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 Des Moines
Air duct cleaning in Des Moines, WA typically runs $350 – $650 for a full residential system and is scheduled by appointment with a written price locked in before any work starts. Our crews serve Des Moines from our Seattle office, carrying Rotobrush rotary systems and Nikro negative-air machines through the neighborhoods along Marine View Drive, up the hillside above Saltwater State Park, and into the waterfront ranches along Puget Sound. We know the short duct runs in your 1960s split-level, the crawlspace air handlers that pull in damp marine air, and the black film that coats registers under the Sea-Tac flight path. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate with a price that won’t move at the door.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is Des Moines’s Preferred Air Duct Cleaning Company
We’ve been part of the Garrison Partners family since 2004, and our Air Duct Cleaning team has built a reputation in Des Moines by showing up inside the window, pricing in writing, and leaving the site clean. Roy Castellanos leads our operation with The Garrison Standard: written prices, written guarantees, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise on every job.
Des Moines homeowners call us back because we answer the phone with a live person, 24 hours a day, and send background-checked, uniformed technicians who explain what they’re doing before they do it. We’ve cleaned ducts in the ranches near Woodmont Beach, the hillside homes above Redondo, and the mid-century splits along South 240th Street. We don’t compete on the lowest teaser price. We compete on discipline: the price you agree to is the price you pay, and if the work fails within a year, we return and make it right at no charge, including a free second visit.
Air Duct Inspection in Des Moines
Air Duct Inspection in Des Moines starts with understanding the two-part load your system carries: the greasy black jet-exhaust film from Sea-Tac overhead and the damp-driven mold spores from the Puget Sound marine layer. Our inspection runs $150 – $250 and includes video scoping of the main trunk lines, register pull to check for that telltale slick black coating, and assessment of your crawlspace or basement air handler for condensation damage. We use this inspection to build a written scope and price before any cleaning begins.
What We Look For in Marine-Climate Systems
We’re checking for condensation in galvanized trunk lines, mildew on the blower motor and plenum, and foundation vents that let wind-driven rain into crawlspace-mounted systems. In waterfront and hillside Des Moines homes, these issues show up more often than in drier inland markets. The inspection report includes photos and a clear recommendation on whether cleaning, sealing, or vent repair is the right next step.
Video Inspection for Short Ranch Duct Runs
Most Des Moines homes built between 1950 and 1970 have simple, short duct runs that our video scope navigates easily. We document the condition of flex duct connections, trunk line integrity, and any accumulation points where jet-exhaust particulate has settled. You’ll see what we see before we quote any work.
Residential Air Duct Cleaning in Des Moines
Residential Air Duct Cleaning in Des Moines addresses a problem stack you won’t find inland: the combination of Sea-Tac jet-exhaust film, marine-layer mildew, and crawlspace damp that feeds mold spores back into your living space year-round. A typical full-system residential cleaning runs $350 – $650 depending on system size, accessibility, and whether duct sealing or vent repair is needed. We clean by the NADCA standard: source removal with controlled negative pressure, not just register vacuuming.
Rotary Brush and Negative-Air Method
Our Rotobrush rotary brush systems agitate debris from duct walls while our Nikro negative-air machines maintain suction that pulls dislodged material through HEPA filtration. This matters in Des Moines because compressed-air-only cleaning without negative pressure would redistribute mold spores and exhaust particulate through your supply and return ducts instead of capturing them.
Crawlspace Air Handler Attention
Many Des Moines ranches and splits have air handlers mounted in damp crawlspaces or basements. We HEPA-vacuum the blower motor, clean the evaporator coil if accessible, and inspect the plenum for mildew. Skip this step and you’re circulating clean air through a dirty handler. We seal foundation vents when we find wind-driven rain entry points, because stopping the moisture source protects the cleaning investment.
Trusted Brands We Service in Des Moines
We carry professional-grade equipment and filtration products from Rotobrush, Nikro, Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Guardsman. For Des Moines homes dealing with marine-layer humidity and wildfire smoke seasons, we stock Honeywell and Aprilaire media filters with higher MERV ratings that capture the fine particulate from jet exhaust and summer smoke without choking airflow in the short duct runs common to local ranches. Our parts inventory means faster turnaround when a Des Moines job needs filter upgrades or duct sealing mastic. We don’t use hardware-store gear. We use the same tools commercial crews use, and we explain what each piece does before we start it up.
Common Air Duct Cleaning Problems We See in Des Moines Homes
- Black greasy register film from Sea-Tac exhaust. That slick coating on your grille isn’t normal household dust. It’s jet-exhaust particulate that settles as a fine, greasy film on ducts facing the flight path. Vacuuming the register doesn’t remove it from the duct walls behind.
- Crawlspace condensation feeding mildew into the air handler. The marine layer keeps Des Moines humid much of the year, and crawlspace-mounted systems pull that damp air directly across the blower and into your supply ducts. We find mildew on the plenum and blower housing in these homes more often than in slab-on-grade construction.
- Wildfire smoke drawn into fresh-air intakes. Summer smoke from regional fires gets pulled into attic or crawlspace intakes, coating duct walls with fine ash that standard filters miss. Homes with fresh-air ventilation systems see this more acutely.
- Original galvanized trunk lines with corrosion and leaks. The 1950s – 70s housing stock in neighborhoods near Saltwater State Park and along Marine View Drive often has original galvanized steel that has corroded at seams, pulling unfiltered crawlspace air into the system and reducing airflow to distant rooms.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning in Des Moines, WA
A typical full-system residential air duct cleaning in Des Moines runs $350 – $650. Air duct inspection is $150 – $250. Dryer vent cleaning, often bundled with duct cleaning in homes with laundry rooms near exterior walls, adds $120 – $180. Duct sealing with mastic on corroded galvanized seams runs $200 – $400 depending on linear footage.
What moves the price: system size (most Des Moines ranches have 8 – 12 registers), whether the air handler is in an accessible basement or a tight crawlspace, the degree of contamination from exhaust film or mold, and whether vent repair or filter upgrades are needed. We do not price per vent. We price per system, in writing, before we touch anything. No estimate balloons once the technician is inside. Call (361) 326-5060 for your exact quote. Estimates are free.
We Also Serve Cities Near Des Moines
Our crews travel throughout the Puget Sound region for scheduled appointments. We regularly clean ducts in Des Moines, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, and Vancouver. Scheduling is coordinated from our Seattle office, with local Des Moines crews dispatched for jobs in the 98198 zip and surrounding neighborhoods.
Serving Des Moines, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Des Moines 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 Des Moines
Every 2 – 3 years for homes under the flight path, compared to 3 – 5 years for inland properties. The jet-exhaust film builds faster than normal dust and creates a sticky surface that traps additional particulate. Homes with crawlspace air handlers in damp conditions may need more frequent inspection for mildew. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll assess your specific system.
It’s jet-exhaust particulate from aircraft overhead, combined with the humidity that keeps it from drying into loose dust. This film is distinctive to Des Moines and nearby Sea-Tac flight path communities. Standard vacuuming won’t remove it from duct walls; it requires rotary brush agitation with negative-air capture. We see this on nearly every ranch home we service near Saltwater State Park.
Yes. These systems need the air handler and plenum cleaned in addition to the duct runs, and the foundation vents inspected for rain entry. The marine layer keeps crawlspace humidity high year-round, so mildew on the blower motor is common. We also check whether the crawlspace vapor barrier is intact, because a compromised barrier feeds moisture back into the system.
Yes, particularly in homes with fresh-air intakes or attic ventilation systems that draw outside air. The fine particulate from regional fires passes through standard filters and coats duct walls. We recommend higher-MERV media filters from Honeywell or Aprilaire during smoke season, and more frequent filter changes. If you’ve had heavy smoke exposure, inspection can determine whether source removal is warranted.
Source removal with controlled negative pressure: we put the system under suction with our Nikro negative-air machine, agitate debris from duct walls with Rotobrush rotary tools, and capture everything through HEPA filtration. We clean the air handler, seal access ports, and verify airflow balance. For Des Moines homes, this specifically means removing the jet-exhaust film and mold spores, not just vacuuming registers. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers our work for a full year.
Ready to get your Des Moines home’s ducts cleaned right? Call Hollis Air Duct Cleaning at (361) 326-5060 for your free estimate. We’ll give you a written price before any work starts, send a background-checked, uniformed technician, and stand behind the work for 365 days. That’s The Garrison Standard.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving Des Moines and the Puget Sound region since 2004.