Air duct cleaning cost calculator

Air duct cleaning is priced one of two ways: by the size of the home or by the number of vents. We read the cost guides from Fixr, HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila, Today's Homeowner, This Old House and Thumbtack, checked every figure on the page itself, and combined them.

For the square foot rate, four guides give a low of $0.15. Their highs run from $0.30 to $0.40, so we take the middle, $0.33, and the middle of their midpoints, about $0.24, as typical. Five guides agree on $25 to $50 for a supply vent, and three of them say $35 is the average. Returns are larger and collect more dust, so This Old House puts them at $40 to $75.

Put together, a 2,000 sq ft house with one furnace comes to $300 to $650, with $475 typical. That matches what the guides report as the national picture: Fixr says most homeowners pay $300 to $700, HomeAdvisor $271 to $509, Bob Vila $268 to $492, and Thumbtack $225 to $619. Fixr and Today's Homeowner both put the smallest jobs, a condo or a small house, near $150, so the calculator never goes below that.

Two houses of the same size can be priced a few hundred dollars apart. These are the things a duct cleaner looks at.

• Number of systems. Each furnace or air handler has its own trunk lines, plenum and returns. Bob Vila puts each additional furnace at about $400 more. Many two-story homes have two systems, one for each floor.
• Number of vents. More rooms means more branch lines to brush and vacuum. Fixr's table runs from $200 to $400 for 8 vents to $500 to $1,000 for 20.
• How dirty the ducts are. Renovation dust, pets, smoking and years without a cleaning all mean more time. Thumbtack's data shows homes with smokers pay more than homes without.
• Access. Ducts in a tight crawl space or a hot attic take longer than ducts in an open basement. Flex duct needs a gentler brush than sheet metal.
• Contamination. Rodents, insects or mold change the job. Fixr puts pest removal at $200 to $1,200, and mold remediation in ducts runs into the thousands. That is a different job from a cleaning and should be quoted on its own.
• Older homes. Fixr notes that homes built before the 1980s may need asbestos or lead testing before ductwork is disturbed, at $250 to $800.

Most duct cleaners offer the same short list of extras. Each one is priced separately in the calculator so you can see what it adds.

The dryer vent is the add-on most worth taking. Lint in a long dryer duct is a fire risk, and the crew is already there with the equipment. Done alone, a dryer vent cleaning costs more, about $90 to $163 for a ground-floor vent; see our dryer vent cleaning cost calculator.

Sanitizing is a fog or spray of an antimicrobial product inside the ducts. Some companies include it, others charge for it, and it does not replace removing the dust. The EPA says research has not shown that biocides and sealants work in duct cleaning, and that no biocide is registered for use inside ducts lined with insulation. Ask what product is being used, and why, before you pay for it.

A camera inspection shows you the inside of the ducts before and after. It is the quickest way to tell whether a cleaning is needed at all, and some companies include it with the job.

A homeowner has a 2,000 sq ft two-story house with a furnace in the basement and an air handler in the attic. They want both systems cleaned and the dryer vent done on the same visit.

• Cleaning by size. 2,000 sq ft at $0.15 / $0.24 / $0.33 a sq ft: $300 / $475 / $650.
• Second system. About $400 more, from Bob Vila.
• Dryer vent. $100 / $120 / $140 on the same visit.
• Total. $800 to $1,190, with $995 as the typical price at the US average.

Priced by vents instead, a house with 12 supply vents and 2 returns on one system comes to $380 to $750, with $535 typical. If your quote is built from vents, enter the counts and compare line by line.

For a contractor pricing by the hour, Fixr, HomeAdvisor and Bob Vila put duct cleaning labor at $90 to $130 an hour, and Fixr says most homes take 3 to 6 hours. That is $270 to $780 for the cleaning, which lines up with the square foot price. In a state where construction wages run above the national median, the labor part goes up; enter a ZIP to see it.

Duct cleaning is not something every house needs on a schedule. The EPA's advice is to consider it when there is a clear reason, and it lists three:

• Visible mold inside hard ducts or on parts of the furnace or air handler. The cause, usually moisture, has to be fixed too, or the mold comes back. The EPA adds that wet or moldy insulated duct cannot be cleaned well and should be replaced.
• Vermin. Mice, rats or insects living in the ducts.
• Heavy dust or debris, or dust that actually blows out of the supply registers.

Two more reasons we hear from contractors: a renovation that pulled drywall dust through the return, and moving into a house where you do not know the history. If none of these apply, changing the furnace filter on time does more for the air in the house. The EPA also notes there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust in ducts is a health risk.

When you do clean, Fixr, HomeAdvisor, Today's Homeowner and This Old House all suggest every three to five years, sooner with pets, allergies or smokers. Bob Vila says every 5 to 7 years or as needed.

Get two or three quotes and make them comparable:

• Ask how they clean. A proper job puts the system under negative pressure with a large vacuum, then agitates every supply and return line with brushes or air whips. Ask whether every branch is done, not just the main trunks.
• Ask what is included. Supply vents, returns, the plenums, the blower and coil, and the dryer vent are often priced separately.
• Ask about certification. NADCA, the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, certifies technicians. It is not required, but it means the tech has been trained on the standard.
• Ask for photos or video before and after. A good company is glad to show you.
• Be careful with upsells. Mold claims should come with a lab test, not just a photo. Today's Homeowner notes a lab test costs about $50.

Use the calculator's range as your guide. A quote well under the low end usually leaves part of the job out. One well above the high end should come with a reason, such as a second system, hard access or contamination.

If you run a duct cleaning or HVAC business, the ranges above are what your customers read before they call. Your own price should come from your own numbers.

• Pick one pricing method and stick to it. Per vent is easy for the customer to check. Per square foot is quick on the phone. A flat price by home size works if your crews are consistent.
• Set a minimum. The truck, the vacuum, the drive and the setup cost the same on a 900 sq ft condo as on a 2,500 sq ft house.
• Price each system and each add-on as its own line. The customer sees what each part costs and can say yes to the dryer vent or the blower cleaning without a new quote.
• Know your hours. If a typical house takes your crew four hours, your price per hour of crew time is the number that matters, after fuel, equipment and insurance.
• Add margin on top. Our profit margin calculator shows the price that hits the margin you want.

The "Save as an estimate" button above turns the calculator's lines into a Koira estimate. You can send it from Koira for the customer to approve and pay a deposit on their phone, and offer duct cleaning as part of a maintenance plan.