Choosing a system · independent publisher, not a contractor
Ducted vs ductless cooling
Ducted systems cool the whole house from one hidden air handler and suit homes that already have good ducts; ductless mini-splits cool room by room and suit houses without ducts, additions and condos. Whether your house has usable ducts decides most of the price.
Reviewed · 7 named sources · No named reviewer yet; see our editorial policy.
- The question behind the question
- How each one moves air
- Why duct condition matters so much
- Side by side
- What it costs to cool the same house both ways
- Comfort, noise and looks
- Wildfire smoke and filtration
- Which houses suit each
- Ducted mini-splits: the middle option
- What to ask before you choose
- Keep, repair or replace the ducts you have
- Upkeep for each
- The no-duct house, as a chart
The question behind the question
Ask ten contractors "ducted or ductless?" and you will hear ten opinions. Ask instead "does this house have ducts worth keeping?" and the answer usually picks itself.
If the ducts are sound, ducted is normally the cheaper whole-house option. If there are no ducts, the duct run becomes the most expensive line on a ducted quote, and ductless gets competitive fast.
How each one moves air
Ducted
One indoor air handler or furnace coil, usually in the attic, a closet or the garage. A network of supply and return ducts carries air to every room. One thermostat, unless zoning dampers are added.
Ductless
An indoor head in each zone, on a wall or ceiling, each with its own fan and remote. Refrigerant lines run through a small hole to one outdoor unit. Every head is its own zone.
Both use the same refrigeration cycle, and both can be a heat pump that also heats. The difference is how the cooled air gets to you.
Why duct condition matters so much
ENERGY STAR estimates that in a typical house "about 20 to 30 percent of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts" (ENERGY STAR).
The Department of Energy adds that ducts leaking into an attic or crawl space "can add hundreds of dollars a year" to heating and cooling bills (DOE). Ductless systems have no ducts to leak.
In Los Angeles this is also a code question
Under Title 24 Part 6, replacing the condensing unit, air handler or coil is an alteration that triggers duct sealing. Adding more than 25 feet of new duct means the whole system must test at 10 percent leakage or less. Refrigerant charge checks apply to heat pumps everywhere and to ACs in zones 2 and 8–15.
So a ducted replacement brings a duct test, and a failed test brings duct repair, published at $800–$4,500 in LA.
Side by side
| Ducted | Ductless | |
|---|---|---|
| Published LA price | $6,500–$25,000 central AC, 2–5 tons, on usable ducts | $4,000–$7,500 for 1 zone; $15,000–$20,000 for 4 |
| Needs ducts | Yes; new ducts add $3,500–$8,000 | No |
| Room-by-room control | Only with zoning dampers | Built in, one head per zone |
| What you see indoors | Grilles only | Heads on walls or ceilings |
| Filtration | Thicker, higher-rated filter at the air handler | Washable mesh filter in each head |
| Title 24 duct test | Yes, on alterations | No ducts to test |
| If one part fails | The whole house loses cooling | Single-zone: one room; multi-zone: every head on that outdoor unit |
| Best for | Houses with sound attic or crawlspace ducts | No ducts, additions, ADUs, condos, one hot room |
Prices from the named sources on the cost guide, retrieved 2026-09-29.
What it costs to cool the same house both ways
Take a house that needs about 3 tons and has no ducts. On published LA figures, the ducted route is the equipment plus the ducts; the ductless route is the number of zones you need.
| Route | What goes in | Published range |
|---|---|---|
| Ducted, existing ducts reused | 3-ton central AC | $8,000–$16,000 |
| Ducted, no ducts today | 3-ton central AC plus new ductwork | $11,500–$24,000 |
| Ducted, all-new system and ducts | HVACProjectCost full-system band | $14,000–$22,000 |
| Ductless, 3 zones | One outdoor unit, three heads | $12,000–$16,500 |
| Ductless, 4 zones | One outdoor unit, four heads | $15,000–$20,000 |
The second row adds two published ranges together; it is our arithmetic, not a quote. Sources on the cost guide.
For a house that already has ducts, ductless almost never wins on price for the whole house, but a single head for a room the ducts never reached often does.
Comfort, noise and looks
- Comfort. Ductless gives each room its own setpoint. Ducted gives even whole-house cooling when the ducts are balanced, and hot and cold rooms when they are not. See hot and cold spots.
- Noise. Both put the compressor outside. Indoors, a ducted system's noise is air at the grilles; a mini-split head has its own quiet fan in the room.
- Looks. Ducted hides everything but the grilles. Wall heads are visible; ceiling cassettes and slim ducted mini-split units hide more at a higher price.
Wildfire smoke and filtration
Ducted systems take a thicker, higher-rated filter at the air handler, which matters during smoke events. Ask about the filter rack and the static pressure the blower can handle before you choose a high-rated filter.
Mini-split heads have washable mesh filters that catch dust, not fine smoke particles. Households that want whole-house filtration during fire season usually lean ducted, or add a standalone air cleaner.
Which houses suit each
| House | Usually | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s–1980s tract home with attic ducts | Ducted | Ducts are there; test and seal them |
| Pre-war Craftsman or Spanish house with wall heaters | Ductless | No ducts and little attic space |
| Condo or apartment | Ductless | Ducts rarely possible; HOA sets the outdoor unit spot |
| ADU or garage conversion | Ductless | Too far from the main system |
| House with ducts plus an addition | Mixed | Ducted for the house, one head for the addition |
See AC installation for older homes and cooling an ADU or garage conversion for those cases.
Ducted mini-splits: the middle option
Some mini-split systems use a slim concealed air handler with short duct runs to two or three rooms. They hide the equipment like a ducted system and keep the zoning of a mini-split.
They need ceiling or attic space for the short runs, and the duct sections are still covered by Title 24 duct rules. Ask any contractor quoting one how the short ducts will be tested.
What to ask before you choose
- Have you tested my existing ducts, and what did the leakage test show?
- What would it cost to repair or replace them, as a separate line?
- For ductless: where will each head and the outdoor unit go, and how long are the line sets?
- How many zones do I really need?
- What filter will the system take?
- Is the permit included, and who books the Title 24 rater?
The system comparison tool turns your answers into a short list.
Keep, repair or replace the ducts you have
If the house has ducts, the real ducted-vs-ductless question is what condition they are in. A contractor can test leakage and look at insulation, sizing and routing before you choose.
| Duct condition | Usual move | Published LA cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tight, insulated, sized for the new unit | Reuse | None beyond the Title 24 test |
| Leaky joints, sound runs | Seal and retest | $800–$4,500 |
| Crushed, uninsulated or undersized | Replace | $3,500–$8,000 |
| Old wrap that may contain asbestos | Abate first, then decide | $2,000–$9,000 |
DOE advises insulating ducts in unconditioned spaces and having a qualified professional test any duct sealing (DOE). In LA, the Title 24 test makes that check part of the permit anyway.
Upkeep for each
Ducted
- One filter at the air handler; DOE says clean or replace AC filters once a month or as recommended.
- Keep registers and returns unblocked.
- Annual service of the outdoor unit and coil.
Ductless
- A washable filter in every head, cleaned on the maker's schedule.
- Heads and condensate drains checked at service.
- Annual service of the outdoor unit.
More in the new AC maintenance schedule.
The no-duct house, as a chart
The bars overlap, which is the honest picture: for a house with no ducts, the cheaper route depends on how many rooms need cooling and how hard the duct run is.
Sources
- Energy Code Ace (CEC-supported), Single-Family Compliance Manual ch. 9, § 150.2(b)1E–F, 2022 code text; confirm against the 2025 code in force since 1 January 2026 (retrieved 2026-09-29) — verify before relying on it
- ENERGY STAR, "Duct Sealing" (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- US Department of Energy, "Energy Saver Guide: Tips on Saving Money and Energy at Home" (2022) (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- Reliable Heating and Air (Woodland Hills), AC installation cost in LA and Ventura County (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Cold Cloud (Glendale), central air cost in Los Angeles (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- E & A Mechanical (Tujunga), heat pump installation cost in Los Angeles (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- HVACProjectCost.com, Los Angeles HVAC replacement cost (retrieved 2026-09-29)
Questions
Is ductless cheaper than central air?
For one or two rooms, usually yes: one zone is published at $4,000–$7,500 in LA. For a whole house that already has sound ducts, central AC ($8,000–$16,000 for 3 tons) is usually cheaper than four or more mini-split zones.
Are ductless systems more efficient?
They avoid duct losses entirely. ENERGY STAR estimates 20 to 30 percent of the air moving through a typical duct system is lost to leaks. Compare the SEER2 of the actual models quoted as well.
Can I add ducts to a house that has none?
Yes, if there is attic or crawlspace room to run them. LA sources publish new or fully replaced ductwork at $3,500–$8,000, on top of the equipment.
Do ductless mini-splits heat as well as cool?
Most sold today are heat pumps, so yes. LADWP lists mini-split and multi-split heat pumps in its rebate program, subject to its efficiency minimums.
Are mini-split heads noisy?
The compressor sits outside, as with central AC. Indoors you hear the head's fan, which runs at low speed most of the time. Ask for the indoor unit's rated sound level when you compare quotes.
Do ductless systems need a permit in Los Angeles?
Yes. Installing cooling equipment needs a mechanical permit, and often an electrical one, from LADBS in the city or your own city's office. See our permit guide for which office applies.
Which is better for wildfire smoke?
Ducted, usually, because the air handler takes a thicker, higher-rated filter. Mini-split heads use mesh filters that do not catch fine smoke. A standalone air cleaner is an option with either.
Can I mix ducted and ductless in one house?
Yes. A common LA setup is central AC or a heat pump for the main house plus one mini-split head for an addition, garage conversion or hot upstairs room.
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