Whole Home Air Duct Cleaning takes most of a day for one system, Return Air Duct Cleaning takes a couple of hours, and a dryer vent cleaning is under an hour. Whole Home Air Duct Cleaning is $598 right now, regularly $798, and Return Air Duct Cleaning is $298, for one system in a home up to 2,000 square feet.
What stretches it is the house. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association lists the same things we’d tell you: “the size of the home, the number of systems, system accessibility, and the level of contamination present.” A second system, ducts that run through a tight attic, or a house that’s never been done all add time. You get an arrival window when you book, and the technician texts when he’s on the way.
| Service | Time on site | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dryer vent cleaning | under an hour | $199, normally $298, with a year of Comfort+ membership included |
| Return Air Duct Cleaning | a couple of hours | $298 |
| Whole Home Air Duct Cleaning, one system | most of a day | $598 right now, regularly $798 |
| A second system | Longer: it’s isolated and cleaned separately | On the price estimator |
What happens during an air duct cleaning visit
- A look first. The technician takes a return cover off, puts a camera in and shows you photos of what’s there. You already have the price from our price estimator, so this part is about whether it needs doing, not what it costs. If the ducts are fine, you’ll hear that, and there’s no charge for the look.
- Floors covered. Paper goes down on the floor where the hoses run.
- Covers off. Every register and grille comes off. They get washed and go back on at the end.
- Vacuum and brush, line by line. The vacuum pulls the whole system inward while a rotating brush runs down each line, so the dust stuck to the metal comes loose and gets pulled out instead of blown into the room. The EPA describes it as “well-controlled brushing of duct surfaces in conjunction with contact vacuum cleaning.”
- The after photos. Before and after photos when we can get a clear shot, and you look at them with the technician before he packs up.
The longest part is the brush and the vacuum
Pulling dust that’s stuck to the walls of a duct takes more than suction. NADCA’s description of how it’s done is a strong vacuum drawing air through the system while “devices are inserted into the ducts to dislodge any debris that might be stuck to interior surfaces.” That’s the rotating brush on the red hose in this clip, run down every supply and return. A house with twenty openings takes longer than one with ten.
What makes air duct cleaning take longer
- A second system. It has its own set of ducts, so it’s isolated and cleaned separately. That’s also why it’s priced as its own line.
- Ceiling runs. Ducts that drop through the ceiling from an attic mean working overhead on a ladder, with dust that wants to fall. Slower than a floor register.
- Access. A tight attic, a furnace in a closet, a finished basement with the trunk line boxed in.
- How much is in there. A house that’s never been done takes longer than one cleaned a few years ago.
- Flex duct. The lint packs into every ridge, which is why flex takes longer than bare metal.
Do you need to be home for air duct cleaning?
Someone needs to let us in, and it’s worth being there at the start and the end to look at the photos with the technician. In between, carry on with your day. It’s loud while the brush and the vacuum are running, so a call you need to take is better in a room we’ve finished or haven’t reached.
“Aaron talked me through each step and took pictures so I could see the before and after. He took time to wash the vent grates and made sure everything was reattached securely. Thank you!”
Air duct cleaning prices and how to book a day
The prices in the table at the top are for one HVAC system in a home up to 2,000 square feet. Add a dryer vent cleaning to a duct cleaning for $199. For a bigger house or a second system, the price estimator works out yours, and every deal we’re running is on our offers page. Call (703) 997-9757 or book online. Typically the same day or the next day, and we’ll tell you honestly when we can get there.
Questions about how long air duct cleaning takes
How long does it take to clean a dryer vent?
Usually under an hour. A long run, or a line that’s crushed or has come apart, takes more.
How long does duct cleaning take for a 2,000 square foot house?
On one system, Whole Home Air Duct Cleaning takes most of a day and Return Air Duct Cleaning takes a couple of hours. A second system adds time, because it’s cleaned separately.
Can I stay in the house during air duct cleaning?
Yes. Someone needs to let us in and look at the photos at the start and the end; in between, carry on. It’s loud while the brush and the vacuum are running.
Do you charge by the hour?
No. We price the system, not the hours or the openings, and the number you get from our price estimator is the number on the invoice. If another company does charge by the hour, the EPA’s advice is to ask for “an estimate of the number of hours or days the job will take” before they start.
What should I do before the technician gets there?
Clear a path to each register and return, move anything sitting on a floor register, and know where the furnace or air handler and the filter are. If you have pets, keep them in a room we don’t need.
Can you do the dryer vent on the same visit?
Yes. Dryer vent cleaning is $199 added to a duct cleaning, and it adds under an hour to the visit. On a visit of its own it’s $199, normally $298, with a year of Comfort+ membership included.
Want the photos before you decide?
Book the visit and the look comes first. If your ducts are fine, that’s what we’ll tell you, and you’ll have the photos to prove it. Our air duct cleaning page has the before and after shots from other jobs.
Two more from us: is air duct cleaning worth it, and how often air ducts should be cleaned.
SwiftPro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is based in Chantilly and does air duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, heating, cooling and plumbing across Northern Virginia under Virginia Class A contractor license 2705192276. Customers rate us 5.0 stars across 1,132 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook.
