Ductwork Delivery Across the UK

Ductwork is thin galvanised steel wrapped around a great deal of air. It fills a vehicle faster than almost anything we carry, weighs very little, and a knock that would not mark a steel bar puts a permanent dent in a section that then will not seal.

T&C Logistics delivers for ventilation suppliers, ductwork fabricators and mechanical contractors. Companies House records over 960 active UK companies in ventilation, ductwork and air conditioning supply. We have run construction supply since 2020 with more than 3,000 vetted driver-partners nationwide. Quotes from £50 (ex VAT), quoted in full upfront before you book.

Why is duct almost pure volume?

Because it is a thin steel skin enclosing air, and the air is what the customer is buying. A three metre length of 400 millimetre spiral duct weighs only a few kilograms and occupies a large part of a van.

Nesting is the one saving. Spiral duct nests where diameters match, which can halve a load's volume — but only if the order was picked with that in mind. See our insulation delivery service.

What does a dent actually cost?

The section. Ductwork joints rely on the section being round and the ends being true, and a dented spiral or a bowed rectangular face will not seal against its coupler or flange.

Leakage is the consequence and it is measurable. Ventilation systems are tested for air leakage against a specified class, and a system that fails its test has to be found, resealed and retested.

That inverts the usual damage calculation: the material is cheap, the section is fabricated to a drawing, and the failure appears at commissioning rather than at delivery. Handling care is proportional to the commissioning risk rather than to the invoice.

Is rectangular duct made to order?

Almost always. Rectangular ductwork is fabricated to a spool drawing for a specific run, with each section numbered to a position in a building.

That makes it the same category as cut-to-size plastic or cut-length steel: no stock replacement, a lead time to remake, and a fitting crew already on site expecting it.

Section identification is therefore essential. A load of numbered sections delivered without visible marks is a load a fitting team has to work out before it can start, and a missing section stops a run at the point it belongs.

Where does duct go on a site?

Into ceiling voids and plant rooms, which means the delivery rarely ends at a compound. Duct is installed high and it has to reach the level it is being fitted on.

Hoisting and lift access decide the practical route. A 3 metre section will not fit in many passenger lifts, and a goods lift or a hoist has to be available and booked.

Sequence matters too. Duct is installed after structure and before ceilings close, which is a narrow window, and material arriving early occupies space and gets damaged by other trades. See our construction industry hub.

Do grilles and diffusers need different handling?

Yes, because they are visible. A grille or diffuser is the only part of a ventilation system anyone sees, and it is a painted or anodised finished surface.

They are also frequently supplied in a specified colour to match a ceiling, which makes them a made-to-order finished item rather than a stock part.

Practically they travel boxed and separate from bare duct, because galvanised steel edges mark powder coat readily. Mixing them in a load is how a finished item arrives scratched.

Are fire dampers a specified item?

Yes, and they are the part of a ductwork order where substitution is not available. Fire dampers are tested and certified components installed where duct passes through a fire compartment wall.

The certification is what allows them to be used, and it accompanies the product. A damper delivered without its documentation is a damper a building control inspector may question.

Their installation is also specified and inspected, which makes their delivery date part of a compliance sequence rather than a convenience. That is the same relationship as adoptable drainage fittings.

What comes back from a site?

Offcut and surplus duct, packaging, and occasionally full sections that turned out to be wrong. Galvanised steel offcut is recoverable material rather than waste.

Volume is what makes it a transport question. Duct offcut occupies as much space as the duct did, so a strip-out or a surplus return is a full vehicle of very little weight.

T&C Logistics holds Environment Agency upper tier registration CBDU654368 as a waste carrier, broker and dealer, so a collection is documented with a transfer note. See our WEEE collection service.

How much does nesting actually save?

Enough to change the vehicle. Spiral duct nests where diameters step, so a 400 inside a 500 inside a 630 occupies the space of the largest rather than of all three.

A load picked with nesting in mind can be half the volume of the same order picked by line. That is a picking decision at the supplier rather than a loading one at the vehicle, and it is worth agreeing once.

Fittings do not nest. Bends, tees and transitions are awkward shapes that stack badly and cannot take weight, which means they occupy their own space regardless of how well the straight duct packs.

Do you deliver flexible duct?

Yes, and it is the most deceptive item in the category. Flexible duct ships compressed in cartons and expands to several times its packed length once released.

A carton of 10 metre flexible is compact; ten cartons is a large part of a van. Ordering flexible and rigid duct together is where a vehicle estimate most often goes wrong.

Insulated flexible is bulkier again and its outer sleeve tears easily. A torn sleeve on insulated flex is a thermal and acoustic performance loss rather than a cosmetic one.

What about air handling units and fans?

They are equipment rather than ductwork and they change the job entirely. An air handling unit is heavy, frequently sectional, and needs mechanical handling at both ends.

Fans and smaller units are more manageable but still contain motors and impellers that do not tolerate being dropped. An impeller knocked out of balance runs noisily and fails early.

Plant room access is the constraint. Units are installed in plant rooms that are frequently at roof level or in a basement, reached by a goods lift that has to take the largest section. See our commercial refrigeration transport service.

Can you support a commissioning deadline?

Yes, and commissioning is where ductwork delays become visible. A ventilation system is balanced, leakage-tested and commissioned against a programme, and every one of those steps needs the installation complete.

A single missing section holds a run, and a held run holds a zone. That is why fabricated sections are numbered and why a shortfall matters more than its value suggests.

Where a section has to be remade, the delivery of the replacement is on the critical path of a building handover rather than of a trade package. That is worth a dedicated run rather than a slot on a round.

Do you deliver for domestic and light commercial ventilation?

Yes, and it is a different customer. Heat recovery systems, extract fans and small-bore ducting go to installers working in homes and small premises rather than to site compounds.

Quantities are small and the access is domestic: a van on a street, a carry into a loft or a plant cupboard, and a householder present.

Rigid and semi-rigid domestic ducting is also long and light, so the vehicle question is the same as it is on a commercial job even though the order is a fraction of the size.

Small-bore semi-rigid ducting also arrives in coils rather than lengths, which behaves like land drainage coil — it springs, it rolls, and an unsecured coil in a vehicle is a nuisance at the far end rather than a hazard.

What does ductwork delivery cost?

One fixed price per load, or a rate per drop on a standing arrangement, quoted upfront with fuel and goods-in-transit insurance included.

From £50 (ex VAT). Final price depends on distance, vehicle, urgency and time — quoted in full upfront. Related: insulation delivery and plumbing merchant delivery. Call 0121 720 3841 or use our contact page.