Range Hood Installation Cost in Southern Maryland: 2026 Price Guide

By Gray & Sons Contracting · October 11, 2026

Range hood installation in Southern Maryland costs $200 to $3,000 for most homeowners in 2026, with the national average landing around $750 installed for a standard replacement. The total depends on the type of hood (under-cabinet, wall-mount, island, or downdraft), whether it is ducted or ductless, and whether the installation is a like-for-like swap on existing ductwork and wiring or a new installation that requires cutting through walls or the roof, running new ductwork, and adding an electrical circuit. A straightforward replacement of an existing under-cabinet hood with a similar model installs for as little as $200 to $500. A new wall-mount chimney hood with ductwork routed through an exterior wall runs $500 to $1,500. A professional-grade island hood over a kitchen island, with ductwork through the ceiling and roof, runs $1,000 to $3,000 or more. Most homeowners in Calvert, St. Mary's, and Charles County land in the $400 to $1,200 range for a quality ducted hood that effectively removes cooking smoke, grease, moisture, and odors from the kitchen.

A range hood is not a luxury, it is the kitchen's ventilation system, and in Southern Maryland's humid climate, it serves a more critical function than homeowners in drier regions might realize. Every time you cook on a gas or electric range, you produce combustion byproducts (from gas burners), grease-laden vapor, steam, smoke particles, and volatile organic compounds that, without ventilation, saturate the kitchen air, deposit grease on cabinets and surfaces, fog windows, feed mold growth on ceiling and wall surfaces, and spread cooking odors throughout the house. In a region where indoor humidity is already a persistent challenge, adding the moisture from a 20-minute pasta boil or a Thanksgiving turkey to a home that is already at 60 percent relative humidity pushes conditions into territory where condensation, mold, and air quality problems accelerate. A properly sized, properly ducted range hood captures those contaminants at the cooking surface and exhausts them outside before they disperse through the kitchen and into the rest of the home.

This guide covers every hood type, their equipment and installed costs, the critical difference between ducted and ductless systems, and the specific considerations that affect range hood installations in the tri-county area.

Cost by Hood Type

Range hoods come in several configurations, each designed for a specific kitchen layout and mounting location. The type determines the equipment cost, the installation complexity, and the visual impact on the kitchen.

The under-cabinet hood is the default for most kitchens because it fits the standard layout, a range against a wall with an upper cabinet above it. If you are replacing an existing under-cabinet hood with a similar model and the ductwork and wiring are already in place, the installation is the simplest and most affordable range hood project: remove the old hood, mount the new one, connect the duct and power, and the job is done in 1 to 2 hours.

The wall-mount chimney hood has become the dominant style in kitchen remodels because it eliminates the upper cabinet above the range and creates an open, modern look. The exposed stainless steel chimney rising to the ceiling is a design statement in itself. Installation is more involved than an under-cabinet hood because the duct must run through the wall or up through the chimney cover and through the ceiling and roof, and the mount must support the hood's weight (typically 30 to 60 pounds) from the wall alone.

The island hood is the most challenging installation because the ductwork must run straight up through the ceiling, through the attic space (if present), and through the roof. This requires roof penetration, proper flashing to prevent leaks, and an insulated duct run through the attic to prevent condensation. The hood also hangs from the ceiling, requiring structural support that a standard ceiling joist may not provide. These factors combine to make island hood installations the most expensive category, with labor and materials often exceeding the cost of the hood itself.

The downdraft system is a specialized solution for kitchens where an overhead hood is not possible, typically island or peninsula installations where the homeowner does not want a hood blocking the sight lines, or kitchens with low ceilings or architectural features that prevent overhead mounting. Downdraft systems are less effective than overhead hoods because they fight the natural tendency of hot air and smoke to rise, but modern high-CFM downdraft units perform adequately for standard residential cooking. Installation requires ductwork below the floor or through an exterior wall, which can be complex and expensive in homes built on a slab foundation where cutting a duct channel through concrete is required.

Ducted vs. Ductless: The Critical Difference

The single most important decision in range hood selection is whether the hood vents to the outside (ducted) or recirculates filtered air back into the kitchen (ductless). This decision has a far greater impact on the hood's effectiveness than the brand, the CFM rating, or the price.

A ducted hood is the right choice for any kitchen where it is physically possible to install one. The performance gap between ducted and ductless is not marginal, it is the difference between actually removing contaminants from the home and merely filtering some particles while recirculating the rest. A ductless hood does not remove moisture (a critical limitation in Southern Maryland's humid climate), does not remove carbon monoxide from gas range combustion (a safety concern), and becomes progressively less effective as the charcoal filter loads up between replacements.

A ductless hood is appropriate only when ducting to the outside is genuinely impossible, in a high-rise condo, in a kitchen on an interior wall with no path to an exterior surface, or in a rental where modifications are not permitted. In a single-family home in the tri-county area, there is almost always a viable duct path, through the wall behind the range, up through the ceiling and out the roof, or even down and out through a crawlspace, and the additional cost of ducting ($200 to $900) is justified by the dramatic improvement in ventilation performance.

Ductwork Costs

For new installations or conversions from ductless to ducted, the ductwork is often the largest single component of the installation cost after the hood itself.

Duct material matters. Rigid metal ductwork (galvanized steel or aluminum) is the proper material for range hood exhaust. It resists grease buildup, cleans easily, and maintains its diameter over the life of the installation. Flexible aluminum duct, the corrugated foil ducting sold at hardware stores, is sometimes used for convenience, but it creates significantly more airflow resistance (the corrugations catch grease and create turbulence), is difficult to clean, and sags over long horizontal runs, creating low spots where grease accumulates and becomes a fire hazard. Use rigid metal ductwork for range hood installations. The material cost difference is modest, $30 to $80 more for rigid metal over flexible, and the performance and safety benefits are substantial.

Duct diameter should match the hood's exhaust outlet. Most residential range hoods have a 6-inch or 7-inch round exhaust outlet. The duct should be the same diameter from the hood to the exterior cap, with no reductions that would restrict airflow. Reducing from a 7-inch outlet to a 6-inch duct, for example, increases back pressure, reduces the hood's effective CFM, and causes the motor to work harder and louder.

Every 90-degree elbow in the duct run reduces the hood's effective performance by the equivalent of 5 to 10 feet of straight duct. A duct run with two 90-degree elbows and 8 feet of straight duct has the same airflow resistance as 18 to 28 feet of straight duct. When planning the duct path, minimize elbows, a straight shot through the wall behind the range is always the best option, and each turn added to the path degrades performance.

CFM Rating: How Much Airflow Do You Need?

The CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating indicates how much air the hood moves. A higher CFM rating means more powerful ventilation, but it also means more noise, higher energy consumption, and potentially the need for makeup air.

The general rule for gas ranges: 1 CFM per 100 BTU of burner output. A standard 30-inch gas range with four burners producing a combined 40,000 to 60,000 BTU needs a hood rated at 400 to 600 CFM. A professional-style 48-inch range with six high-output burners producing 100,000+ BTU needs 1,000+ CFM.

Electric ranges produce less heat and no combustion byproducts, so they require less ventilation. A hood rated at 250 to 400 CFM is adequate for most electric ranges.

Makeup air is required by code in Maryland for range hoods rated above 400 CFM. When a high-CFM hood exhausts a large volume of air from the kitchen, it creates negative pressure inside the home, the hood is removing air faster than it can be replaced through normal infiltration. This negative pressure can cause several problems: backdrafting of gas water heaters, furnaces, and fireplaces (pulling combustion gases into the living space instead of up the chimney), difficulty opening doors (the negative pressure holds them shut), and whistling at windows and doors as air forces its way in through gaps. A makeup air system introduces fresh outdoor air into the home at a rate that balances the exhaust, preventing negative pressure. The makeup air damper opens automatically when the hood turns on and closes when it turns off.

A makeup air system adds $400 to $1,200 to the installation cost, including the damper, the duct penetration, and the controls. For homeowners upgrading to a high-CFM hood (600+ CFM) for a gas range, this is a code requirement, not an option, and it should be factored into the project budget from the start.

Equipment Cost vs. Installed Cost Breakdown

A like-for-like replacement is the most affordable installation because the ductwork, electrical, and mounting are already in place. The installer removes the old hood, mounts the new one in the same location, connects the existing duct and power, and the job is done. Total labor: 1 to 2 hours, $100 to $250. The total installed cost for a like-for-like under-cabinet replacement is typically $200 to $600, the cost of the hood plus a modest labor charge.

A new installation where none existed before, converting a kitchen with a recirculating microwave over the range to a proper ducted range hood, is the most involved scenario. It typically requires removing the microwave and its mounting bracket, cutting a duct opening through the wall or ceiling, running and securing the ductwork, adding an exterior cap with proper flashing, installing an electrical outlet or hardwired connection (often from a new circuit), mounting the hood, patching the drywall where the microwave was mounted, and painting. Total labor: 4 to 8 hours, $300 to $1,000. Total installed cost including the hood, ductwork, electrical, and finish work: $800 to $2,500 for a standard wall-mount or under-cabinet hood.

Microwave-to-Range-Hood Conversion

One of the most common range hood projects in existing homes is replacing an over-the-range (OTR) microwave with a proper range hood. OTR microwaves include a small ventilation fan on the bottom, but these fans are typically rated at 200 to 400 CFM, adequate for light cooking on an electric range, but insufficient for serious cooking or for any gas range application. The recirculating models (which most OTR microwaves are) do not remove moisture or combustion byproducts at all.

Converting from an OTR microwave to a ducted range hood typically costs $500 to $1,500 total, including:

• Removing the OTR microwave and mounting bracket: $50 to $100
• New range hood: $200 to $800
• Ductwork (often a short run through the wall): $200 to $500
• Electrical modification (the microwave outlet may need to be relocated or a new outlet added for the hood): $100 to $250
• Drywall repair and paint where the microwave was: $100 to $300
• Relocating the microwave to a countertop, shelf, or built-in cabinet: variable

The microwave relocation is the part homeowners forget to plan for. The OTR microwave was serving double duty, ventilation (poorly) and food preparation, and removing it means the microwave needs a new home. A countertop microwave takes counter space. A built-in microwave in a tall pantry cabinet or a dedicated microwave drawer adds $300 to $1,500 to the project depending on whether existing cabinetry can accommodate it. Plan the microwave's new location before starting the conversion, not after.

Regional Considerations for Southern Maryland

Moisture Removal in a Humid Climate

In Southern Maryland's humid climate, the moisture removal function of a range hood is more important than it is in drier regions. Every time you boil water, simmer a pot, or use the oven, you add moisture to the indoor air, and in a home where the baseline indoor humidity is already 55 to 65 percent during the warm months, that cooking moisture can push conditions past the 70 percent threshold where condensation, mold, and air quality problems accelerate.

A ducted range hood exhausts that cooking moisture directly outside before it disperses through the kitchen. A ductless hood does not, it filters particles but recirculates all the moisture back into the kitchen. In Southern Maryland, the difference between ducted and ductless is not just a performance preference, it is a meaningful factor in the home's overall moisture management. A ducted hood is the appropriate choice for any kitchen in the tri-county area, and the additional cost of ductwork ($200 to $900) is a moisture management investment as much as a ventilation one.

Exterior Wall Penetrations and Weather Sealing

The wall cap where the exhaust duct exits the home is an exterior penetration, a hole in the building envelope that must be properly sealed against wind-driven rain, insects, and moisture infiltration. In Southern Maryland's coastal climate, where nor'easters drive rain horizontally and humidity is persistent, the quality of this seal matters more than it does in sheltered, dry climates.

Use a wall cap with a spring-loaded damper (not a gravity damper, which can blow open in high winds) and seal the penetration with appropriate exterior-grade caulk. The cap should be positioned to avoid prevailing wind and rain direction, a cap on the windward side of the house takes more weather punishment and is more likely to admit rain than one on the leeward side. If the only duct path leads to the windward wall, use a cap rated for high-wind exposure and consider adding a secondary rain shield.

Roof caps require proper flashing, a collar that integrates with the roofing material to prevent leaks. In the tri-county area, where roofs take significant wind-driven rain, the flashing installation is as important as the cap itself. A poorly flashed roof cap will leak, and a leak around a range hood exhaust, where warm, grease-laden air meets cold rainwater, creates conditions for rapid wood rot and mold growth in the attic or ceiling cavity around the penetration. Professional installation of roof caps is strongly recommended even if you are doing the rest of the hood installation yourself.

Gas Ranges and Combustion Safety

A significant proportion of homes in the tri-county area use gas ranges, and gas combustion produces carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and formaldehyde as byproducts, even when the burner is operating perfectly and the flame is clean. A ducted range hood is the primary defense against these combustion byproducts in the kitchen. It captures them at the cooking surface and exhausts them outside before they accumulate in the indoor air.

The indoor air quality studies are clear: homes with gas ranges and no ducted ventilation have measurably higher levels of NO₂ and CO than homes with gas ranges and ducted hoods, and the difference is clinically significant for respiratory health, particularly for children, older adults, and individuals with asthma or other respiratory conditions. For any home in Southern Maryland with a gas range, a properly sized ducted range hood is not an aesthetic choice, it is a health and safety installation. The building code reflects this: new construction and major kitchen remodels in Maryland require exhaust ventilation for ranges, and gas ranges require ducted exhaust specifically.

Older Kitchen Layouts

Many homes in the established neighborhoods throughout the tri-county area, the 1960s through 1990s builds in Leonardtown, Mechanicsville, Charlotte Hall, La Plata, Hughesville, Waldorf, and Prince Frederick, have kitchen layouts that predate the current emphasis on range ventilation. These kitchens may have no hood at all (relying on an operable window near the range for ventilation), a ductless recirculating hood that is decades old, or an over-the-range microwave that was added in a later remodel. Upgrading these kitchens to a properly ducted range hood is one of the most impactful indoor air quality improvements a homeowner can make, and it is typically more affordable than expected, because the range is usually on an exterior wall (the most common kitchen layout in ranch homes and colonials of this era), making the duct run short and simple.

A budget-friendly upgrade path for these kitchens: a quality 30-inch under-cabinet ducted hood at $200 to $400 for the equipment, with a short duct run through the exterior wall at $200 to $400 for materials and labor, plus installation labor of $150 to $300. Total: $550 to $1,100 for a complete ducted ventilation system in a kitchen that previously had none or had only a ductless recirculator. The improvement in cooking comfort, indoor air quality, and the reduction in grease buildup on kitchen surfaces is immediately noticeable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to install a range hood in Southern Maryland? Most homeowners in Calvert, St. Mary's, and Charles County pay $200 to $3,000 installed for a range hood in 2026, with the average around $750. A like-for-like under-cabinet replacement on existing ductwork runs $200 to $600. A new wall-mount chimney hood with ductwork runs $500 to $1,500. An island hood with ceiling and roof ductwork runs $1,000 to $3,000. The biggest cost variables are the hood type, whether ductwork already exists, and whether electrical work is needed.

Is a ducted or ductless range hood better? Ducted is significantly better in almost every measurable way, it removes smoke, grease, moisture, odors, and combustion byproducts from the home, while a ductless hood only filters some particles and recirculates everything else. In Southern Maryland's humid climate, the moisture removal alone justifies the additional cost of ductwork. A ductless hood is appropriate only when ducting to the outside is genuinely impossible (high-rise condos, interior kitchens with no exterior access). In a single-family home, there is almost always a viable duct path.

How many CFM do I need for my range hood? For electric ranges, 250 to 400 CFM is adequate for most standard cooking. For gas ranges, the guideline is 1 CFM per 100 BTU of total burner output, a standard 30-inch, 4-burner gas range producing 40,000 to 60,000 BTU needs 400 to 600 CFM. Hoods rated above 400 CFM require a makeup air system by Maryland building code, adding $400 to $1,200 to the project.

Can I replace an over-the-range microwave with a range hood? Yes. This is one of the most common range hood projects. The typical cost is $500 to $1,500, including microwave removal, new hood, ductwork (usually a short wall run), electrical modification, and drywall repair. Plan where the microwave will be relocated before starting the project.

How often do range hood filters need to be cleaned or replaced? Metal mesh grease filters should be cleaned monthly, soak in hot, soapy water or run through the dishwasher. They do not need replacement and last the life of the hood. Charcoal filters (used only in ductless hoods) must be replaced every 3 to 6 months at $15 to $40 per filter and cannot be cleaned. Baffle filters (used in professional-style hoods) should be cleaned monthly and also last the life of the hood.

Do I need a permit to install a range hood? In most cases, a straightforward hood replacement does not require a permit in Calvert, Charles, or St. Mary's County. If the installation involves a new exterior wall or roof penetration, new ductwork, or a new electrical circuit, the work should comply with local building and electrical codes, and some jurisdictions may require a permit for the electrical and structural components. Your contractor should advise on permit requirements for your specific installation scope.

Ready to upgrade your kitchen ventilation? Gray & Sons Contracting installs range hoods throughout Calvert, St. Mary's, and Charles County, from under-cabinet replacements in Waldorf townhouses and Prince Frederick ranchers to wall-mount chimney hoods in Huntingtown kitchen remodels and island hoods in Solomons waterfront homes. Whether you are replacing an aging ductless hood, converting from an over-the-range microwave, or adding ventilation to a kitchen that has never had it, we help you choose the right hood for your cooking style and kitchen layout, and we install it with proper rigid ductwork and weathertight exterior caps that perform in the coastal conditions of the tri-county area. Get a Free Estimate