Turn a missing or failed result into a written request If a report is missing information, ask for clarification in writing: which field is incomplete, who can supply it and when. If the result does not meet the stated criterion, ask the responsible professional to identify the corrective work and whether retesting is needed.
Coordinate that request with your agent and the notice provisions in your signed construction contract. The Oklahoma Real Estate Commission's new-home construction contract is a useful reference for understanding that a construction purchase has defined contractual responsibilities and timing. Your executed agreement and any addenda control your transaction; this guide does not create an automatic right to extend closing.
For example, if a final report is promised after a duct repair, identify who will deliver it and when you will review it. Avoid letting “we will take care of it” become the only record carried into closing or the warranty period.
Keep the report with the home’s handover records Save the final report, the applicable acceptance criterion, any correction record and the retest result together. Label the system each document covers. Ask the builder which professional can answer questions after closing and what warranty process applies if a concern appears later.
A passing test is useful evidence about the tested condition; it is not a guarantee of future comfort, low bills or the absence of every HVAC problem. Keep equipment commissioning, ventilation, filters and maintenance information in the same handover folder without treating those records as interchangeable.
Our Oklahoma new-construction resources can help you organize the other purchase decisions. Doug and Ronnie can help track document requests and contract dates while qualified trades and inspectors explain the technical findings. Contact OKC Metro Group when you want help making the new-home closing file easier to follow.
