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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Air Duct Cleaning Across San Rafael
Air duct cleaning in San Rafael typically runs $350 – $850 for a whole residential system, with most jobs completed in a single visit. We’re Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, and our crews work San Rafael properties from the West End Victorians to the Terra Linda ranches out past Lucas Valley Road. Calls to (361) 326-5060 reach a live person, day or night, and we schedule from our San Francisco Bay Area dispatch office with crews that know the local roads and the local housing stock.
San Rafael sits in a unique spot, climate-wise. Marin County’s mild, wet winters and dry summers mean your HVAC system runs fewer hours than in hotter inland California. That sounds like good news until you realize what actually accumulates in ducts here: fine dust and pollen from unpaved roads and open land, rodent debris from roof rats and deer mice, and the particular sediment that wood stoves and older furnaces produce. The cleaning interval that makes sense for San Rafael, especially for rural and open-land properties, is every 3 – 5 years, not the annual push you see in hotter, dustier markets. Our Air Duct Cleaning team treats that difference seriously.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is San Rafael’s Preferred Air Duct Cleaning Company
We’ve been in business since 2004 as part of the Garrison Partners family, and our standard is written down, not assumed. Every San Rafael job gets a price in writing before we touch anything. The 365-Day Done Right Promise means if the work fails within a year, we come back and make it right at no charge, including a free second visit. No negotiation, no runaround.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed. You know who’s walking into your home before they arrive. They follow The Garrison Code: arrive inside the quoted window, price in writing, complete the job by the book, leave the site clean. That’s not marketing language. It’s operational discipline.
We know San Rafael’s split personality, housing-wise. The pre-1950s downtown and West End Victorians with original redwood framing demand careful hand-cleaning. The 1960s-70s Terra Linda and Mont Marin tract homes, many Eichler-style with long, flexible duct runs, need power-brushing at the right pressure. Treating them the same damages one or under-cleans the other. Our San Rafael crews carry both approaches.
Commercial Air Duct Cleaning in San Rafael
Commercial Air Duct Cleaning in San Rafael covers office buildings, retail spaces, medical offices, and multi-unit properties where occupancy codes and insurance requirements demand documented cleaning schedules. We use Nikro negative-air machines and Rotobrush rotary systems to dislodge and extract debris from supply and return trunk lines, with HEPA containment so the building stays operational during service. Typical commercial jobs in San Rafael run $800 – $2,500 depending on system size and access, with written pricing agreed before any work starts.
Scheduled Maintenance Programs
San Rafael commercial properties near the downtown corridor or along Fourth Street can set quarterly or semi-annual cleaning schedules with locked-in rates. We document each visit with before-and-after photos and airflow readings for your facilities file.
New Tenant Turnover Cleaning
When a commercial lease turns over in San Rafael, we clean the full duct system, replace filtration media, and camera-inspect for damage or blockages. The next tenant starts with documented, clean air infrastructure.
Air Duct Cleaning Services in San Rafael
Air Duct Cleaning Services in San Rafael include full-system source removal on supply ducts, return ducts, trunk lines, and air handler components, plus video inspection to verify the results. We use professional-grade equipment, Rotobrush and Nikro systems under negative pressure with HEPA filtration, to extract debris rather than push it deeper. Residential whole-system cleaning in San Rafael typically runs $350 – $850, with detached outbuilding systems and dryer vent add-ons priced separately in writing.
Video Inspection and Documentation
Every San Rafael job includes camera inspection of key duct runs before and after cleaning. You see what we see. No guesswork, no “trust us” moments. The footage stays on file if you need it for a home sale or insurance claim.
Duct Sealing and Repair
Where we find disconnected or leaking ducts in San Rafael’s older homes, we seal with mastic and mechanical fasteners, not tape that fails in six months. For larger sealing projects, we also offer Duct Sealing in San Rafael as a standalone service. Sealing is priced separately, always in writing, and covered under the same 365-Day Done Right Promise.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Rafael
We run Rotobrush rotary brush systems and Nikro negative-air machines on San Rafael jobs, with filtration and replacement products from Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Guardsman. These are the same tools commercial crews use, not hardware-store rentals. We stock common filtration sizes and hardware for faster turnaround on San Rafael properties, so you’re not waiting on a parts order from out of state. When we find a component that needs replacing, we explain what it does, why it failed, and what the options cost before we proceed.
Common Air Duct Cleaning Problems We See in San Rafael Homes
- Rural road dust loading in outbuilding systems. Properties on unpaved roads near Lucas Valley Road or the open-space corridors collect fine dust in detached garage and workshop duct runs that suburban crews often skip entirely. We map and clean the full system, not just the main house.
- Rodent debris in original venting near Dominican University. Roof rats and deer mice enter through unsealed foundation and attic vents in older neighborhoods, leaving droppings and nesting material. Without camera inspection and source removal, technicians just push contamination through the living space.
- Wood stove sediment in return ducts. San Rafael homes with supplemental wood heat, common in rural properties, accumulate fine ash and creosote particulate in returns that standard brush passes miss. We adjust our approach for combustion byproduct removal.
- Damaged flexible duct liner in Terra Linda Eichlers. The long, flexible duct runs in these mid-century homes require controlled pressure and technique. Aggressive power-brushing tears the liner; too gentle leaves debris behind. Our crews know the difference.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning in San Rafael, CA
Whole-home residential air duct cleaning in San Rafael runs $350 – $850 for a typical single-system house. Commercial systems start around $800 and scale with square footage and access complexity. Outbuilding or detached garage duct systems add $150 – $400 depending on run length. Dryer vent cleaning, often done at the same visit, runs $120 – $250.
What moves the price: system size, number of supply and return registers, accessibility (crawl space vs. basement), contamination level, and whether we find rodent damage or disconnected ducts that need repair. We give one flat price per system, agreed in writing before any work starts. No per-vent pricing, no add-ons at the door. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Rafael
Our crews work throughout central Marin County, including Air Duct Cleaning in San Rafael and surrounding Larkspur, Kentfield, Corte Madera, and San Anselmo. Same equipment, same written pricing, same 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Serving San Rafael, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Rafael 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 in San Rafael
Every 3 – 5 years is the right interval for rural San Rafael properties with unpaved driveways and open land exposure. The mild climate means less condensation, but road dust, pollen, and rodent debris accumulate steadily. Annual cleaning is overkill here; waiting beyond five years risks airflow restriction and contamination spread. Call (361) 326-5060 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
Yes, we map and clean the full system including detached structures. Many San Rafael crews skip outbuilding runs, leaving them loaded with road dust and pollen. We price these separately in writing, typically $150 – $400, and include them in our before-and-after documentation. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule.
Roof rats and deer mice enter through original, unsealed foundation and attic vents common in older neighborhoods near campus and the open-space edges. Marin County’s mild winters don’t kill off populations, and the nearby vegetation provides cover and food. Camera inspection finds the entry points so we can recommend sealing after source removal. Call (361) 326-5060 for an inspection.
West End Victorians have original redwood framing and rigid metal ductwork that demands careful hand-cleaning to avoid damaging historic material. Terra Linda Eichlers have long, flexible duct runs that need controlled power-brushing at the right pressure; too aggressive tears the liner. Our crews carry both approaches and assess before starting. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate.
Yes, and we recommend it. Dryer vent cleaning runs $120 – $250 when bundled with a whole-system duct cleaning, and it uses the same access appointment. San Rafael’s rural properties with longer vent runs to exterior walls especially benefit from the combined service. Call (361) 326-5060 to book both.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving San Rafael and Marin County since 2004.