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 Somerville
Dryer vent cleaning in Somerville typically runs $180 – $340 for a standard residential system, and most jobs are completed in under two hours. We’re familiar with the triple-deckers along Highland Avenue, the converted Victorians near Davis Square, and the tight lot lines that make vent access tricky. Our Somerville crews carry camera inspection gear and rigid metal duct stock because the real problem is almost never at the lint trap, it’s in the chase behind the plaster. If your dryer’s taking two cycles or your bathroom’s fogging up when the dryer runs, call (361) 326-5060. We’ll give you a written price before we touch anything.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is Somerville’s Preferred Dryer Vent Cleaning Company
We’ve been working in Somerville long enough to know which triple-deckers on Pearl Street have the original 1920s gravity-furnace chases repurposed for dryer vents, and which ones got retrofitted with flex duct in the 1980s that turned brittle years ago. That matters because a technician who doesn’t recognize the building type will clean what’s visible and miss the lint packed behind your neighbor’s wall.
Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and held to The Garrison Code: arrive inside the window, price in writing, complete the job by the book, leave the site clean. Every job carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the work fails within a year, we return and make it right at no charge, including a free second visit.
Phones are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No voicemail loops. No callback queues. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our Boston office, but the crew that shows up at your door knows Somerville’s housing stock and its specific failure modes.
We don’t compete on teaser coupons. We compete on showing up, pricing honestly, and standing behind the work in writing.
Commercial Dryer Vent Cleaning in Somerville
Commercial Dryer Vent Cleaning in Somerville covers laundromats, multi-unit buildings, and any facility where dryers run continuous cycles and lint accumulates faster than residential systems. A commercial job in Somerville typically runs $400 – $850 depending on the number of units, total duct length, and whether we need to coordinate access through shared chases or rooftop terminations. We use Nikro negative-air machines and Rotobrush rotary systems to handle the higher volume, and we document the before-and-after with camera footage you can show your insurance carrier or property manager.
Multi-Unit Building Coordination
In Somerville’s triple-deckers, one building’s vent system often shares a common chase. We inspect the full run, coordinate with all units when necessary, and seal joints with proper mastic so lint doesn’t migrate between floors. This prevents callbacks and protects every tenant in the building.
Documentation for Property Managers
We provide written reports with camera images, airflow readings, and any recommendations for repair or rerouting. This satisfies insurance requirements and gives you a baseline for the next maintenance cycle.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Service in Somerville
Dryer Vent Cleaning Service in Somerville means more than vacuuming the lint trap and blowing compressed air into the wall. We camera-inspect the full run, remove blockages at their source, and replace crushed flex with rigid metal duct pitched to drain properly. A standard residential cleaning in Somerville runs $180 – $340; if we find separated joints, pest intrusion, or a vent that needs rerouting, we’ll show you on camera and give you a written price for the repair before we proceed.
Camera Inspection and Access
Most Somerville homes have ductwork hidden behind plaster walls or buried in unheated attics. Our camera lets us see what we’re dealing with before we commit to a scope of work. No guesswork. No surprises at the door.
Rigid Metal Replacement
When we find crushed flex duct or disconnected sections, we replace with rigid metal duct, sealed at every joint. It handles the temperature swings better, resists crushing, and meets current fire safety standards that original 1920s materials never did.
Trusted Brands We Service in Somerville
Our equipment comes from Rotobrush, Nikro, and Abatement Technologies, the same brands commercial crews use in hospitals and schools. We stock rigid metal duct, proper vent caps, and bird guards sized for Somerville’s common 4-inch runs. That means most repairs happen same visit, no waiting for parts. If your vent cap’s missing its damper or you’ve got starlings nesting in the termination, we handle it on the spot with the right materials, not hardware-store workarounds.
Common Dryer Vent Cleaning Problems We See in Somerville Homes
- Crushed flex in party-wall chases. In Somerville’s triple-deckers, the 4-inch flex run often gets flattened where it passes through a shared wall. One unit’s dryer works harder, lint backs up into the chase, and the moisture migrates into neighboring units. We cut access panels, replace with rigid metal, and pitch it properly.
- Original ductwork hidden behind plaster. Those beautiful plaster walls in Winter Hill and Spring Hill homes often conceal asbestos-wrapped ducts or add-on flex that’s never been inspected. Without a camera, a surface clean misses the real fire load entirely.
- Freeze-thaw separation in unheated spaces. Somerville’s cold winters and humid summers mean vent joints in attics and basements expand and contract. We find separated sections every spring, dumping lint and moist air into wall cavities where mold follows.
- Bird and pest intrusion at roof and wall terminations. Missing or broken vent caps are common on older Somerville roofs. We replace with proper caps that include dampers and screens, installed to local code.
Pricing for Dryer Vent Cleaning in Somerville, MA
Here’s what we charge for Dryer Vent Cleaning in Somerville:
- Standard residential dryer vent cleaning: $180 – $340
- Camera inspection (included with cleaning, $95 standalone): no charge when bundled
- Vent rerouting or rigid metal replacement: $250 – $550 depending on length and access
- Bird guard or vent cap replacement: $85 – $175
- Commercial multi-unit cleaning: $400 – $850
What moves the price: total duct length, whether we need to cut access panels in plaster, coordination with multiple units in a triple-decker, and whether the vent terminates at roof level. We give you one flat price per system, agreed in writing, before any work starts. No per-vent pricing. No add-ons at the door. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Somerville
Our crews work throughout the metro area, including Cambridge, Medford, Boston, and Everett. Each city has its own housing stock and its own vent problems, Somerville’s triple-decker chases are ours to know.
Serving Somerville, MA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Somerville 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 Somerville
No. In Somerville’s triple-deckers, two-cycle drying almost always means restricted airflow from lint buildup in the vent run, not the dryer itself. We were called to a three-family on Highland Avenue where the downstairs tenant’s dryer was taking two cycles to dry a load. A camera inspection showed the 4-inch flex run had been crushed flat behind a plastered-over chase in the party wall, packed solid with a decade of lint. We cut an access panel, pulled the collapsed flex, and replaced it with rigid metal duct pitched to the exterior, dry time dropped back to one cycle and the lint pathway was clear for all three units. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll camera-inspect yours.
Not always, but sometimes yes. In Somerville’s triple-deckers, dryer vent runs often travel through shared party-wall chases, so our camera inspections routinely find lint from one unit’s dryer lodged behind a neighbor’s wall, cleaning only one unit leaves a hidden fire load the other two can’t see. We inspect the full chase with our camera and coordinate with neighbors when the blockage crosses property lines. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll explain what your specific building needs.
We don’t force brushes through original ductwork without knowing what’s back there. We camera-inspect first. If the duct is asbestos-wrapped or too fragile for mechanical cleaning, we’ll show you the footage and discuss options, sealing, rerouting, or targeted access that preserves the plaster. The inspection itself is non-invasive. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free look.
Somerville’s cold, humid winters and hot, humid summers mean HVAC systems work overtime, leading to condensation in ducts during cooling season and dry, dusty air in winter. The freeze-thaw cycles loosen vent joints in unheated attics, and the coastal moisture accelerates corrosion at terminations. We recommend annual inspection for homes with vent runs in unheated spaces, and cleaning every 12 – 18 months for standard installations. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule.
Yes. Commercial dryer vent cleaning in Somerville covers laundromats, apartment buildings, and any facility with continuous-use equipment. We use Nikro negative-air machines for the higher lint volume, coordinate access across multiple units or businesses, and provide written documentation for your insurance or property management. Typical commercial jobs run $400 – $850. Call (361) 326-5060 for a site-specific quote.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving Somerville since 2004.