What's Included
- Full ductwork inspection
- HEPA vacuum cleaning of all supply and return ducts
- Rotary brush agitation for stubborn buildup
- Professional-grade antimicrobial sanitization
- Before and after photo documentation (on request)
- All vents removed, cleaned, and reinstalled
- System performance check after cleaning
Why Air Duct Cleaning Matters
The EPA estimates that indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Your HVAC ducts circulate air throughout your home 5 to 7 times per day — carrying dust, allergens, pet dander, mold spores, and bacteria along with it.
Regular duct cleaning reduces allergens, eliminates musty odors, improves HVAC efficiency (lowering energy bills), and creates a healthier environment for your family. If anyone in your home suffers from allergies or respiratory issues, clean ducts make a real difference.
Our 5-Step Cleaning Process
Inspection & Assessment
We inspect your entire ductwork, check all supply and return vents, identify problem areas, and document current conditions with photos on request.
HEPA Vacuum Setup
Our commercial-grade HEPA vacuum connects to your ductwork, creating negative pressure to capture all loosened debris without releasing particles into your home.
Rotary Brush Cleaning
Specialized rotary brushes agitate and loosen years of accumulated dust, debris, and contaminants from the interior walls of your ductwork.
Sanitization
We apply a professional-grade antimicrobial sanitizer throughout the duct system to help reduce bacteria, mold spores, and odor-causing organisms.
Final Inspection
A thorough final inspection ensures every vent is clean. We can provide before/after photos on request and walk you through the results so you can see the difference.
What Actually Happens During a Professional Duct Cleaning
A lot of homeowners have never watched a duct cleaning happen, which is exactly how low-quality operators get away with a 20-minute vacuum-and-go job. Here is what a real cleaning looks like when our technicians arrive at your home:
1. Walkthrough and ductwork inspection. The technician counts your supply and return vents, locates the air handler, and inspects the accessible ductwork so you know the condition of the system before any cleaning starts. If we find damaged or disconnected duct runs, we show you before touching anything.
2. Containment and floor protection. Drop cloths go down along the work path and around every register we open. Cleaning ducts should not mean dust settling on your furniture — the work stays contained at the vent we are cleaning.
3. Register removal and cleaning. Every supply register and return grille comes off the wall or floor, gets cleaned, and goes back on. Painted-over or fragile registers are handled carefully and reinstalled in their original position.
4. Agitation plus portable HEPA extraction. This is the heart of the job. A rotary brush travels through each duct run to break loose the compacted dust, dander, and debris stuck to the duct walls, while a portable HEPA-filtered vacuum captures what the brush frees directly at the vent. Supply runs and return trunks are cleaned separately — returns are usually the dirtiest part of any system.
5. Airflow verification. After cleaning we check airflow at the registers, so you see the system moving air the way it should before we pack up. Sanitization with professional-grade products is available, and before/after photos are available on request.
A typical single-system home takes 2 to 4 hours. If a company quotes you a whole-house cleaning in under an hour, that is not a cleaning — it is a vacuum pass at the register openings.
What Air Duct Cleaning Costs — No Surprises
Our pricing is flat and published: $399 for a full air duct cleaning covering up to 10 vents, plus $24.99 per additional vent. That is the complete price for the full process described above — inspection, containment, register removal, rotary brush agitation with portable HEPA extraction, and the airflow check. There is no per-duct upcharge waiting for you at the door and no “deep cleaning” upsell once the technician is inside.
Popular services homeowners schedule alongside a duct cleaning: UV light installation ($349), bathroom exhaust fan cleaning ($149), residential kitchen exhaust cleaning ($199), and dryer vent cleaning ($149). Commercial buildings are quoted individually — see commercial duct cleaning.
Why do you see $99 “whole house specials” advertised? Those offers are built to get a truck in your driveway, discover a “serious problem,” and convert a $99 visit into an $800 invoice. It is common enough in the Bay Area that local homeowners warn each other about it on neighborhood forums. Flat pricing exists so that conversation never happens.
When Ducts Actually Need Cleaning
Air duct cleaning is not a monthly chore — the industry standard is a professional cleaning every 3 to 5 years for a typical home. But some situations call for one sooner:
- You just bought the home. You inherit the previous owner’s dust, dander, and habits. A cleaning resets the system to a known-clean baseline.
- Renovation or construction just wrapped. Drywall dust and sawdust end up inside ductwork on nearly every remodel, and the system re-circulates it for months.
- Pets in the home. Fur and dander accumulate on duct walls far faster than in pet-free homes.
- Visible dust puffs from registers, or dust returning within a day or two of cleaning surfaces.
- Musty or stale smell when the system runs that comes back no matter how often you clean the house.
- Evidence of rodents or insects in or around duct runs — droppings and nesting material belong out of your airflow.
If none of these apply and your last cleaning was recent, we will tell you that too. Our technicians inspect the ductwork first — if your ducts do not need cleaning, you will hear it from us before any work starts.
What Bay Area Customers Say About Our Duct Cleaning
Cal Duct Cleaning holds a 4.9★ rating across 349 Google reviews and more than 1,000 five-star reviews across Yelp, Google, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, and Angi. Here is what recent customers say about this service, quoted verbatim from our public Google listing:
“Lex M. of Cal Duct Cleaning exceeded my expectations. From the start, he was very responsive and quick to notify me about scheduling and updates. The entire process was smooth and efficient, and his professionalism really stood out. He handled the my request and cleaning thoroughly and made sure everything was done right. I highly recommend Cal Duct Cleaning to anyone looking for reliable and high-quality service.”
“I recently hired Cal Duct Cleaning, and I’m extremely satisfied with their service. From the initial consultation to the completion of the job, the team was professional and thorough. They arrived on time, explained the process, and took great care to ensure my home was clean and tidy throughout. I noticed a significant improvement in my indoor air quality right away. The team’s attention to detail and commitment to customer satisfaction were impressive. I highly recommend Cal Duct Cleaning to anyone in need of duct cleaning services!”
“I called Cal duct to get my fireplace cleaned. They were able to come out the same week. They were timely, professional and our fireplace is clean & ready for the winter. I’ve never had our fireplace cleaned so I wasn’t sure what to expect. They exceeded my expectations and left the inside of our home very clean. I would definitely use them again!”
“Cleaning was done in a timely fashion. Technician was polite and friendly. Only disappointment - I had asked for a grate to cover the duct to keep the birds out and the tech did not have one on his truck. He said he may have time to buy one and install it later today, which would be awesome. I need duct repair, so I will be making another appointment anyway, at which time the cover can be installed.”
“My phone calls were all answered or returned in a timely manner when shopping around for quotes to have our home air ducts cleaned. I'm glad we went with CDC because the tech was THOROUGH and met my concerns and curiousities with answers. Prices were exactly as quoted, and I can smell and feel the difference running our A/C. I would hirely recommend Cal Duct Cleaning for air duct cleaning as well as dryer vent cleaning!”
“Hank was right on time and even wore booties on his feet before entering my house. I have a new LG dryer and where were cleaned right after we installed it. After a few weeks we were getting 90 % blockage error on machine. The previous company only cleaned from the inside and Hank found our vent which was located on the roof and went up there to discover it was completely clogged. He quickly cleaned it and now our dryer works perfect. I completely recommend Cal duct cleaning.”
Find This Service Near You
Air duct cleaning near you:
San Jose Sunnyvale Santa Clara Cupertino Campbell Mountain View Palo Alto Fremont
Often booked together:
Dryer Vent Cleaning ($149) UV Light Installation ($349) Bathroom Fan Cleaning ($149)
Our Work
Standards & Certifications
We follow established industry cleaning standards and adhere to EPA guidelines for indoor air quality. Our technicians are trained in proper containment, cleaning techniques, and use only professional-grade products.
- Cleaning procedures to industry best-practice standards
- Professional-grade sanitization products
- Commercial-grade HEPA filtration equipment
- Licensed and insured technicians
Service Area
We provide air duct cleaning throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including:
Planning ahead? Tap below to add Cal Duct Cleaning as a preferred source on Google. Next time you search for air duct, dryer vent, or chimney cleaning, Google highlights us so we’re easy to spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready for Cleaner Air?
Book your air duct cleaning today and breathe the difference. Fast, professional service across the Bay Area.