An Air/Duct Leakage Test (AIRL) is required for all new residential buildings or dwelling units to test the building and air duct distribution system(s) for air tightness. These tests must be performed and submitted before the final inspection to provide an opportunity for the permit holder to correct any deficiencies found during testing. The test requirements can be found in Chapter 11: Energy Efficiency of the Virginia Residential Code.

This information is the most common for how to obtain the necessary approval for your project and is not representative of all the conditions you may encounter.

 

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

Contacts listed on the original residential building (BLDR) permit record in PLUS may submit an air/duct leakage test amendment record in PLUS. To learn how to update contact information, visit our Contacts permit guide.

 

PLAN AHEAD

An air leakage test is always required on new BLDR records. A duct leakage test is required in certain instances, based on the code year the permit record was applied under. An air/duct leakage test submission is required before scheduling the final inspection for the project.

 

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY RECORD?

PLUS Application

Apply for your Air/Duct Leakage Test (AIRL) building amendment type online in PLUS, by first locating the appropriate residential building (BLDR) permit record and selecting Make Changes (Figure 1):

Select Air/Duct Leakage Test (Figure 2) as the appropriate amendment type. Then click Continue Application:

Complete the application as prompted, providing the testing company information and air/duct leakage test results (Figure 3): 

Upload the completed test report as an Attachment. You must select Save before you select Continue Application (Figure 4 & 5):

Review all information and either click “edit” to make changes to specific sections or “continue application” to move to the final step and submit your AIRL record. At the final step, you will receive confirmation of your AIRL record number (Figure 6). This must be completed before scheduling your final inspection on your BLDR record.

 

For further assistance, please refer to the below video for step-by-step guidance on the submission process:

 Submitting an Air/Duct Leakage Test - YouTube Video

 

 

What's Next?

County Review

Upon completion of the above steps, you may proceed with scheduling your final building inspection in PLUS. Staff will review the submission for completeness. You will be asked to correct any deficiencies.

Inspections

Once your air/duct leakage test is submitted, you may schedule your final building inspection online. For more information, see our inspections webpage.