Whole-system duct and dryer vent check with before-and-after photos - you see exactly what came out of your vents
That "$99 whole-house special" is a bait ad - the real number appears once they are in your hallway, or the "clean" is a shop-vac at the register. We photograph the inside of your ducts before and after instead.
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Before
AfterAir Duct Cleaning Company in San Marcos, CA
We’re Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, and we clean, seal, and restore duct systems in San Marcos homes with equipment built for commercial jobs and pricing put in writing before we touch anything. San Marcos sits in a wildfire-prone inland corridor where Santa Ana winds push ash and fine soot through return vents that standard filters never catch, especially in the 1980s-2000s tract homes lining the SR-78 corridor. Our crews dispatch from the San Diego office and serve San Marcos locally, carrying Rotobrush rotary systems and Nikro negative-air machines to jobs where fire-hardening matters as much as housekeeping. Call us at (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate.
Why San Marcos Homes Are Different
San Marcos isn’t coastal, and it isn’t desert. It’s a hot, dry inland pocket where HVAC runs almost year-round and wildfire season turns ductwork into ash collectors.
The housing stock tells the story. Most of the city went up between 1980 and 2010 as master-planned tracts, townhome complexes, and apartment clusters, with older single-story homes concentrated in the original core near Mission Road. Those flexible duct runs and tightly sealed tract systems require a technician who recognizes builder-standard layouts from the 1990s and 2000s. We’ve found ducts in the Discovery Hills and Twin Oaks areas where original flex has sagged or torn at the joints, pulling attic dust straight into bedrooms.
When Santa Ana winds meet a fire in the hills east of the 78, the first call wave always comes from canyon-adjacent neighborhoods near San Elijo and the ridgelines. Ash stains the returns before filters ever clog. The dry air keeps that debris loose and recirculating instead of letting it settle out. No coastal city to the west sees this pattern, and no other inland North County city combines it with San Marcos’ density of steep canyon-edge lots where wind exposure is constant.
Our Main San Marcos Services
San Marcos homeowners call us most often for these three jobs. Each has its own page with full pricing, process details, and neighborhood-specific notes.
Air Duct Cleaning in San Marcos
We clean supply and return ductwork with a rotary brush system that knocks debris loose and a negative-air machine that pulls it out before it escapes into your home. In San Marcos, we pay special attention to return plenums after wildfire events, where fine ash bypasses standard filters and coats the first few feet of duct. Every job gets a written price before we start and before-and-after photos of your own system, not stock images. Air Duct Cleaning in San Marcos covers full-home pricing and what the process looks like in tract homes versus older single-story layouts.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in San Marcos
Lint buildup in dryer vents is a fire hazard anywhere, but in San Marcos the dry climate and constant HVAC airflow mean vents dry out faster and lint cakes harder. We run a rotary brush and high-velocity vacuum through the full vent run, including roof terminations common in the townhome complexes near Palomar College. The job typically takes 45-90 minutes, and we check airflow before and after with a meter. Dryer Vent Cleaning in San Marcos has pricing and details on multi-unit versus single-family setups.
Duct Sealing in San Marcos
Leaky ducts in San Marcos attics waste cooled air into 140-degree spaces and pull that heat back into bedrooms. We seal joints and seams with mastic and mesh, then pressure-test the system to verify results. This matters most in the 1990s tracts where original tape has dried and cracked, and in canyon-edge homes where wind pressure forces unconditioned air through every gap. Duct Sealing in San Marcos explains how we test, seal, and prove the fix with before-and-after pressure readings.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in San Marcos
We stock parts and filters from Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Guardsman for common San Marcos systems, and we carry Abatement Technologies HEPA filtration upgrades for homes in wildfire-ash zones. Most filter swaps and component replacements ship within 24-48 hours. See our brands for the full roster.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning Company in San Marcos, CA
| Service | Typical range in San Marcos |
|---|---|
| Whole-home air duct cleaning (single system) | $450 – $750 |
| Whole-home air duct cleaning (two systems) | $750 – $1,100 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (ground-floor termination) | $150 – $250 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (roof or second-story termination) | $200 – $325 |
| Duct sealing (single system, mastic + mesh) | $600 – $950 |
| Duct sealing (two systems) | $950 – $1,400 |
| HVAC filter upgrade (Aprilaire or Guardsman) | $85 – $175 installed |
| Return plenum deep cleaning (post-wildfire ash) | $200 – $350 add-on |
Prices in San Marcos run toward the higher end when systems haven’t been cleaned in 10+ years, when multiple return plenums need post-fire ash removal, or when duct runs require extra access through tight attic spaces common in 1990s tracts. The price we write down before work starts is the price you pay. No per-vent add-ons, no surprise charges once the van is in your driveway.
Neighborhoods We Serve in San Marcos
We work across the full San Marcos city limit, from the older core near Mission Road to the master-planned communities east of the 78. Most appointments schedule within a few days, and we batch canyon-area jobs to minimize drive time when ash events spike demand.
- San Elijo Hills
- Discovery Hills
- Twin Oaks Valley
- Lake San Marcos
- Palomar College area
Service Area – Cities Near San Marcos
Our crews cover the full inland North County corridor and coastal communities to the west. We regularly schedule alongside San Marcos jobs in Vista, CA, Escondido, CA, Carlsbad, CA, and Encinitas, CA. Dispatch is coordinated from the San Diego office, so routing multiple North County appointments on the same day keeps our arrival windows tight.
Serving San Marcos, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Marcos area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Air Duct Cleaning Company in San Marcos
No permit is required for standard residential duct cleaning or dryer vent cleaning in San Marcos. Duct sealing that involves modifying or replacing ductwork may need a permit through the city; we handle the paperwork when it applies and build any permit cost into the written price. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll tell you whether your specific job triggers a permit requirement.
We batch canyon-area appointments and typically schedule within 3-5 days after a red-flag warning lifts, prioritizing homes where ash is visible at returns or where occupants have respiratory sensitivity. We do not promise same-day dispatch, but we do answer live 24/7 and keep a standby list for the San Elijo and ridgeline zones. Call (361) 326-5060 to get on the list.
Most San Marcos HOAs require 24-48 hour notice for any service vehicle access, and some master-planned communities near San Elijo Hills specify work hours. We handle the notice call ourselves when you provide HOA contact info, and we schedule inside your association’s window. Our technicians arrive in marked vans and uniforms, so gate staff know who to expect. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll coordinate the details.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local air duct cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What San Marcos Customers Say
"Dryer vent was packed with lint and took two hours to dry a load. Cleaned it out from the roof cap down. One cycle again."
- Paula Q."No sales pitch. Told me which parts of the system were fine and only cleaned what needed it."
- Ted L."They checked each section with a camera and showed me the dust before and after. Thorough and honest."
- Nicole H.