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 University Place
Air duct cleaning in University Place typically runs $350 – $650 for a whole-home system and takes three to five hours from arrival to final walkthrough. Hollis Air Duct Cleaning has been part of the Garrison Partners family since 2004, and our crews serve University Place from our Seattle office with background-checked, uniformed technicians who arrive inside the quoted window and leave the price in writing before any work starts. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate.
University Place’s marine climate and its unique position inside the Tacoma Smelter Plume footprint mean duct cleaning here is different work than in neighboring Lakewood or Tacoma. The damp winters pull moisture into crawlspace-fed systems for eight months straight. And decades of arsenic- and lead-bearing dust settled into soil that gets tracked into homes and drawn through return-air grilles. We clean for both problems: microbial growth from humidity, and heavy-metal debris that standard vacuums won’t capture safely.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is University Place’s Preferred Air Duct Cleaning Company
We’ve built our reputation in University Place on The Garrison Standard, not on teaser coupons. That means written prices that don’t move at the door, a 365-Day Done Right Promise backed in writing on every job, and technicians who follow The Garrison Code: arrive inside the window, price in writing, complete the job by the book, leave the site clean.
Our phones are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No voicemail loops, no callback queues, no waiting until Monday for a scheduling answer. When you call (361) 326-5060, you talk to a human who can book your University Place appointment or answer questions about what the work involves.
Roy Castellanos leads Hollis Air Duct Cleaning with the same discipline that has defined the Garrison Partners family since 2004. Every technician is background-checked and uniformed. You know who’s walking into your home before they arrive. And if the work fails within a year, we come back and make it right at no charge, including a free second visit. That’s not a slogan. It’s written on every job.
Air Duct Inspection in University Place
Air Duct Inspection in University Place starts with a camera run through your supply and return lines, a filter and blower motor check, and moisture assessment of crawlspace takeoffs – the short, tight underfloor runs common in the city’s 1960s – 1980s ranch and split-level stock. A typical inspection runs $125 – $195 and gives you a written report with photos, recommended next steps, and a firm price if cleaning is needed.
On a split-level off Alameda Avenue, our tech pulled a return grille that had been drawing air from a damp crawlspace and found black-stained duct liner, a matted filter, and fine grayish dust on the blower motor housing – the kind of years-old accumulation we test for because of the smelter plume. We set the Rotobrush and Abatement Technologies HEPA unit under negative pressure, ran agitation tools through the short galvanized runs, and sealed the compromised crawlspace takeoffs before resetting the registers. The homeowner’s musty smell was gone and the furnace stopped short-cycling on the dirty filter.
What We Check in Crawlspace-Fed Systems
Most University Place ranches and split-levels pull return air through crawlspaces that stay damp eight months a year. We inspect for standing water, deteriorated duct liner, and gaps where soil-to-duct cross-contamination occurs. The smelter plume means that crawlspace dust isn’t ordinary dirt. We flag any heavy-metal staining and recommend HEPA source removal when we find it.
Video Documentation for Your Records
Our inspection includes before-and-after photos of your own ducts, not stock images. You see what we see: corrosion in galvanized runs, filter bypass gaps, microbial staining. This becomes your baseline for deciding whether cleaning is needed now or can wait.
Residential Air Duct Cleaning in University Place
Residential Air Duct Cleaning in University Place means full-system source removal: every supply and return register, the main trunk lines, the air handler cabinet, and the blower motor assembly. For a typical 1,500 – 2,500 square foot home in the city, you’re looking at $350 – $550. Larger homes with multiple zones or extensive crawlspace ductwork run $500 – $650. We use Rotobrush rotary brush systems and Nikro negative-air machines with HEPA filtration to capture debris at the source, not push it deeper into your home.
The marine climate here makes this a year-round need, not a seasonal one. Heating mode runs from October through May, pulling moist air through ducts that never fully dry. Add the smelter plume legacy, and you’ve got two distinct problems: biological growth from humidity, and heavy-metal particulate from contaminated soil. A genuine clean addresses both. A register vacuum and a fogging “sanitiser” does not.
Why Fogging Is Not Source Removal
A fogging “sanitiser” or deodorizer is sold as the fix for musty crawlspace-fed duct smell, but it only masks microbial growth and does nothing about the arsenic- and lead-tainted debris still sitting in the supply and return ducts. We don’t sell fogging as a standalone service because it isn’t cleaning. Real cleaning means mechanical agitation, negative-air containment, and HEPA filtration that removes debris from the system entirely.
Sealed Townhomes Near the Sound
The newer townhomes along Chambers Bay and the Sound present a different challenge: low-profile duct systems with limited access panels and flex runs that tear under aggressive brushing. We adjust our Rotobrush settings and use softer agitation tools designed for sealed systems. Same standard, different technique.
Trusted Brands We Service in University Place
Our equipment roster includes Rotobrush rotary brush systems for mechanical agitation, Nikro negative-air machines for containment, and Abatement Technologies HEPA filtration units rated for fine particulate capture. For homeowners upgrading filtration after a clean, we stock Aprilaire and Guardsman media filters with MERV ratings that actually trap the fine dust common in smelter-plume areas, not the thin fiberglass panels that let it pass straight through. We keep common sizes on our vans so University Place customers aren’t left running to the hardware store while we’re still on site.
Common Air Duct Cleaning Problems We See in University Place Homes
- Musty crawlspace return-air systems. The damp underfloor spaces in ranches off Bridgeport Way and around Chambers Bay pull moisture into return lines year-round. Black staining on duct liner and matted filters are the visible signs. The smell is the symptom most homeowners notice first.
- Heavy-metal dust in furnace filters. Because of the Tacoma Smelter Plume, we routinely find grayish, fine dust loading filters faster than expected. Standard pleated filters don’t capture the smallest particulate. We recommend MERV 13 or higher after cleaning, with scheduled replacement intervals.
- Short-cycling from dirty blower motors. Accumulated debris on the blower wheel reduces airflow, causing the furnace to overheat and shut off prematurely. In University Place’s long heating season, this means higher gas bills and unnecessary wear on the heat exchanger.
- Failed galvanized ductwork in original homes. The 1960s – 1980s stock in neighborhoods like Fircrest and the older sections near Cirque Drive used galvanized steel that corrodes from the inside out in damp crawlspaces. Camera inspection reveals the rust before it becomes a collapse or leak.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning in University Place, WA
| Service | Typical Range in University Place |
|---|---|
| Whole-home residential duct cleaning (1,500 – 2,500 sq ft) | $350 – $550 |
| Larger home or multi-zone system | $500 – $650 |
| Air duct inspection with video | $125 – $195 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (add-on) | $85 – $150 |
| Duct sealing with mastic (per system) | $200 – $400 |
What moves the price: accessibility of your crawlspace or attic, number of registers, condition of existing ductwork, and whether we find heavy-metal contamination requiring extended HEPA runtime and special disposal. We give you one flat price per system, agreed in writing, before any work starts. No per-vent add-ons, no equipment charges that appear at the door. Call (361) 326-5060 for an exact quote on your University Place home.
We Also Serve Cities Near University Place
Our crews work throughout the south Sound, including Air Duct Cleaning in University Place and neighboring Steilacoom, Lakewood, Tacoma, and DuPont. Scheduling and dispatch are coordinated from our Seattle office, with local routes planned to keep arrival windows tight for every customer.
Serving University Place, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the University Place 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 University Place
University Place’s combination of damp crawlspaces and the Tacoma Smelter Plume creates a unique problem: moisture feeds microbial growth in duct liner, while contaminated soil dust provides organic material that accelerates odor. Neighboring cities share the marine climate but not the heavy-metal contamination legacy that makes the debris itself more problematic. Call (361) 326-5060 if you’re noticing persistent musty smells when the furnace runs.
No. Fogging only coats surfaces with a chemical deodorizer; it does not remove arsenic- or lead-bearing particulate from your ductwork. Those metals remain in the system, continue circulating, and will recontaminate any new filter you install. HEPA source removal with mechanical agitation is the only method that captures and safely disposes of this debris. We do not offer fogging as a standalone service because it would leave the actual problem untouched.
Yes. The townhomes near Chambers Bay and the waterfront use sealed, low-profile flex duct systems that tear under standard rotary brushing. We use reduced-torque settings and softer agitation tools designed for these systems. The older ranches off Bridgeport Way and around Fircrest have short galvanized runs in damp crawlspaces that need more aggressive mechanical cleaning and often require sealing compromised takeoffs. The inspection tells us which approach your home needs.
Look for filters that load with fine grayish dust faster than manufacturer recommendations, persistent metallic or musty odors when the system runs, or visible staining on return grilles and blower motor housings. The only definitive check is a camera inspection with particulate testing. We offer this as part of our standard inspection and will show you what we find before recommending any cleaning. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule.
Every three to five years for most homes, but every two to three years if you have crawlspace-fed returns, visible moisture issues, or filters loading faster than expected. The smelter plume contamination means debris accumulates with different composition than ordinary household dust, and the eight-month heating season gives that debris more circulation time. We inspect first and recommend intervals based on what your specific system shows, not a calendar template.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving University Place and the south Sound since 2004.