Duct cleaning has a reputation problem: cheap flat-rate offers that turn into upsells at the door. The way to stand apart is a clear price built from your time, shown per vent or per home, with dryer vents and sanitizing as honest add-ons.
- Pick one method, per vent or by home size, and price from your crew hours.
- Fixr puts most air duct cleaning at $300 to $700, about $500 for a 2,000 square foot home.
- Per vent pricing runs $25 to $50 a vent and up to $75 a return in Fixr's guide.
- Labor runs $90 to $130 an hour and most jobs take 3 to 6 hours, per Fixr.
Setting your labor rate
Start with the wage. The closest group the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes is heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers, the closest published group for duct work. In its May 2025 wage survey, that group's national mean wage was $31.14 an hour and the median was $29.33 (BLS OEWS 49-9021). Dedicated duct cleaning techs are often paid less than licensed HVAC techs, so use your own payroll.
Add your labor burden on top: payroll taxes, workers' comp and any paid time off. If burden in your state comes to 20% of wages, a $25 an hour tech costs you $30 an hour. That loaded number is what goes into the job cost.
Fixr lists duct cleaning labor at $90 to $130 per hour, with most jobs taking 3 to 6 hours (Fixr).
Per vent and per home benchmarks
| Job | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Air duct cleaning, most homes | $300 to $700 | Fixr |
| 2,000 sq ft home, average | About $500 | Fixr |
| Per square foot of home | $0.15 to $0.35 | Fixr |
| Per vent | $25 to $50 | Fixr |
| Per return | Up to $75 | Fixr |
| 12 vents | $300 to $600 | Fixr |
| Labor | $90 to $130 an hour | Fixr |
A worked example: a 2,000 square foot home
Fourteen supply vents and two returns. Every input is an assumption.
- Labor: 2 techs x 3.5 hours x $30 = $210
- Filters, sealing tape and sanitizer: $35
- Equipment wear (negative air machine, whips, camera): $40
- Drive: 24 miles x $0.76 = $18.24
- Direct cost: $210 + $35 + $40 + $18.24 = $303.24
- Overhead plus profit: 25% + 15% = 40% of the price
- Price: $303.24 / (1 - 0.40) = $303.24 / 0.60 = $505
Check it: 40% of $505 is about $202, and $505 minus $202 is about $303, the direct cost of $303.24. The profit and overhead are inside the price, not added on top of a cost you guessed.
Fixr's average for a 2,000 square foot home is about $500, inside its $300 to $700 range, so $505 sits in the same place. Per vent, that is about $31.56 across 16 openings, inside Fixr's $25 to $50 a vent.
Add-ons customers actually want
- Dryer vent cleaning. A fire safety job, and quick to do on the same visit. The free dryer vent cleaning cost calculator prices it.
- Sanitizing. Price it by product and time, and explain what it does and does not do.
- Furnace or air handler cleaning. Offer it as the better option.
Send good, better and best with Koira's estimates: ducts only, ducts plus dryer vent, and ducts, dryer vent and air handler. The customer picks, signs and pays the deposit on one page.
Bring them back on schedule
Duct and dryer vent cleaning come due again. On Grow, campaigns remind past customers at the right time with one tap to book. If you run an HVAC shop too, duct cleaning fits on a maintenance plan on Front Office.
Common duct cleaning pricing mistakes
- Teaser prices. A low flat rate that grows at the door costs you reviews.
- Returns priced like vents. Returns are bigger and dirtier.
- Ignoring access. Attics and crawlspaces add time. Ask before you quote.
Questions contractors ask
How much should I charge per vent?
Build it from your crew time per opening. Fixr lists $25 to $50 per vent and up to $75 per return.
What does duct cleaning cost for a whole house?
Fixr puts most homes at $300 to $700, about $500 for a 2,000 square foot home.
How long does duct cleaning take?
Fixr says most jobs take 3 to 6 hours. Time your own crew and price from it.
Should I price per vent or by square footage?
Either works if it starts from your hours. Per vent is easier to explain when layouts differ.
