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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Before
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Before
AfterAir Duct Cleaning Company in Berkeley, CA
Air duct cleaning in Berkeley runs $450 – $850 for a typical single-system home, with most jobs falling in the $550 – $700 range depending on home age, duct accessibility, and whether mold remediation is needed. We’re Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, part of the Garrison Partners family, and we’ve learned that Berkeley jobs aren’t like jobs anywhere else in the Bay Area. The city’s pre-1940s housing stock, hillside terrain, and marine-influenced climate create conditions you won’t find in newer suburban markets. Call us at (361) 326-5060 for a free written estimate before any work starts.
Why Berkeley Homes Are Different
Berkeley’s housing market is dominated by homes built before 1940, especially in the Elmwood, North Berkeley, and Claremont districts. Many still run on original gravity furnace systems with ductwork that was never properly sealed and now pulls air straight from dirt crawlspaces common to hillside construction. In the Berkeley Hills, we’ve found duct runs embedded in concrete slab foundations, packed with decades of compacted dust that standard equipment can’t touch.
The marine layer keeps Berkeley mild year-round, but that same damp fog and winter rain creates chronic moisture inside duct systems. Older homes with poor ventilation see mold and mildew growth that dry-climate cities simply don’t face. And because so many properties have been remodeled multiple times, ducts are often disjointed or hidden behind original redwood wainscoting. A standard negative-air cleaning without targeted access points wastes the homeowner’s money. We use Rotobrush rotary brush systems and Nikro negative-air machines, but the tool selection matters less than knowing when a Berkeley job requires cutting careful access panels or working around historic fabric.
Our Main Berkeley Services
Most Berkeley homeowners call us for one of three jobs. Each has its own page with full pricing, process details, and neighborhood-specific notes.
Air Duct Cleaning in Berkeley
We clean supply and return ducts, registers, and the main trunk lines using either rotary brush or negative-air methods, chosen after we see your system. In Berkeley, we often encounter unlined metal ductwork from the 1920s and 1930s that requires slower brush speeds to avoid damaging thin, corroded walls. We photograph the interior before and after so you see what came out. Air Duct Cleaning in Berkeley
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Berkeley
Lint buildup in dryer vents is a leading cause of house fires, and Berkeley’s older homes often have vent runs that are too long, too many elbows, or terminate in inaccessible crawlspaces. We clear the full run from dryer to termination, test airflow with a manometer, and flag code violations we find. Many Elmwood and Claremont homes need vent rerouting, which we quote in writing before starting. Dryer Vent Cleaning in Berkeley
Duct Sealing in Berkeley
Unsealed ducts in Berkeley’s pre-war homes leak conditioned air into crawlspaces and pull in soil gases, allergens, and rodent debris. We apply duct sealing mastic and mechanical fasteners at joints and seams, then pressure-test to verify the seal. For homes with original gravity furnace systems, sealing is often the single most cost-effective improvement you can make to indoor air quality and system efficiency. Duct Sealing in Berkeley
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Berkeley
We stock parts and filtration products from Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Abatement Technologies, and our crews run Rotobrush and Nikro equipment on every Berkeley job. Most filter replacements and standard hardware turn around same visit. See our brands for the full equipment roster.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning Company in Berkeley, CA
| Service | Typical range in Berkeley |
|---|---|
| Standard residential air duct cleaning (single system) | $450 – $850 |
| Deep cleaning with mold remediation | $800 – $1,400 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (standard run) | $150 – $250 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (long run or crawlspace access) | $250 – $400 |
| Duct sealing (per system, labor and materials) | $600 – $1,200 |
| Gravity furnace duct restoration | $900 – $1,600 |
| Concrete slab duct access and cleaning | $700 – $1,100 |
| HVAC filter upgrade (Honeywell / Aprilaire) | $80 – $200 |
| Post-cleaning duct photography documentation | Included |
| Written estimate and system inspection | Free |
What pushes Berkeley prices toward the higher end: original gravity furnace systems requiring careful access, concrete slab duct runs in the Hills, and mold remediation from chronic moisture. What keeps them predictable: we write the price down before any work starts, and that number does not move at the door. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every job in writing.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Berkeley
We dispatch from our San Francisco Bay Area office and run scheduled appointments across Berkeley proper and the immediate hills. Most addresses fall within a 20-minute drive of our routing center, with Hills calls slotted for mornings to beat fog-related traffic delays.
- Elmwood
- North Berkeley
- Claremont
- Berkeley Hills
- West Berkeley
Service Area – Cities Near Berkeley
Berkeley homeowners aren’t the only ones dealing with pre-war housing and marine-climate duct issues. We also serve Emeryville, CA, Albany, CA, El Cerrito, CA, and Piedmont, CA on scheduled routes. Each city gets the same written-price standard and the same 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Serving Berkeley, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Berkeley 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 Company in Berkeley
Standard residential air duct cleaning and dryer vent cleaning do not require permits in Berkeley. Duct sealing and any structural modifications to historic properties may need review if your home is in a designated landmark district. We flag permit questions during our free estimate and can recommend local expediters if needed. Call (361) 326-5060 to discuss your specific property.
We use low-torque rotary brush systems designed to dislodge compacted dust without stressing aging metal embedded in concrete. Access is typically through existing registers or carefully cut panels that we restore before leaving. We photograph the entire process so you see the condition before and after. Not every company in the area carries slab-specific equipment.
Yes. We coordinate with building managers and HOA boards regularly, especially in larger North Berkeley and Elmwood properties. Our crew arrives in uniform with background-check documentation available on request, and we carry proof of insurance. We schedule during approved building hours and leave common areas exactly as we found them. Call (361) 326-5060 to arrange a building walk-through first if your board requires it.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local air duct cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Berkeley Customers Say
"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."No sales pitch. Told me which parts of the system were fine and only cleaned what needed it."
- Ted L."They checked each section with a camera and showed me the dust before and after. Thorough and honest."
- Nicole H.