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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AfterHow Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in Los Angeles?
Air duct cleaning in Los Angeles typically costs between $450 and $1,100 for a standard single-family home, with most jobs landing near $650. Homes under 1,500 square feet often come in at $350 to $500, while larger properties with multiple zones, two or more HVAC systems, or heavy dust buildup can run $1,500 and up. The price you pay depends on square footage, how many systems you’re running, how accessible the ductwork is, and whether the job calls for duct sealing on top of cleaning.
We’ll tell you the exact number before we start. That price is written down, and it doesn’t move once the technician is standing in your hallway. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate and a live person will pick up, day or night.
Key Takeaways
- Typical Los Angeles air duct cleaning: $450 to $1,100, with a median around $650.
- Price drivers: square footage, number of HVAC systems, duct accessibility, and whether you add duct sealing.
- Dryer vent cleaning runs $150 to $300 and is often bundled in.
- We use Rotobrush rotary brush systems and Nikro negative-air machines, not shop vacuums.
- Every job is covered in writing by the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Air Duct Cleaning Cost Breakdown (2026)
Below is what air duct cleaning costs in Los Angeles for 2026, broken out by the line items most homeowners actually see on an estimate. Ranges reflect real jobs across Los Angeles County, from the Valley to the South Bay.
| Service | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard home (under 1,500 sq ft, one system) | $350 – $500 | Condos, bungalows, small infill homes |
| Mid-size home (1,500 – 2,500 sq ft, one system) | $500 – $750 | The most common LA job |
| Large home (2,500 – 4,000 sq ft, two systems) | $750 – $1,300 | Two-zone or dual-AC setups |
| Estate / multi-system (4,000+ sq ft) | $1,300 – $2,200+ | Three or more systems, complex runs |
| Additional HVAC system | $175 – $325 each | Each system is cleaned separately |
| Dryer vent cleaning (add-on) | $150 – $300 | Roof or long-run vents price higher |
| Duct sealing (per system) | $400 – $900 | Mastic and mesh at accessible joints |
| Coil and blower cleaning (add-on) | $150 – $350 | Recommended when visible buildup is present |
| Sanitizing / antimicrobial fogging | $100 – $250 | Optional; only when conditions warrant |
| Return and register cleaning | $75 – $200 | Often included; extra for heavy counts |
What pushes a Los Angeles job toward the top of its range? Number one is the number of HVAC systems. A 2,000-square-foot home in Sherman Oaks with one system is a very different job than a 2,000-square-foot home in Encino with two. Accessibility is the runner-up: ducts buried behind plaster, taped under a low attic with 12 inches of clearance, or run through a soffit all take more time. And condition matters. A house that ran through the Woolsey Fire smoke or a recent renovation is going to have more material in the ductwork than one that just needs routine cleaning.
What brings cost down? Simple, open layouts, crawlspace or attic access, and bundling services. Adding duct sealing to a cleaning job is almost always cheaper than booking it separately later.
What’s Usually Included
A standard Hollis air duct cleaning includes source removal of debris from the supply and return ducts, register and grille cleaning, blower compartment cleaning, and a negative-air setup to keep dust from redistributing through the house. A technician will show you before-and-after photos of the ducts and the air handler. You should not be charged extra for “the real cleaning” after being quoted a teaser price – if a bid looks too good, ask what’s actually included.
What Affects Air Duct Cleaning Pricing in Los Angeles
Pricing in Los Angeles runs higher than most U.S. markets for a few specific reasons. Here’s what moves the number:
- Square footage and duct run length. A 1,200-square-foot bungalow in Highland Park has a different duct layout than a 3,800-square-foot home in Pacific Palisades. More linear feet means more time with the rotary brush and negative-air machine. Expect roughly $0.20 to $0.35 per square foot as a rough planning figure.
- Number of HVAC systems. Los Angeles homes frequently run two or three systems to handle the heat in the Valley and the marine layer closer to the coast. Each system is cleaned independently and priced separately, usually $175 to $325 each.
- Duct accessibility. Attic clearance in older San Fernando Valley homes can be tight, and many mid-century houses have ductwork routed through soffits or wall chases. Difficult access adds labor time. Flat-roof homes near downtown sometimes require roof access for rooftop units.
- Duct material and age. Flex duct is faster to clean than rigid metal, but it’s also more prone to tearing and often needs replacement. If the ducts are original to a 1960s house in Van Nuys, plan for a higher quote because the material may not survive aggressive cleaning.
- Contamination level. Recent remodeling, wildfire smoke intrusion (a real factor in foothill neighborhoods like Altadena and La Cañada), rodent activity, or visible mold will push the job into a longer cleaning and possibly sanitizing. Wildfire season between August and November is our busiest window for smoke-related cleaning requests.
- Add-on services. Duct sealing, coil cleaning, and dryer vent cleaning all raise the total but often save money long-term by fixing the underlying issue instead of just vacuuming around it.
One factor that doesn’t affect pricing the way people assume: the age of the house. A well-maintained 1960s ranch with clean metal ducts can cost less to clean than a 2015 build with a long, complicated flex-duct run in a tight attic.
How to Save on Air Duct Cleaning
There’s no trick to paying less for air duct cleaning in Los Angeles. There is a right way to spend less, though:
- Bundle duct cleaning with dryer vent cleaning. Scheduling both in the same visit usually saves $75 to $125 versus two separate trips.
- Clean all your systems on the same day. The second and third systems are cheaper when the crew is already on site.
- Add duct sealing now, not later. Sealing after a cleaning means the ductwork stays cleaner longer, so you don’t need the next cleaning as soon.
- Ask about the price in writing before anyone arrives. This is standard at Hollis. Some LA-area companies quote low on the phone and adjust once they’re inside. Ask for the number in writing and hold them to it.
- Skip the upsells you don’t need. Not every home needs antimicrobial fogging. If a technician pushes it hard before looking at your ducts, that tells you something about how the company prices.
- Book in the shoulder season. Spring and early fall are less busy than the peak summer AC and late-fall wildfire windows. Scheduling flexibility sometimes gets you a better slot or a bundled price.
Free estimates are the easiest way to know your actual number. Call (361) 326-5060 and a live person will quote your Los Angeles home over the phone, with a written price confirmed before any work begins.
Repair or Replace: When Does Cleaning Make Sense?
Air duct cleaning makes sense when the ducts themselves are sound. If the ductwork is crushed, disconnected, or deteriorated, cleaning is throwing money at a problem that will come back. During the walkthrough, we check for disconnected joints, torn flex duct, and duct runs that were never properly sealed at the plenum. When we find those, we tell you before we start cleaning – not after.
Duct sealing addresses a lot of this. Sealing accessible joints with mastic and mesh stops the leaks that pull attic air, garage air, and crawlspace air into your supply. In Los Angeles, where attics routinely hit 140 degrees in summer, sealing the joints in ajobdy also keeps your AC from fighting its own duct losses. It’s not a replacement for cleaning; it’s what keeps the cleaning from being wasted effort.
For most Los Angeles homes, the decision tree is straightforward. Ducts in good shape with visible dust: clean them. Ducts in good shape but leaky at the joints: clean and seal. Ducts with physical damage: replace the damaged sections first. We’ll walk you through which situation you’re in – honestly, and with the price written down before anything happens.
FAQs – Air Duct Cleaning Cost
How much does air duct cleaning cost in Los Angeles?
Air duct cleaning in Los Angeles runs $450 to $1,100 for most single-family homes, with a typical job around $650. Condos and small homes under 1,500 square feet often cost $350 to $500. Homes with two HVAC systems, long duct runs, or heavy contamination land between $1,000 and $2,200. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free, written estimate for your address.
Is air duct cleaning worth the cost?
It’s worth it when there’s a real reason: visible dust blowing from registers, recent remodeling, wildfire smoke exposure, rodent activity, or a noticeable uptick in allergies for household members. For a Los Angeles home near recent burn scars or in a high-dust area, cleaning typically removes enough material to make a measurable difference. If your ducts are clean and sealed, spending $650 to clean them again isn’t the best use of the money – we’ll tell you that on the walkthrough. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll give you a straight answer for your situation.
How often should ducts be cleaned in Los Angeles?
Every three to five years for most Los Angeles homes is a reasonable interval. Homes in wildfire-prone foothill areas, homes with pets, and homes with a household member who has asthma or allergies may benefit from cleaning every two to three years. New construction or a major remodel warrants a cleaning within the first year. Call (361) 326-5060 if you’re not sure where your home falls.
Does duct cleaning include sealing leaks?
No – duct cleaning and duct sealing are separate services. Cleaning runs $450 to $1,100 for a typical LA home; sealing adds $400 to $900 per system. Doing both on the same visit usually saves $75 to $150 versus booking them separately. If your ducts are leaking, sealing first makes more sense so the cleaning actually holds. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll quote both together.
Do you offer same-day air duct cleaning in Los Angeles?
Same-day availability depends on the day, but our phones are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, and we schedule Los Angeles jobs throughout the week. The fastest way to lock a slot is to call (361) 326-5060 – you’ll get a live person, an accurate quote, and a scheduled arrival window in the same call, not a callback queue.
What Sets Our Pricing Apart
Many air duct cleaning companies in Los Angeles quote low on the phone, then adjust once the technician is inside. That’s the most common complaint we hear from customers who call us after a bad experience with another outfit. Hollis doesn’t run that way.
Every job receives a written price before any work starts. If we quoted $650, you pay $650 – even if the job takes longer than expected. We show up uniformed, with a background-checked technician who has an ID and a work order, inside the arrival window you booked. We use Rotobrush rotary brush systems, Nikro negative-air machines, and filtration products from Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Guardsman – the same equipment commercial crews use, not the shop vac that fits in a truck bed.
And if something isn’t right within a year, we come back and fix it. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, in writing on every job. If the work fails, the free second visit is included, not negotiated. We’ve been in business since 2004 as part of the Garrison Partners family, and each Hollis location is independently owned and operated under The Garrison Standard – arriving inside the quoted window, pricing in writing, working by the book, and leaving the site clean.
Related Services and Guides
Our home page has the full list of services and the Garrison Standard. If you’re looking at a different job, here are the pricing guides and service pages that pair with this one:
- Air duct cleaning and source removal
- Dryer vent cleaning in Los Angeles
- Duct sealing for leaking Los Angeles ductwork
- Air duct cleaning in the San Fernando Valley
- Air duct cleaning in Santa Monica
- Air duct cleaning in Pasadena
- Air duct cleaning in Long Beach
- Air duct cleaning in Burbank
- How often to clean air ducts in Southern California
- Dryer vent fire prevention guide
- Cleaning ductwork after wildfire smoke
- The Garrison Standard: what it means in writing
Get a Written Price for Your Los Angeles Home
Air duct cleaning in Los Angeles runs $450 to $1,100 for most homes, and the fastest way to get your exact number is a phone call. We’ll ask about your square footage, your systems, and any known issues, then put the price in writing before anyone shows up.
Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate. A live person answers, day or night. No voicemail loops, no callback queues, no moving targets at the door.
Pricing reflects the Los Angeles market as of 2026. Hollis Air Duct Cleaning offers free estimates – call (361) 326-5060.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving Los Angeles since 2004.
What Our Customers Say
"Duct sealing along with the cleaning cut our summer bill. Straight talk and fair price."
- Gwen O."Sealed some leaking duct joints in the crawl space with mastic. Rooms that were always cold now get air."
- Ronald W."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.