A duct cleaning business cleans the supply and return ducts of forced-air systems, and usually dryer vents too. Dryer vent work is steady and easy to explain. Duct cleaning needs better equipment and an honest pitch, because customers have seen the coupon offers. Many start with dryer vents and add ducts once they have the vacuum.
- The EPA does not recommend routine duct cleaning, only as needed. Sell it honestly.
- Dryer vents are steady work and a fire safety service customers understand.
- Price by vent count and home size, and say what is included.
- Bring customers back every year with a reminder.
1. Decide what you will offer
| Work | Who asks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dryer vent cleaning | Homeowners, landlords | Steady, easy to explain |
| Air duct cleaning | Homeowners | Needs a real vacuum system |
| Vent inspections and bird guards | Homeowners | Good add-ons |
| Multi-unit dryer vents | Property managers | Volume per stop |
| Post-renovation cleaning | Remodelers | Dust after big projects |
HVAC companies often skip duct cleaning. Offer to take it off their hands.
2. Check the license and permits
Duct and dryer vent cleaning usually needs only a general business license, but some states and cities have rules for work on HVAC systems. Ask your state and city before you advertise anything that touches the furnace or coils.
3. What the EPA says about duct cleaning
The EPA's guide for homeowners says it does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only as needed. It also tells homeowners to take the usual care in assessing a service provider's competence and reliability, and to ask to see any mold a provider says is there. Pitch your service that way and customers will trust you more.
4. Register the business and set up taxes
The SBA lists the launch steps in this order: pick a location, choose a structure, choose a name, register, get federal and state tax ID numbers, apply for licenses and permits, open a business bank account, and get insurance. For a duct cleaning business working out of a truck, the location is usually your home address and the area you will serve.
- Structure. A sole proprietorship is the simplest. An LLC keeps the business separate on paper. Ask an accountant which fits your state and your plans.
- Tax ID. The IRS gives out an employer identification number (EIN) online, and says you never have to pay a fee for one. Websites that charge for an EIN are not the IRS.
- Self-employment tax. The IRS lists the self-employment tax rate as 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. Income tax comes on top, so set money aside from every job.
- Bank account. Open it before the first payment lands, so every dollar in and out is easy to find at tax time.
5. Pick a name customers can say and find
Your name goes on the truck, the invoices, the Google profile and the yard signs, so pick it once. The free duct cleaning name generator gives 36 ideas for your town and style, each with a domain idea, and lists the checks to run before you commit: your state's business name search, a federal trademark search and the domain itself.
6. Get insured before the first job
The SBA describes general liability insurance as cover for financial loss from bodily injury, property damage, medical expenses and defending lawsuits. It says businesses with employees are required to carry workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance, and some states ask for more.
Claims are damaged ducts or registers, dust in the house and problems with gas dryers after reconnection. Ask your agent about general liability, commercial auto, and workers' compensation once you hire.
7. Gear up and add up your startup costs
No total here on purpose. What you spend depends on what you already own, new or used, and how much work you plan to take on. Price your own list with a local supplier, then put the numbers in the startup cost table of the free business plan generator, which adds them up for you.
- Dryer vent brush kit and a strong vacuum
- Duct cleaning vacuum or negative air machine
- Air whips, brushes and an inspection camera
- Register covers, drop cloths and shoe covers
- A van set up to carry it
Dryer vent work starts with a brush kit and a vacuum. Duct cleaning needs a negative air machine or truck system, which is the main purchase.
8. Set your prices
Price per vent or by home size with a clear list of what is included. Our guide to pricing duct cleaning has a worked example, and the free air duct cleaning cost calculator and dryer vent cleaning cost calculator check the numbers.
9. Find your first customers
- A price on your site. Koira answers from your price list, day or night.
- Landlords and property managers. Dryer vents in every unit.
- HVAC companies. They get asked for duct cleaning.
- Last year's customers. Campaigns bring them back.
10. Get paid and keep the customer
Collect on the spot with pay at the door and book next year's visit by text.
11. Grow past one truck
A second van with its own vacuum doubles the stops a day. Read how duct cleaners run on Koira.
Sources
- SBA: Launch your business (the launch steps), checked October 8, 2026
- SBA: Get business insurance, checked October 8, 2026
- IRS: Get an employer identification number, checked October 8, 2026
- IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes), checked October 8, 2026
- EPA: Should you have the air ducts in your home cleaned?, checked October 9, 2026
Last checked October 8, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state and city, so confirm with the agency named before you act.