Sizing the systems
Air duct cleaning cost
Cleaning the air ducts of a 2,000 sq ft house properly — 19 registers, under negative air with a HEPA collector — is about $665; with the coil, the blower and the dryer vent, $1,065. It is priced by the register and the system, which is why the $99 whole-house coupon is not the same job. It is also often not needed: the EPA says to clean for visible mold, vermin or dust you can see. The dryer vent, $150, is the one that matters for fire. This prices the ducts, the coil and the dryer vent, and says when to bother.
Written and edited by Pablo Ruiz Quintero
Last reviewed 2026-09-24 · Nothing you type leaves your browser
Air duct cleaning cost calculator
The system, its registers, and the dryer vent
A real cleaning is priced by the register and the system, under negative air. The dryer vent is the part that matters for safety.
Every supply and return.
About 16 supplies and 3 returns.
0 = estimate from the size.
Furnaces or air handlers.
Ducts only.
Rarely needed.
No.
25 ft equivalent.
Dryer to the outside cap.
5 ft each against the limit.
A wall.
Already metal.
It works.
A NADCA-member company.
Used only to pick a regional labour rate. It stays in your browser.
19 registers + dryer vent
$815
$35 a register · dryer vent 25 ft equivalent
Not the $99 special
Every one of 19 registers opened and the ducts behind them brushed and blown while a HEPA collector holds the system under negative pressure — $665. The $99 whole-house coupon vacuums the registers; the rest is sold at the door.
Often not needed
Clean for mold, vermin or dust you can see.
The EPA says duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems and is not needed routinely. It earns its price for visible mold inside the system, insects or rodents in the ducts, dust blowing out of the registers, or after a renovation. A good filter changed on time does more for the ducts than any cleaning.
A full cleaning, by house size
Every register, the coil and blower, the dryer vent; one system.
What the company charges for
- System under negative air, first 10 registers
One system under negative air, with the first ten registers.$350 - 9 more registers
Each further supply or return register and its branch.$315 - Dryer vent
Brushed and blown from the dryer to the cap, the lint trap housing vacuumed, the airflow checked.$150
What it costs
National average. Source-removal cleaning of 19 registers on 1 system; the dryer vent, 15 ft. Not included: duct repair or replacement, sealing, a new filter rack, or chimney sweeping.
Ducts that are crushed, leaking or past cleaning are priced on the ductwork page; mold beyond the ducts, on the mold removal page.
Worth knowing
- 19 registers — about one supply per 125 sq ft and a return per 600, 16 and 3 here. A real cleaning puts the system under negative pressure with a HEPA collector and works every one of them, trunk lines included: $665. The $99 whole-house coupon vacuums the registers and sells the rest at the door.
- The EPA's view is plain: duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems and is not needed routinely. It is worth it for visible mold inside the system, insects or rodents in the ducts, or dust that blows out of the registers — and after a renovation that filled the house with drywall dust.
- Without the coil and blower (about $250), clean ducts are fed by a dirty fan; the EPA says to clean the whole system or the benefit is lost.
- The cheapest thing that keeps ducts clean is the filter: changed every one to three months, a pleated MERV 8 to 11 that seals in its slot.
- The dryer vent is the cleaning that matters for safety: lint left in the duct is the leading cause of the thousands of dryer fires the U.S. Fire Administration counts every year. 15 ft with 2 elbows is 25 ft equivalent against the 35 ft limit. Once a year.
On this page — 4 sections
By the register and the system
The short version
- 2,000 sq ft, one system: $665; with coil, blower and dryer vent $1,065.
- About $35 a register after the first 10.
- Dryer vent alone: $150 — the one that matters for fire.
- Often not needed: the EPA says clean for mold, vermin or dust you can see.
A real duct cleaning — what the trade association calls source removal — puts the whole system under negative pressure with a HEPA-filtered collector, opens every supply register and return, and knocks the dust loose with brushes, whips and air so it is pulled out rather than stirred round the house. The work is per register and per system, which is how it is priced: a set-up with the first ten registers, then each one after. A 2,000 square foot house has about 16 supplies and 3 returns.
$420
1,200 sq ft
12 registers
$665
2,000 sq ft
19 registers
$1,620
3,500 sq ft, two systems
With coils
$99
The coupon
Not the same job
National Air Duct Cleaners Association, NADCA ACR, Assessment, Cleaning and Restoration of HVAC Systems · checked 2026-09-24
Often not needed
Duct cleaning is sold as a health measure, and the EPA is blunt that it has not been shown to prevent health problems and is not needed routinely. Dust in ducts mostly stays there. It is worth doing for visible mold inside the ducts or on the coil, for insects or rodents in the system, for dust and debris blowing out of the registers, and after a renovation or a smoke event. When it is done, the whole system should be — ducts, registers, coil, blower, drain pan — or the dirty parts recontaminate the clean ones.
| Worth cleaning | Usually not | |
|---|---|---|
| Mold | Visible growth inside ducts or on the coil | A musty smell with nothing visible — find the moisture first |
| Pests | Droppings, nests, insects in the ducts | — |
| Dust | Blowing out of the registers | Dust on the register grilles |
| Events | After drywall sanding, a fire, a flood | Moving into a clean house |
| Price | $1,065 with coil and dryer vent | A $10 filter, changed on time |
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned? (EPA-402-K-97-002) · checked 2026-09-24
The dryer vent
The dryer vent is the cleaning that matters for safety. Lint that escapes the screen collects in the duct, most in long runs, crushed hoses and screened caps, until it restricts the airflow and, in the worst case, ignites — failure to clean is the leading cause of home dryer fires. The code limits a standard dryer’s vent to 35 ft of smooth 4 in metal, less 5 ft for every 90-degree elbow, with a metal transition hose no longer than 8 ft. Cleaning it once a year is $150, or a $30 brush kit on a drill.
A dryer vent that is due
- Clothes take longer than one cycle to dry.
- The dryer or the laundry room gets hot.
- Lint gathers round the outside cap, or the flap does not open.
- A white foil or vinyl hose behind the dryer.
- A run over 35 ft equivalent, or a roof exit.
- More than a year since it was cleaned.
International Code Council / U.S. Fire Administration, International Residential Code, M1502 — Clothes dryer exhaust; USFA clothes dryer fire data · checked 2026-09-24
What goes wrong
01The $99 coupon
Registers vacuumed, then an upsell at the door.
Instead — A price per register and negative air, in writing.
02Ducts without the coil
A dirty coil and blower feed dust and growth back into clean ducts.
Instead — The whole system, as the EPA advises.
03Fogging a biocide instead of cleaning
It treats nothing it does not reach and leaves the dirt.
Instead — Clean first; a registered product only if needed.
04Aggressive brushes in flex duct
They tear the inner liner.
Instead — Gentle methods — or replace the run.
05Cleaning mold without the moisture
It grows back in weeks.
Instead — The drain pan, the condensation, the leak first.
06Skipping the dryer vent
It is the one with a fire risk.
Instead — Once a year, and metal ducts all the way.
- 01Decide whether it is neededVisible mold inside, rodents or insects, dust blowing out, or a recent renovation: yes. Otherwise, usually not.
- 02Count the registersEvery supply and every return, room by room — or about one supply per 125 sq ft.
- 03Count the systemsEach furnace or air handler is its own set-up.
- 04Ask for the coil and blowerClean ducts behind a dirty coil and fan do not stay clean.
- 05Add the dryer ventThe one that matters for fire; measure its run and count the elbows.
- 06Get a written scopeNegative air, every register, the coil — at a price per register, not a coupon.
Crushed flex, disconnected runs and leaking joints are not cleaned; they are sealed or replaced. The ductwork page prices both.
If the ducts are the problem- Source removal
- Cleaning with the system under negative pressure while the dirt is dislodged mechanically, so it is captured rather than blown into the house.
- Negative air machine
- A HEPA-filtered collector, portable or truck-mounted, that pulls air out of the ducts during cleaning.
- Supply register
- A vent that delivers heated or cooled air into a room. About one per 125 sq ft.
- Return grille
- The larger grille that draws air back to the furnace. One or two per floor.
- Evaporator coil
- The coil above the furnace that cools and dehumidifies the air. When it is dirty, it feeds dust and growth back into clean ducts.
- Blower
- The furnace fan. A dusty blower wheel loses airflow and sheds dust downstream.
- Antimicrobial
- A biocide fogged into ducts. Only after cleaning, only a registered product, and rarely needed.
- Flex duct
- Plastic-jacketed spiral duct, easily torn by aggressive brushes. Often cheaper to replace than to clean.
- Transition duct
- The short hose between a dryer and the wall. Should be listed metal, no longer than 8 ft.
- Equivalent length
- A dryer vent's run plus 5 ft for every 90-degree elbow. The code limit for a standard dryer is 35 ft.
Common questions
- How much does air duct cleaning cost?
- About $665 for a 2,000 sq ft house with one system — 19 registers cleaned under negative air, about $35 a register after the first 10 — and $1,065 with the coil, blower and dryer vent. A 1,200 sq ft house is $420; a 3,500 sq ft house with two systems and the coils $1,620.
- Why is the $99 whole-house duct cleaning so cheap?
- Because it is not the same job. A proper cleaning puts the system under negative pressure with a HEPA collector and works every register and the trunk lines, which takes a crew most of a day. The $99 coupon vacuums the registers and uses the visit to sell mold treatments, sanitizers and "extra" vents. Ask for the price per register and the method in writing.
- Is duct cleaning worth it?
- Often not. The EPA says it has not been shown to prevent health problems and is not needed routinely. It is worth doing for visible mold inside the ducts or on the coil, insects or rodents in the system, dust and debris blowing out of the registers, or after a renovation or a fire that filled the house with dust or smoke.
- How much does dryer vent cleaning cost?
- About $150 for a wall-exit vent, and $345 for a 25 ft run to the roof with the foil hose and the cap replaced. It is the cleaning that matters most: lint in the vent is the leading cause of dryer fires. Once a year, or when drying times stretch.
- How often should air ducts be cleaned?
- When there is a reason — mold, vermin, visible dust, a renovation — rather than on a schedule. The dryer vent is the exception: once a year. Filters every one to three months do more for the ducts than any cleaning.
- Should the coil and blower be cleaned too?
- Yes, if the ducts are being cleaned: about $250 a system. The EPA's advice is to clean the whole system — ducts, registers, coil, fan and drain pan — or the parts left dirty recontaminate the clean ones.
- What if there is mold in the ducts?
- About $1,540 with the coil, an antimicrobial and the extra containment — and the moisture that grew it found: a leaking drain pan, condensation on uninsulated duct in a hot attic. Mold in lined or flex duct is usually a reason to replace that run.
- Can I clean my own air ducts?
- The dryer vent, yes — a brush kit on a drill is about $30. The air ducts, not really: without a negative-air collector, a shop vacuum at the registers reaches the first foot and stirs up the rest.
- How long does duct cleaning take?
- Three to five hours for a typical one-system house, longer with a second system or an attic full of flex duct. A dryer vent is under an hour.
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About the author
Pablo Ruiz Quintero — Editor
Editor of MaterialsEstimator. Decides which documents count as a source, what every default value is, and where the line sits between what the reader parses and what the engines compute.
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