How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost?

As a homeowner, walls and the underside of your floor contain networks of ducts leading to and fro your central cooling and heating systems. Usually, it’s up to you to perfectly clean these air ducts from damaging elements such as dust, debris, pollen, and other allergens. However, although you don’t have to clean your HVAC system’s air ducts daily, regular cleaning helps prevent air duct uncleanliness-related infections and more. Also, to better understand how to care for your air ducts properly and entire cooling and heating systems, see Clean Air Doctors for air duct cleaning Chicago IL and learn from their years of experience and knowledge in the HVAC unit field.

The standard cost of air duct cleaning

Like the cost of other essential tasks for keeping your home safe and clean, the cost of cleaning your air ducts differs depending on factors such as the number of vents, the size, and the type of your air ducts. However, based on the scales of home repairs, maintenance, and improvements, the standard cost of air duct cleaning varies from $280 to $400.  Moreover, for high-end air duct cleaning projects, the price can go up to $700.

Factors affecting the cost of your air duct cleaning project

In addition to the number of vents and the type of air ducts you’re cleaning, other factors affecting the cost of cleaning include the accessibility, the local labor charges, geographical location, and the level of contamination. Each of these factors uniquely affects the price of air duct cleaning differently in ways such as:

• The size of your ductwork

If you consider cleaning your air ducts with the help of cleaning professionals, you’ll pay according to the number of vents or by square feet. The approximate charges, especially for professionals, start from $25 to $50 per vent. To perfectly calculate the costs you pay when working with professionals, count the number of ducts your HVAC units have and multiply what you get by $35. Since each vent connects your cooling and heating system to any room, you’ll pay between $225 and above if cleaners charge from $0.15 per square foot. Still, depending on the air duct cleaners you hire, some charge per system or project based on the time spent to clean your space and more.

• The type of ductwork

Usually, air ducts come from different materials demanding different cleaning methods and tools. Your HVAC unit ducts can contain air ducts made of foam boards, fiberglass, flex, or sometimes rigid ducts. Depending on the materials and make of your air ducts, you’ll also require different cleaning methods, including contact vacuuming, power brushing, or air washing. For fiberglass or foam board air ducts, your perfect cleaning options include air washing, power brushing, and contact vacuuming. On the other hand, if you’ve got flex air ducts, you’ll require a more advanced cleaning method and tools, thus needing cleaning methods such as contact vacuuming and power brushing. Rigid air ducts are effortless to clean; hence, any cleaning methods work perfectly.

• The number of vents

Besides the type of ductwork, your HVAC unit has, another factor affecting the cost of cleaning your air ducts is the number of vents they contain. Usually, the cost of cleaning ducts based on their number of vents ranges from $25 to $45 per supply vent and between $40 and $70 per return vent. Also, the determination and estimation of the cost of cleaning air ducts based on the number of vents depend on pricing methods, including:

• Per vent estimation

When professional air duct cleaners use this criterion, they’ll charge you depending on the number of vents running through your entire HVAC system. They consider both cooling and heating air duct vents.

• Per vent plus flat charges

Different cleaners will charge you differently when using this criterion, but the standard cost is around $40 per unit of supply vents and about $70 per return vents. Also, charges per vent plus a flat fee depending on the size of your cooling and heating systems.

• Accessibility

Besides the number of vents your air ducts have and the type of ductwork, your HVAC unit contains, accessibility also affects the cost of cleaning your air duct. Accessibility consists of the number of entry points in your home’s basement and utility spaces providing access to your air ducts system. Usually, you’ll pay an amount equivalent to the number of work cleaners do, depending on the time they spend to clean your ducts.

• The contamination level

In addition to accessibility and the number of vents, the cost of cleaning air ducts depends on the contamination level affecting such ducts. The amount of contamination depends on elements, including mold, spores, bacteria, and mildew. Cleaners will charge you based on hours spent to clean your HVAC unit, types of tools used, and cleaning methods’ effectiveness when this happens.