Range Hood Swap (Existing Circuit + Duct)
A range hood swap from Handis is a like-for-like replacement of an existing under-cabinet, wall-chimney, or island range hood on the existing 120V circuit and the existing duct — from $350 for an under-cabinet swap, with the flexible aluminum vent transition piece, the stud or joist confirmation, and the chimney shroud install all handled in one visit. A range hood swap is the install where the existing duct rarely matches the new hood collar — most older range hoods are 6-inch round duct and modern hoods often ship for 7-inch round or 3-1/4 by 10-inch rectangular, so a flexible transition piece is needed to bridge the offset cleanly. The mount itself depends on the hood style — under-cabinet hoods lag into the upper cabinet bottom, wall-chimney hoods lag into studs behind the back wall, island hoods drop from ceiling joists. The 120V circuit is usually the existing kitchen lighting circuit or a dedicated hood circuit and is plug-in for most modern hoods. Handis sends a vetted handyman who reads the new hood's mounting template against the existing duct, brings the right transition piece, and matches the bracket pattern to the existing cabinet or wall structure. Existing 120V circuit and existing duct only — new circuits, new ductwork, or hardwired hoods route to a licensed Washington L&I electrician.
Service
What Does a Range Hood Swap Include?
A range hood swap from Handis is a five-step install — pre-install inspection of style and duct size, old hood removal, vent transition fit with flexible aluminum and HVAC foil tape, bracket mount into studs (chimney) or joists (island) or cabinet structure (under-cabinet), and the hood lift plus chimney-shroud install with a five-minute high-fan test — all on the existing 120V circuit and the existing duct. The connection has to exist (the 120V outlet or junction, the existing duct, the existing cabinet or wall structure to mount into), the duct collar on the new hood has to match (or be bridged to) the existing duct size, and the wall or cabinet has to have studs or structure in the bracket positions. New circuits, new ductwork, or hardwired hoods route to a licensed electrician.
Pre-Install Inspection
Identify the existing hood style (under-cabinet, wall-chimney, island) and the existing duct size and direction (6-inch round, 7-inch round, 3-1/4 by 10-inch rectangular; ducted up through the cabinet or wall, ducted back through the wall behind, or recirculating). Read the new hood's installation manual for the collar size, bracket pattern, and electrical configuration (plug-in or hardwire). Locate studs behind the back wall for chimney hoods, confirm cabinet structure for under-cabinet hoods, or check ceiling joist positions for island hoods. About 10 to 15 minutes.
Old Hood Removal
Shut off the 120V circuit at the breaker. Unplug the 120V cord (or stop here if it is hardwired — hardwire removal routes to an electrician). Disconnect the duct collar from the existing duct at the back or top of the old hood. Remove the mounting screws from inside the hood (typically four to six bolts into the cabinet bottom or the wall bracket). Lift the hood down — single-person for most under-cabinet hoods, two-person for chimney hoods or anything over 50 pounds. About 20 minutes.
Vent Transition
The new hood's duct collar rarely matches the existing duct exactly — typical mismatches are 6-inch round duct to a 7-inch round new collar, or 6-inch round duct to a 3-1/4 by 10-inch rectangular new collar. We bring flexible aluminum transitions in common sizes plus a sheet-metal adapter for the unusual offsets. The transition mates to the existing duct with a metal clamp, mates to the new hood collar with a metal clamp, and is sealed with HVAC foil tape at both ends. About 15 to 25 minutes for typical transitions.
Bracket + Mount
For under-cabinet hoods, the bracket pattern is typically a few screws into the cabinet bottom from inside the upper cabinet — we read the manufacturer template against the cabinet underside, drill the spec holes, and thread the bolts. For wall-chimney hoods, the bracket lag-screws into studs behind the back wall — we confirm studs with a stud finder plus pin probe, drill, and lag in. For island hoods, the bracket drops from ceiling joists — we confirm joist positions and lag the support rods. About 20 to 30 minutes depending on style.
Hood Lift + Connection
Two-person lift for chimney and island hoods (typically 40 to 70 pounds at an awkward height); single-person for under-cabinet hoods (typically 15 to 30 pounds). Hang the hood on the bracket, secure with the manufacturer hardware, connect the duct transition to the hood collar, plug the 120V cord into the cabinet outlet (or stop if hardwired). For chimney hoods, install the chimney shroud (the decorative cover over the duct) to its support bracket. Run a 5-minute high-fan test for vent flow and light operation. About 30 to 45 minutes.
How a Range Hood Swap Works
Five sequential steps from the existing-duct identification to the high-fan vent test — the actual sequence we follow on every range hood swap (under-cabinet, wall-chimney, or island) on the existing 120V circuit and existing duct.
Pre-Install Inspection
Identify the existing hood style and the existing duct size and direction (6-inch round, 7-inch round, or 3-1/4 by 10 rectangular; up, back, or recirculating). Read the new hood's installation manual for collar size and bracket pattern, locate studs for chimney hoods or ceiling joists for island hoods. Roughly 10 to 15 minutes.
Old Hood Removal
Shut off the 120V circuit at the breaker, unplug the cord (hardwire whips route to a licensed Washington L&I electrician), disconnect the duct collar at the back or top of the old hood, remove the mounting screws from inside the hood, and lift it down — single-person for under-cabinet hoods, two-person for chimney and island.
Vent Transition Fit
The new hood's collar rarely matches the existing duct — typical mismatches are 6-inch round to a 7-inch collar, or 6-inch round to a 3-1/4 by 10 rectangular collar. A flexible aluminum transition piece bridges the offset cleanly with metal duct clamps at both ends and HVAC foil tape at the seams (never duct tape over a duct seam).
Bracket Mount into Structure
For under-cabinet hoods, drill the spec holes through the cabinet bottom from the manufacturer template. For wall-chimney hoods, confirm studs with a stud finder plus pin probe and lag-screw the bracket into framing — never drywall alone. For island hoods, confirm joist positions and lag the support rods into ceiling structure.
Hood Lift, Shroud, and Five-Minute Fan Test
Two-person lift for chimney and island hoods (typically 40 to 70 pounds at awkward height); single-person for under-cabinet (15 to 30 pounds). Hang on the bracket, connect the duct transition to the hood collar tight before the chimney shroud goes on, plug into the 120V outlet, install the shroud last, and run a five-minute high-fan test for vent flow and light operation.
Range Hood Swap Pricing
Final pricing depends on the hood style (under-cabinet, chimney, island), the duct transition needed (matching duct vs offset transition), and whether the install requires a two-person lift for a heavier or higher-mounted hood. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Send us the new hood model and a photo of the existing duct collar at the old hood — we will quote the visit and tell you upfront if anything routes to a licensed electrician.
Why Homeowners Book Handis for Range Hood Swaps
Range hood swaps fail one of three ways behind the panel — the existing duct size is offset from the new hood collar and the previous installer crammed an undersized duct into an oversized collar (or vice versa) with a bead of caulk, the bracket lag-screws went into drywall instead of studs because the previous installer did not actually find the framing, or the chimney shroud was mounted before the duct transition was tightened and now the shroud rattles every time the fan runs. After a few hundred range hood installs across Seattle kitchens, every one of these has a fix in the truck — flexible transitions in three common sizes plus a sheet-metal adapter for the unusual offset, a stud finder plus pin probe to confirm framing before any drilling, and a sequence on the install that puts the duct transition tight before the shroud goes on. The honest framing on the booking call is what makes the install land.
Existing circuit and duct only, and we say so on the call
This is a plug-in swap on the connections already in the kitchen — the existing 120V outlet (or junction for older installs we can convert to plug-in via the electrician path), the existing duct, the existing cabinet or wall structure to mount into. New 120V circuits, new vent ductwork (cutting new openings, running new duct to the exterior), hardwired range hoods, and any code interlocks for gas range pairings route to a licensed Washington L&I electrician. We tell you on the booking call which part fits this trade and which part needs a sub.
Transition pieces, not crammed-in duct
The new hood's duct collar rarely matches the existing duct exactly. The wrong fix is to cram an undersized duct into an oversized collar (or oversized duct into an undersized collar) and seal the gap with caulk — this leaks, restricts airflow, and is the most common cause of a new hood underperforming the old one. The right fix is a flexible aluminum transition piece, clamped at both ends with metal duct clamps, sealed with HVAC foil tape (not duct tape — the cloth tape sold as duct tape is rated for everything except actual ducts). We bring transitions in 6-inch round, 7-inch round, 3-1/4 by 10-inch rectangular, and the common offsets between them.
Studs confirmed for chimney hoods, joists for island hoods
Wall-chimney hoods (the freestanding pyramid or rectangular hoods that span from cabinet level to ceiling level) weigh 40 to 70 pounds and the bracket lag-screws have to go into studs. We confirm stud positions with a stud finder plus a pin probe before any drilling. Island hoods drop from ceiling joists with support rods — we confirm joist positions and pattern from the attic when accessible, or by sound-and-pin from below. Drywall-only bracket installs on a chimney hood are the most common cause of catastrophic hood failures (hood pulls out of the wall during fan operation).
Two-person lift on chimney and island hoods
Chimney hoods at 40 to 70 pounds get hung at chest-to-shoulder height with an awkward angle for the duct connection. Island hoods at similar weight get lifted to ceiling height for the joist drop. Both are two-person jobs and we send a partner on every chimney or island install — the lift safety and the protection of the new hood's finish are worth the cost. The two-person lift is included in the base price.
Sequence — duct tight before the shroud goes on
The chimney shroud (the decorative cover over the duct on chimney hoods) hides the duct transition. The temptation is to install the shroud first and adjust the duct underneath afterward. This is backwards — the shroud cannot be tightened against a duct that is still loose, and a duct that gets tightened after the shroud goes on usually shifts the shroud out of alignment. We install the duct transition tight first, verify no leaks under the fan at full speed, then install the shroud against the now-fixed duct alignment.
Estimate
Tell us the new hood model and style (under-cabinet, wall-chimney, island), the existing duct size and direction (6-inch round up, 7-inch round back, 3-1/4 by 10 rectangular, recirculating), and a photo of the existing hood and the duct collar behind it. We will quote the visit and tell you upfront if anything routes to a licensed electrician.
Customer Reviews
Range hood swap reviews from real Handis customers.
New 36-inch under-cabinet hood replacing an old Frigidaire. The tech read the new hood mounting template against the cabinet bottom and found the duct collar was offset two inches from the existing 6-inch duct in the ceiling. He installed a flexible transition piece, taped both ends with HVAC foil tape, and the install came out clean. Hood is up, vented, working — air-flow is noticeably better than the old one. Hour and a half for the swap.
36-inch wall-chimney hood replacing a 30-inch under-cabinet. The tech and his partner did the lift together — said chimney hoods are always two-person for safety. He confirmed the studs behind the back wall with a stud finder and a pin probe before drilling, lag-screwed the bracket in, and lifted the new hood onto the bracket. Duct transition first, then the chimney shroud. Three hours total — longer because of the cabinet removal and bracket install, but a beautiful clean result.
Island hood replacing a recirculating microwave in the previous house — except we had this house remodeled and the island had a duct stub in the ceiling waiting from the renovation. The tech confirmed the joist positions, dropped the support rods, lifted the new hood with his partner, and connected the duct transition to the existing stub. Clean install, no leaks, the hood looks beautiful over the island. About four hours start to finish.
Old hood had been recirculating; the new hood I bought was ducted only (no recirculating option). The tech said the existing duct was actually right above the old hood the whole time — the previous installer had just capped it and not connected the old hood. He uncapped the duct, connected the new hood with a transition piece, and the install was straightforward. Glad he checked instead of just assuming the recirculating-to-ducted conversion would need new ductwork.
Booked a hood install and on the call mentioned the new hood was a gas-range-specific model with a code interlock for the gas shutoff. The tech told me upfront that the code interlock wiring routes to a licensed electrician under Washington L&I — it ties into the gas range controls and is not a plug-in install. He gave me the name of his referred electrician. Electrician did the interlock wiring on a Friday, Handis came back Saturday for the hood mount and duct connection. Two visits, but the scope was clear and the final install is right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about range hood swaps — pricing, hood styles, duct transitions, and what routes to a licensed contractor.