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.
Fast, Reliable Duct Sealing Across Richmond
We’re the crew Richmond homeowners call when their registers smell like oil and salt, or when the utility bill climbs while the house stays unevenly heated. Our dispatch runs from the San Francisco Bay Area office, and we keep Richmond on regular rotation. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate with a written price before any work starts.
Richmond’s not like other Bay Area cities. The refinery emissions that settle on rooftops here also find their way into ductwork, and the marine layer pushes moisture through every leaky joint. We’ve worked in Point Richmond Victorians with original galvanized ducts, Richmond Annex postwar tracts with crumbling flexible runs, and Iron Triangle homes where the supply registers carry a musty, oily odor. That local knowledge changes how we approach a sealing job.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is Richmond’s Preferred Duct Sealing Company
Hollis Air Duct Cleaning has been part of the Garrison Partners family since 2004. The Garrison Standard means written prices, written guarantees, and technicians who arrive uniformed, background-checked, and inside the quoted window. We’ve built our reputation in Richmond on doing what we said we’d do, then standing behind it for a full year.
Our 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every duct sealing job in writing. If the seal fails or the odor returns within a year, we come back and make it right at no charge, including a free second visit. No negotiation, no runaround.
Phones are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You’ll know who’s walking into your home before they arrive, and the price is written down before any tool comes out of the van. That’s The Garrison Code, and it’s how we work in Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito, and every city we serve.
Air Duct Sealing in Richmond
Air Duct Sealing in Richmond addresses a specific local problem: industrial particulate and salt-laden moisture entering duct runs through leaky joints, then sitting in the system through cool, foggy summers when the blower runs for circulation rather than heating or cooling. A typical sealing job in Richmond runs $450 – $850 for a standard single-system home, with larger homes or multiple zones running $900 – $1,400. Every estimate is free, and the price is fixed before work begins.
Source Removal Before Sealing
We don’t seal over contaminated material. In Richmond, that means agitating and extracting refinery soot and salt-damp dust under negative pressure with HEPA filtration before mastic or foil tape touches a joint. Sealing over oily residue traps odor and can feed microbial growth behind the new seal. We verify source removal with camera inspection.
Joint-by-Joint Sealing Method
Our technicians seal every accessible joint with mastic and foil tape rated for ductwork, not hardware-store products. On early galvanized or flexible ductwork common in Point Richmond and Richmond Annex homes, we mark each leak point during camera inspection, then seal in sequence so nothing gets missed. Static pressure at the air handler is checked before and after.
Duct Sealing Services in Richmond
Duct Sealing Services in Richmond from Hollis include full-system inspection, source removal where needed, joint sealing with professional-grade materials, and post-job verification of static pressure and register airflow. Richmond homeowners typically need sealing when rooms heat unevenly, registers smell musty or oily, or utility bills rise without explanation. A standard Richmond home runs $450 – $850; larger systems or homes with multiple zones run $900 – $1,400.
Return-Side Leakage Repair
Many Richmond homes, especially postwar builds in the Richmond Annex, have undersized returns that pull unfiltered air from wall cavities and crawl spaces. Sealing only the supply side shifts the imbalance. We verify return-side integrity and seal those leaks too, so the system breathes through the filter, not around it.

Post-Remediation Verification
In neighborhoods like Iron Triangle and Santa Fe, where refinery emissions create distinctive black, oily residue, we document condition before and after with photos and static pressure readings. The homeowner sees the change in register odor and system performance on our follow-up check.

What happens when you call
- 1
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 Richmond
We carry professional-grade equipment and materials from Nikro, Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Abatement Technologies. Nikro negative-air machines and HEPA filtration systems handle the heavy particulate load Richmond ductwork often carries. Honeywell and Aprilaire filtration products upgrade the return side after sealing, so cleaner air moves through tighter ducts. We stock common sealing materials and replacement fittings locally, so Richmond jobs don’t wait on parts shipping from out of state. Our rotary brush systems from Rotobrush agitate stubborn residue without damaging aging galvanized or flexible ductwork.
Common Duct Sealing Problems We See in Richmond Homes
- Black, oily residue from refinery emissions. In Iron Triangle and Santa Fe neighborhoods, we regularly find ducts coated with a distinctive black film that standard household dust doesn’t match. This requires specialized degreasing and agitation before sealing, or the odor persists behind the new seal.
- Salt-laden moisture from the marine layer. Richmond’s coastal position means fog pushes through leaky joints, dampening dust and creating musty conditions. Sealing without addressing the moisture source traps the problem inside.
- Original galvanized ductwork with decades of accumulation. Point Richmond Victorians and early Richmond homes often have rigid metal ducts with corroded seams and failed tape. Camera inspection reveals leak points that visual checks miss entirely.
- Undersized returns pulling unfiltered air. Postwar tract homes in Richmond Annex and El Sobrante frequently have return pathways too small for the system, creating negative pressure that draws crawl space and wall cavity air past the filter. Sealing supplies without fixing returns makes the problem worse.
Pricing for Duct Sealing in Richmond, CA
A typical duct sealing job in Richmond runs $450 – $850 for a standard single-system home with up to 15 – 20 accessible joints. Larger homes, multiple zones, or systems requiring extensive source removal before sealing run $900 – $1,400. What moves the price: the amount of contaminated material to remove first, accessibility of duct runs in crawl spaces or attics, whether return-side repairs are needed, and the condition of existing ductwork.
We give one flat price per system, agreed in writing before work starts. No per-vent pricing. No add-ons at the door. Every estimate is free, and we show you camera footage of what we found so you understand why the price is what it is. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule.
We Also Serve Cities Near Richmond
Our crews work throughout the East Bay, including Richmond and neighboring San Pablo, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, and Albany. Each job follows The Garrison Standard: arrive inside the window, price in writing, complete by the book, leave the site clean. Whether you’re in a hillside El Cerrito home or a San Pablo bungalow, the same rules apply.
Serving Richmond, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Richmond 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 Duct Sealing in Richmond
Yes, but source removal comes first. Sealing over oily soot traps odor and can accelerate microbial growth behind the seal. We agitate and extract the residue under negative pressure with HEPA filtration, then seal the joints that allowed it to accumulate. Call (361) 326-5060 for an exact quote – estimates are free.
The marine layer pushes salt-laden moisture through leaky duct joints, and Richmond’s cool summers mean less drying heat cycling through the system. Mold and mildew find steady conditions where moisture meets dust. Sealing those joints interrupts the moisture pathway. Call (361) 326-5060 for an exact quote – estimates are free.
No. Fogging does not remove the moisture source or the contaminated material. In Richmond, where the marine layer returns regularly, growth comes back with the next fog cycle. Source removal and physical sealing of leak points address the actual problem. Call (361) 326-5060 for an exact quote – estimates are free.
Camera inspection of all accessible runs, agitation and extraction of accumulated material, joint-by-joint sealing with mastic and foil tape, return-side integrity check, and static pressure verification at the air handler. Original galvanized ductwork in these homes often has hidden corrosion and failed original seals that visual checks miss. Call (361) 326-5060 for an exact quote – estimates are free.
It matters more. In Richmond, systems run for air circulation rather than temperature control, so every leaky joint pulls unfiltered air continuously. The marine layer moisture and refinery particulate don’t stop because the thermostat is low. Sealing keeps the air moving through the filter and the intended pathways. Call (361) 326-5060 for an exact quote – estimates are free.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving Richmond and the East Bay since 2004.




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