How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost?

Common Range: $315 – $1,250

National Average: $655

Updated: November 17, 2023. Written by: Steve Hansen

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Duct Cleaning Cost Range

The cost of HVAC duct cleaning is generally between $315 – $1,250, for a complete duct and HVAC system cleaning. It only makes sense to have your furnace or air handler cleaned when the ducts are cleaned, or the dust and debris in it will simply be blown back into the ducts.

The duct cleaning price you pay can vary significantly depending on the size of your home and HVAC system(s), the type of duct installed and how it is laid out, the extent of the cleaning, and the specific needs of your HVAC system and ductwork condition.

Average Cost

The average cost of duct cleaning is $655 for a 3-br home. The cost is based on the average cost of $60 per vent and duct run. For most homes, the total cost is $315 to $1,250 with an average of $655 for a complete duct and HVAC system cleaning.

For a local pro near you to clean your HVAC ducts, specialized tools are often needed that prohibit a homeowner from doing the job properly themselves.

Average Do It Yourself Cost
N/A
Average Contractor Cleaning Cost
$655
Typical Cost Range
$315 – $1,250

air duct hvac cleaning

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Overview of HVAC Ducts and Duct Cleaning

Your ductwork is connected to your central HVAC furnace or air handler. Supply ducts carry treated air (air that has been heated or air conditioned) to living spaces. These are most commonly called vents, as the grill mounts to walls, ceilings and floors, and air blows out of them and into the room. Return ducts bring “spent” air back to the air handler to be heated or cooled again and are most easily identified by having an air filter placed before the air enters the air handler or furnace.

Duct cleaning is a way to ensure that allergens and other pollutants are removed from the air you breathe. This is important because the EPA has identified indoor air pollution as a major health risk. When ducts get old or too degraded to be cleaned, they need to be replaced. Check our HVAC duct replacement costs Costimate for more information. Another option is to forego ductwork replacement and replace your current HVAC system with a ductless mini split heat pump when the time comes.

This cost estimate, or Costimate, gives accurate duct cleaning costs and factors that will help you know what to expect when you get estimates. Potential “extras” and their costs are included. Duct cleaning prices from other pros round out the picture along with actual costs submitted by readers. Feel free to return to Costimates to share your costs.

Duct Cleaning Service Cost Factors

Most homeowners pay between $35 and $70 per supply vent. Where your cost will fall on that spectrum depends on the factors below. But first you should know about scams in the duct cleaning market as well.

Beware of low-cost estimates! Before we cover the factors, just a word of warning. Some unethical companies advertise cheap duct cleaning, but they intend to find ways to upcharge you once they are in your home. Common tactics include exaggerating the amount of mold found or giving you the hard sell on treatments or equipment you don’t need.

We recommend getting multiple HVAC duct cleaning cost estimates and discussing with each company what exactly they intend to do when cleaning. Check out their online reviews to see what other consumers have said about how the company treats customers.

Here are the duct cleaning cost factors:

  • Number of Vents – The number of supply ducts and vents you have is the largest cost factor in price estimates.
  • What is Cleaned – Basic duct cleaning includes the supply plenum, cold air return connection, ductwork and air vents. More comprehensive cleaning includes the air handler or furnace and its components — condensate drip pan, blower fan and indoor AC coil.
  • HVAC System Accessories – If you have a whole house humidifier installed in the duct system it includes the presence of moisture. This could add to your cost if the moisture has caused other issues.
  • Size of the Home – It’s possible for a 1,500 square feet home to have the same number of vents as a 2,500 sq. ft. home. However, the linear feet of ductwork is greater in the larger home, so cost will be higher.
  • Type of Ductwork in Your Home – Flexible ductwork is more susceptible to damage, so it must be treated more carefully than sheet metal. As a result, cost is often higher.
  • Air Handler Location – During the cleaning, the supply and return connections to the air handler will be cleaned. When the air handler is in an attic or crawlspace, cleaning is more difficult and therefore more expensive.
  • Mold or other Contaminants– If mold or other contaminants like rodent droppings are found, and it is severe, cleaning cost could be higher than the ranges we’ve included. Learn about mold remediation costs here.
  • Time of Year – Duct cleaners are more likely to offer discounts when demand is low – often in late Winter and late Summer.
  • Local Cost of Living – Like every other service, duct cleaning costs more in the Northeast and Northwest plus Alaska and Hawaii. Costs are lowest in rural areas of the Midwest and South. They are average most other places.

Having your HVAC ducts cleaned is recommended by the EPA if they’ve been infested with rodents, if mold has been found in them or if they are clogged with excessive debris. Apart from these issues, the EPA says, “Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts or go down after cleaning.”

Note on Mold: If you have mold, an HVAC professional should determine why it formed and alleviate the cause before the ducts are cleaned. Otherwise, the mold will return. The cause is often a poorly designed HVAC system or equipment of the wrong size.

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Duct Cleaning Supplies and Related Costs

When you have your ducts cleaned by a professional cleaning service, it’s much more than just brushing the inside of your HVAC duct system. They use specialized tools and procedures to seal your duct system and prevent particles from entering the home during the cleaning process. This is why we don’t recommend this as a DIY job, there is simply too many specialized tools and skills involved to do it properly.

Tools Needed for Proper Duct Cleaning

These are just some of the tools and equipment a pro duct cleaner needs to do a proper duct cleaning.

  • Squirrel cage / Blower Wheel Pullers
  • Assorted Vacuums
  • Foil Tapes and Sealants
  • Collection Units – also called Negative Air Machines
  • Special Hoses for Collecting the Particles
  • Brush Systems to Get Deeper Into Ducts
  • Duct Knives and Various Tools
  • PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) like Masks, Gloves, Coveralls, Goggles, Breathing Filters and Shoe Covers.

If your goal is to clean everything that comes in contact with circulating air, which is recommended by the NADCA, then you should consider having your furnace cleaned and tuned too. While some full-service HVAC companies handle both, most duct cleaning professionals are there for one thing, to clean your duct system. They do not always service the HVAC equipment itself.

$80 – $175 | Furnace Cleaning of the blower fan, heat exchanger and AC coil. This is generally done during an annual furnace tune up, so it may not need to be done.

Additional Duct Cleaning Service Costs

Some duct cleaning companies may suggest the following services as necessary. Carefully consider these as it’s not proven they are effective.

  • $200 – $500 | Chemical Biocide Treatment used to kill biological contaminants.
  • $225 – $600 | Sealant use to coat the inside surfaces of ductwork to hold dust and contaminants in place, preventing them from being blown into your home.
  • $400 – $1,000 | Ozone-type Air Purifier designed to kill airborne bacteria and viruses.
  • $450 – $700 | UV Germicidal Light also designed to kill airborne biological contaminants.

Before you agree to any of these, the EPA says, “There remains considerable controversy over the necessity and wisdom of introducing chemical biocides or ozone into the duct work… Research has not demonstrated their effectiveness [including sealants] in duct cleaning or their potential adverse health effects.”

Duct Cleaning by House Size

House Size Light Cleaning Cost Heavy Cleaning Cost
1,000 Sq. Ft. $275 – $600 $400 – $775
1,250 Sq. Ft. $315 – $650 $475 – $900
1,500 Sq. Ft. $350 – $695 $550 – $975
1,750 Sq. Ft. $375 – $750 $625 – $1,050
2,000 Sq. Ft. $435 – $825 $675 – $1,100
2,250 Sq. Ft. $500 – $900 $750 – $1,175
2,500 Sq. Ft. $600 – $1,000 $800 – $1,250

Duct Cleaning 1-Story Vs 2-Story

House Type 1,500 Sq. Ft. 2,000 Sq. Ft. 2,500 Sq. Ft.
1-story Home $350 – $835 $435 – $965 $600 – $1,085
2-story Home $455 – $975 $585 – $1,100 $775 – $1,250
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Permits, Inspection, and Labor Costs

  • $0 | Duct cleaning does not generally require a permit or inspection from local officials. If your area does, the cleaning company will tell you in advance and the cost should be included in your cost quote.

Duct Cleaning Labor Cost

Most duct cleaning companies charge a flat fee based on the factors listed above. They don’t charge hourly rates, but they certainly consider how long the job will take when writing an estimate.

Duct Cleaning Time

Duct cleaning time depends on the size of your home. Most companies send a two-person crew.

  • 1.5-3 Hours | Homes up to 1,500 sq. ft.
  • 2-4 Hours | Homes 1,500-2,000 sq. ft.
  • 3-6 Hours | Homes 2,000-3,500 sq. ft.
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Are You a Duct Cleaning Pro?

If so, head over to our Costimates Pro’s page, and help us make this page better and more accurate for both our visitors and your future customers.

DIY or Hire a Pro

Very few homeowners clean their own air ducts.

Avoid this common mistake: Some DIY enthusiasts buy a dryer vent cleaning kit, which comes up in a search for duct cleaning kits, and think it is designed for ductwork. It won’t do the job.

The cost of duct cleaning equipment is more than $1,500 for the vacuum, hoses and cleaning heads. Since duct cleaning isn’t regular maintenance but is only recommended when needed (rodents, mold, unusually heavy amounts of debris), buying the equipment isn’t cost-effective.

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Reviewed and edited by Steve Hansen of Costimates

steve hansen of costimates-sm Steve Hansen, that's me, the Senior Editor of Costimates. (Learn more about myself and our team) I'm an avid home improvement professional with more than 37 years experience working on all types of residential new home building, upfits, repairs and remodeling.

"Like most homeowners, I was frustrated with the lack of quality information available on specific home improvement repairs and renovations. In 2015, Costimates was formed to help homeowners learn as much as possible about various projects and their costs so they could make better financial decisions."