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 Dryer Vent Cleaning Across Boston
Dryer vent cleaning in Boston typically runs $180 – $340 for a standard single-family or condo unit, and most jobs take 60 – 90 minutes from arrival to cleanup. If your dryer is taking two cycles to finish a load, or if you smell something scorched in the laundry room, the vent is almost certainly packed with lint you can’t reach from the outside cap.
We run our Boston scheduling and dispatch from a local metro office, and our crews know the difference between a straightforward rim-joist exit in a 1990s build and the 25-foot plaster chase hidden behind a triple-decker’s stacked washer-dryer. We’ve cleared lint blockages in Dorchester three-deckers, replaced crushed flex runs in Back Bay brownstones, and rerouted vents through South End rowhouses where the original 1920s routing no longer meets code. Call us at (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate, or keep reading to understand why Boston’s housing stock makes this job different from anywhere else.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is Boston’s Preferred Dryer Vent Cleaning Company
We’ve been doing this since 2004 as part of the Garrison Partners family, and our Boston crews operate under The Garrison Standard: arrive inside the quoted window, price the job in writing before touching anything, and leave the site clean. No exceptions.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed. You know who’s walking into your home before they arrive. The price we write down is the price you pay. It does not move at the door, and it is not built on a per-vent teaser that balloons once the technician is inside.
Every job carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise. 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 invoice.
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 morning to schedule.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Service in Boston
Dryer Vent Cleaning Service in Boston means more than blowing air through a tube. In this city’s 1880 – 1930 triple-deckers and brick rowhouses, dryer vents are frequently routed through interior plaster chases and shared wall cavities rather than straight out a rim joist, so the lint pathway folds back on itself and can run 25 feet or more before it reaches daylight. We use camera inspection to map the full run, agitation tools under negative pressure to break up felted lint, and then pull the debris out to the exterior wall cap where you can see it. A typical cleaning for a Boston single-family or condo unit runs $180 – $340; multi-unit buildings or runs exceeding 25 feet may run $320 – $480.
Camera Inspection and Documentation
We run a borescope through the full length of the vent before and after cleaning. You get timestamped photos of what was in there and proof that it’s gone. In Boston’s older buildings, where much of the run is hidden behind plaster or inside shared chases, this documentation is the only way to verify the job was done completely.
Lint Removal and Fire-Risk Reduction
The National Fire Protection Association lists dryer lint as a leading cause of home fires. In Boston’s humid summers and cold winters, condensation inside long horizontal runs packs lint into dense felted plugs that standard brushes can’t dislodge. Our rotary agitation tools, paired with Nikro negative-air machines, break up those plugs and extract them fully.
Dryer Vent Installation in Boston
Dryer Vent Installation in Boston requires understanding how this city’s old buildings actually work. You can’t just punch through an exterior wall and call it done. In triple-deckers, the chase may be shared between units. In rowhouses, the exterior wall might be structural brick that can’t be cored without engineering review. We map the path, check for backdraft and clearance requirements, and install rigid 4-inch aluminum pipe with proper slope and support. A standard reroute or new installation in Boston typically runs $400 – $750; complex jobs involving chase modification or multi-unit coordination can reach $900 – $1,400.
Rigid Pipe Replacement
Foil flex and plastic transition hose are not code-compliant for concealed installations, and they’re fire hazards in enclosed chases. We replace them with rigid aluminum, properly supported at 4-foot intervals, with smooth elbows that don’t create lint traps. The job is done to NFPA 211 and local amendment standards.
Bird Guard and Termination Upgrades
Boston’s coastal location means starlings and sparrows nest in exterior vent caps year-round. We install Guardsman termination hoods with built-in backdraft dampers and removable bird guards that stop nesting without blocking airflow. A cap replacement with guard installation typically adds $85 – $150 to a cleaning or installation job.
Trusted Brands We Service in Boston
Our Boston vans carry professional-grade equipment from Rotobrush, Nikro, and Abatement Technologies, plus Guardsman termination products. We don’t use hardware-store shop vacs or consumer-grade brush kits. The rotary brush systems we deploy are the same ones commercial crews use in hospitals and schools, and we stock rigid aluminum pipe, proper elbows, and code-compliant caps so most jobs finish in one visit without waiting on parts. For filtration and termination upgrades, we source Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Guardsman products with local supply-house relationships that keep turnaround short.
Common Dryer Vent Cleaning Problems We See in Boston Homes
- Assuming the vent is short because the dryer sits against an exterior wall. In brick rowhouses and triple-deckers, the cap is often on a different elevation entirely. The real lint pathway is 20-plus feet of hidden horizontal chase that a homeowner can’t see and a shop vac can’t reach.
- Cleaning only to the point a shop vac hose can reach. This leaves the felted lint plug at the first elbow intact. The dryer still runs hot, the blower motor still strains, and the fire risk stays exactly where it was.
- Reconnecting a crushed or foil flex transition without checking backdraft at the termination. The dryer keeps cycling hot, humid air back into the laundry. The blower motor works against a blocked run, and the unit fails prematurely.
- Ignoring shared chases in triple-deckers. In buildings from Dorchester to East Boston, one neighbor’s improperly vented dryer can pressurize a shared wall cavity, pushing moisture and lint into adjacent units. We seal and separate these runs when we find them.
Pricing for Dryer Vent Cleaning in Boston, MA
We’re direct about numbers because we’ve heard too many stories of Boston homeowners who accepted a $79 coupon and watched the invoice climb past $400 at the door. That doesn’t happen here.
A standard dryer vent cleaning for a Boston single-family home or condo unit runs $180 – $340. Multi-unit buildings, runs exceeding 25 feet, or jobs requiring camera inspection and access-panel work typically fall in the $320 – $480 range. New installations and reroutes start around $400 and can reach $1,400 for complex chase work in historic buildings. Bird guard or cap replacement adds $85 – $150.
We price by the system, not by the vent. One flat price per system, agreed in writing before work starts. You’ll know exactly what you’re paying before our technician touches a tool. Estimates are free. Call (361) 326-5060.
We Also Serve Cities Near Boston
Our Boston-based crews regularly travel to Boston neighbors including Somerville, Cambridge, Chelsea, and Everett. Same standards, same written pricing, same 365-Day Done Right Promise. If you’re just outside city limits, call us; we likely already have a crew in your area.
Serving Boston, MA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Boston 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 Dryer Vent Cleaning in Boston
Because in Boston’s triple-deckers and rowhouses, the visible duct behind the dryer is usually just the tip. The actual run often travels 20-plus feet through interior plaster chases and shared wall cavities before reaching daylight. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll camera-inspect the full path to show you exactly where the blockage is.
Every 12 – 18 months for a typical household, and every 6 – 12 months if you have a large household, pets, or do frequent laundry. Boston’s coastal humidity accelerates lint packing in long horizontal runs, so older buildings with concealed chases tend toward the shorter interval. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule.
It happens frequently in Boston’s 1880 – 1930 three-deckers, but it’s a fire and air-quality code issue that we correct when we find it. We can seal and separate shared runs, or reroute one vent to an independent termination. Call (361) 326-5060 for an inspection and written options.
Camera inspection of the full run, agitation tools under negative pressure to break up felted lint, extraction to the exterior cap, and before-and-after documentation you can see. In Boston’s older buildings, we also check for crushed transitions, backdraft at the termination, and proper pipe material. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate.
Yes, if the flex is concealed in a wall, floor, or chase. Foil flex is not code-compliant for concealed installations and is a known fire hazard. We replace it with rigid 4-inch aluminum, properly supported and sloped, which moves lint efficiently and won’t collapse or tear. A replacement typically runs $200 – $400 depending on access. Call (361) 326-5060 for an exact quote.
Ready to get your dryer vent squared away? Call Hollis Air Duct Cleaning at (361) 326-5060 for a free, written estimate. Our Dryer Vent Cleaning team serves Boston and surrounding communities with background-checked, uniformed technicians, professional-grade equipment, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise on every job.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving Boston since 2004.