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COST GUIDE · NEW HOMES AND HOUSES
How much does a blower door test cost in Toronto?
For a house, a blower door test typically costs a few hundred dollars. Builders usually budget for two: one mid-construction and one at completion.
THE SHORT ANSWER
- A few hundred dollars per test for a typical house
- Most builders budget for two: mid-construction and final
- Homeowners: already included in an EnerGuide home evaluation
- Apartment, condo or commercial building? See the large building cost guide
What you pay for
A calibrated fan depressurizes the house to 50 pascals and measures the air leaking in, reported as air changes per hour (ACH50). A study of airtightness testing commissioned by the National Research Council of Canada put house testing at typically "only a few hundred dollars." The price moves with:
- House size and the number of units (each townhouse or semi is tested on its own)
- Travel and scheduling, especially for a single test on a remote site
- Whether you need a report for your permit, ENERGY STAR, Net Zero or an EnerGuide label
- Retests, if the first result misses the target
How many tests a new home needs
Mid-construction
After the air barrier, windows and penetrations are in, before drywall. Optional, but leaks found here are cheap to seal, and it protects the final result.
Final
Required under SB-12 (Ontario's energy efficiency standard for new houses) when a Performance Path design relies on airtightness better than 3.0 ACH50 (detached) or 3.5 ACH50 (attached). Also required for ENERGY STAR, R-2000, Net Zero and EnerGuide.
Building several homes? Ask for per-site pricing: testing a block of units on the same day costs less per house than separate visits.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Book the mid-construction test so the final passes the first time
- Have the house ready: doors and windows installed, traps filled, vents ready to seal (see our builder checklist)
- Pair testing with SB-12 modelling so the model assumes a target your crew can hit
We book blower door tests across Toronto and the GTA within 1 week. Send us the project for a quote.
Sources: RDH Building Science for the National Research Council of Canada: Study of Part 3 Building Airtightness · Ontario: SB-12 Energy Efficiency for Housing.
Quick answers
How much is a blower door test for a house?
Typically a few hundred dollars per test for a house, according to a study commissioned by the National Research Council of Canada. Price depends on the home size, travel and whether a report for permit or certification is needed.
How many blower door tests does a new home need?
SB-12 requires a test when a Performance Path design relies on airtightness better than 3.0 ACH50 for a detached house or 3.5 ACH50 for an attached house. Most builders also test mid-construction, before drywall, so leaks are cheap to fix.
Is a blower door test included in an EnerGuide evaluation?
Yes. EnerGuide home evaluations include a blower door test, so homeowners don't pay for it separately.