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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AfterFast, Reliable Air Duct Cleaning Across Corte Madera
Air duct cleaning in Corte Madera typically runs $450 – $850 for a full residential system, and most jobs are scheduled within a few days of your call. We’re Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, part of the Garrison Partners family, and our crews work Corte Madera regularly from our San Francisco Bay Area dispatch office. We know the ranch homes on Christmas Tree Hill, the fog line that sits on Chapman Park all July, and the particular way galvanized steel ductwork from the 1950s and 60s fails in this climate. Call us at (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate with a written price before any work starts.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is Corte Madera’s Preferred Air Duct Cleaning Company
We’ve been in business since 2004, and our Air Duct Cleaning crews have handled enough Corte Madera jobs to know what the local housing stock does to duct systems. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every job in writing: if the work fails within a year, we return and make it right at no charge, including a free second visit. Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, and you’ll know who’s arriving before they knock. Phones are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no voicemail loops. We price in writing before touching equipment, and that number does not move at the door. That’s The Garrison Standard, and it’s how we operate in Corte Madera, Larkspur, Mill Valley, and across Marin.
HVAC Duct Cleaning in Corte Madera
HVAC Duct Cleaning in Corte Madera means source removal from the full system: supply trunks, return plenums, branch lines, and the air handler cabinet, using rotary brush agitation under negative air pressure. Most Corte Madera homeowners need this every two to three years, not the generic five-year national figure, because the combination of marine fog, wildfire smoke from the Marin hills, and dust from unpaved rural driveways loads ducts faster here than in drier inland climates. A typical residential HVAC duct cleaning in Corte Madera runs $550 – $850 for a full system, depending on duct count, accessibility, and whether video inspection reveals corrosion or disconnection requiring repair.
Rotary Brush with Negative Air
We run Rotobrush rotary brush systems through each duct run while a Nikro negative-air machine holds the line under suction. The brush knocks debris loose; the vacuum pulls it out before it drifts into your living space. For Corte Madera’s older galvanized trunks, we adjust brush tension to avoid damaging already-thin metal walls.
Video Inspection Before and After
We feed a camera through the system first. In Corte Madera ranch homes, we’re looking for perforated seams, disconnected joints, and the gray matted lining of ash and dust that builds up in galvanized steel over decades. After cleaning, we run the camera again so you see the difference.
Vent Cleaning in Corte Madera
Vent Cleaning in Corte Madera targets the supply registers and return grilles where visible dust collects, but more importantly, it extends back to the boot connections and short branch runs behind each vent. Homeowners in neighborhoods like Christmas Tree Hill call us when they notice reduced airflow, musty odors after fog season, or gray dust settling on furniture within days of cleaning. A standard vent cleaning for a Corte Madera home with 8 – 12 vents runs $350 – $550, though we often recommend upgrading to full system cleaning when video inspection shows trunk line contamination. Vent cleaning alone won’t reach the long, sagging branch runs typical of 1950s-era ranch layouts.
Register and Boot Deep Clean
We remove each register, clean the boot cavity behind it, and treat the surrounding wall or floor opening. In Corte Madera’s wood-heated homes, this is where ash and fine particulate settle thickest.
Return Grille and Filter Housing
The return side pulls air from your home back to the handler. We clean the grille, the filter rack, and the first few feet of return duct where debris concentrates. If you’re running standard fiberglass filters, we’ll note whether upgraded filtration would help your specific system.
Trusted Brands We Service in Corte Madera
Our equipment roster includes Rotobrush rotary brush systems, Nikro negative-air machines, and filtration products from Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Abatement Technologies. These are the same tools commercial crews use, not hardware-store gear. For Corte Madera homeowners, this means we can source replacement filters, upgraded media, and sealing materials without long lead times. If your system uses Honeywell electronic air cleaners or Aprilaire media cabinets, we stock the correct replacement sizes and can install them during the same visit.
Common Air Duct Cleaning Problems We See in Corte Madera Homes
- Corroded galvanized trunks pulling crawlspace air. The original steel ductwork in Christmas Tree Hill and Chapman Park ranches rusts from the inside where fog moisture condenses on cool metal. Pinhole leaks and separated seams draw musty crawlspace air straight into your supply ducts, and no amount of register cleaning fixes that.
- Wood stove ash matting inside duct walls. Corte Madera homeowners who heat with wood through the wet winter create a fine gray ash that mixes with road dust and humidity into a felt-like lining. Standard vacuuming won’t remove it; agitation tools under negative pressure will.
- Wildfire smoke odor trapped in porous duct lining. After major Marin hills fire events, we see a surge of calls from Corte Madera where smoky odors persist even with windows closed. The odor is in the duct walls, not the air, and requires source removal, not masking with deodorizers.
- Disconnected branch runs in long 1950s layouts. Ranch homes here often have 30-foot branch lines with mid-span sag points where joints separate. Air leaks at these points reduce efficiency and pull in attic or crawlspace contaminants.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning in Corte Madera, CA
Here’s what air duct cleaning costs in Corte Madera’s market:
- Standard vent cleaning (8 – 12 vents): $350 – $550
- Full residential HVAC duct cleaning: $550 – $850
- Commercial duct cleaning: $1,200 – $2,800 depending on system size
- Video inspection with written report: $150 – $250 (waived with scheduled cleaning)
- Duct sealing with mastic on accessible leaks: $200 – $500 additional
We do not quote per-vent teaser prices that balloon once the van is in your driveway. The price is written down before any work starts, and it does not move. Factors that affect your specific quote: duct material (galvanized steel vs. flex duct), accessibility (crawlspace height, attic hatch location), contamination level, and whether repairs to disconnected or corroded sections are needed. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate. We’ll ask about your home’s age, heating type, and any odors or airflow issues you’re seeing, then give you a firm range.
We Also Serve Cities Near Corte Madera
Our Air Duct Cleaning in Corte Madera crews also handle jobs in Larkspur, Mill Valley, Kentfield, and San Rafael. The same written pricing, same 365-Day Done Right Promise, same background-checked technicians apply across all our Marin service areas. Scheduling is coordinated from our San Francisco Bay Area office.
Serving Corte Madera, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Corte Madera 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 Corte Madera
Every two to three years, not the generic five-year recommendation. Corte Madera’s fog-driven humidity, wildfire smoke exposure, and dust from unpaved rural roads load ducts faster than drier, less fire-prone areas. The corroding galvanized seams in 1950s-60s ranches also create leaks that pull in contaminated air, so more frequent inspection and cleaning prevents accelerated system degradation. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule and we’ll camera-inspect first to tell you where your system stands.
Your duct system pulled smoke and ash through leaky return connections, filter gaps, or the air handler itself. In Corte Madera’s older homes with original galvanized ductwork, pinhole leaks and separated seams are common entry points. The odor lingers because particulate has embedded in the duct walls, not just passed through. Source removal with agitation and negative air pressure is the fix; deodorizers or foggers mask it temporarily and leave the contamination in place. Call (361) 326-5060 for a post-fire inspection.
Yes. The marine layer that sits on Corte Madera through July and August keeps indoor humidity elevated, especially in homes without whole-house dehumidification. When cool fog air meets the warmer duct surface in your crawlspace or attic, condensation forms on galvanized steel. That moisture, combined with dust and organic material in the duct, supports mold and mildew growth. We see this most in ranch homes with unconditioned crawlspaces under the duct trunk. Regular cleaning removes the biological loading, and duct sealing with mastic reduces the moisture intrusion points.
Yes. Many Corte Madera properties have workshop, studio, or garage HVAC systems that serve secondary spaces. These systems often use flex duct or bare galvanized runs exposed to temperature swings and dust, and they benefit from the same rotary brush and negative-air cleaning we use in main residences. Pricing depends on system size and accessibility; call (361) 326-5060 to describe your setup and we’ll quote it.
It means source removal, not just surface cleaning: agitation of debris from duct walls, extraction under controlled negative pressure, and protection of the living space during the process. For Corte Madera homeowners, the practical difference is that a NADCA-compliant job addresses the corroded galvanized trunks, the long sagging branch runs, and the ash-and-dust matting that generic cleanings miss. We follow these standards on every job, document before-and-after condition with video, and leave you with a written report. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule a compliant cleaning.
Ready to get your Corte Madera home’s ducts inspected and cleaned the right way? Call Hollis Air Duct Cleaning at (361) 326-5060. We’ll answer with a live person, ask the right questions about your home’s age and heating setup, and give you a written price before any work starts. Every job carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving Corte Madera and Marin County since 2004.