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.
Fast, Reliable Duct Sealing Across University of California-Davis
Duct sealing in University of California-Davis typically runs $450 – $950 for a whole-house system, and most jobs are scheduled within a week during the off-season, sooner during the pre-fall apartment turnover rush. We’re familiar with the housing stock here: the 1960s – 1990s rental duplexes west of campus, the converted single-family homes near Russell Boulevard, and the older apartment clusters along Anderson Road. Our dispatch is coordinated from the brand’s Los Angeles office, but crews serve University of California-Davis locally and know the difference between a standard residential seal and the crushed-flex-duct repairs common in student rentals. Call (361) 326-5060 for a written estimate before any work starts.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is University of California-Davis’s Preferred Duct Sealing Company
We’ve been part of the Garrison Partners family since 2004, and our Duct Sealing in University of California-Davis work follows The Garrison Standard: arrive inside the quoted window, price in writing, complete the job by the book, leave the site clean. In University of California-Davis, that standard matters more than usual because so much of our work happens during narrow pre-move-in windows when landlords need units ready by a hard date.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, and we use professional-grade equipment from Nikro, Honeywell, and Abatement Technologies. Every repair is backed by 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.
We know the local conditions that affect duct sealing in University of California-Davis. The hot, dry summers mean cooling systems run hard for months, and the intense pollen season from surrounding agricultural fields and the campus arboretum loads return-air grilles with fine debris that masks leaks until after cleaning and sealing. Student turnover in rentals west of campus creates a predictable late-summer scheduling surge that we’ve built our calendar around.
HVAC Duct Sealing in University of California-Davis
HVAC Duct Sealing in University of California-Davis is often the real fix behind complaints that “the AC can’t keep up” or “some rooms never cool down.” The job involves finding leaks in the supply and return ductwork, sealing joints and seams with mastic and foil tape, and verifying the repair with static-pressure readings. In this market, a typical whole-system seal runs $450 – $750 for a small apartment or duplex, $650 – $950 for larger converted student housing with shared plenum spaces. Prices are written down before any work starts and do not move at the door.
Because UC Davis sits in a heavy agricultural belt, its pollen season coats return-air grilles with fine plant debris, and in the student rentals west of campus, landlords routinely book pre-move-in duct sealing the same week they turn units over – a seasonal pattern you won’t find in neighboring cities. We plan for this. Our August and early September calendar fills fast with landlords who need units sealed, tested, and ready before the first lease date.
When Sealing Reveals Bigger Problems
We often arrive for a seal and find the real issue is a crushed or disconnected flexible duct run. In University of California-Davis, original 1960s – 1990s flex duct in student rentals has sagged, been stepped on in attics, or pulled loose at the plenum collar. Sealing a leak that isn’t the primary failure is a waste of your money. Our techs run a camera first, show you what we find, and price the repair separately before touching anything.
Post-Seal Verification
After sealing, we take before-and-after static-pressure readings and share them with you. In University of California-Davis, heavy pollen loads can throw off post-job readings if grilles weren’t fully cleaned first. We check that too. The blower motor should stop short-cycling, supply rooms should feel balanced, and your written report should show the numbers that prove it.
Duct Repair in University of California-Davis
Duct Repair in University of California-Davis goes hand-in-hand with sealing because so much of the local housing stock has original flexible duct that has failed structurally. The job involves replacing crushed or torn flex runs, reconnecting collars at the air handler, separating illegally tied dryer vents from HVAC chases, and rebuilding plenum connections in converted multi-unit housing. Typical repairs here run $280 – $550 for a single run replacement, $500 – $900 for multi-run or plenum work in larger converted homes. Again, written price before work starts, guaranteed for a full year.
Last August we were called to a 1970s duplex on Sycamore Lane, just west of the UC Davis campus, where a returning tenant complained that summer cooling couldn’t keep up and the place smelled like a kennel. Our tech ran a camera inspection and found the original flexible duct in the back bedroom had a crushed run and a disconnected collar at the air handler, dumping cold air into the shared plenum. We sealed the joints with mastic and foil tape, reconnected the collar, and the supply static dropped enough that the blower motor stopped short-cycling within the first hour.
Illegal Dryer-Vent Crossovers
In converted student housing near campus, some older units have dryer vents tied into HVAC chases. This is a fire hazard and it defeats any duct seal until separated. Our techs know to look for this in University of California-Davis’s pre-1990s stock. We document it, price the separation, and handle the re-routing to code. For dedicated University of California-Davis Dryer Vent Cleaning, we also offer full vent-line service separate from HVAC work.
Shared Plenum Complications
When a single-family home near Russell Boulevard or Anderson Road becomes a multi-unit rental, the original plenum often gets modified by landlords or handymen without permits. We find disconnected branches, unsealed access holes, and cross-contamination between units. Repairing these properly takes longer than a standard seal, but it’s the only way to get each unit its own controlled airflow.
Trusted Brands We Service in University of California-Davis
Our Duct Sealing crews carry professional-grade equipment from Nikro, Honeywell, and Abatement Technologies – the same negative-air machines, rotary brush systems, and filtration products that commercial crews use. For University of California-Davis customers, this means we stock the mastic compounds, foil tapes, and collar connectors that fit the 1960s – 1990s duct sizing common here, rather than making you wait for a parts run to Sacramento or the Bay Area. We also source filtration upgrades from Aprilaire when a sealed system needs better return-air protection against the agricultural pollen that loads University of California-Davis grilles each spring and fall. Fast turnaround matters during pre-move-in season, and keeping the right materials on the van is part of how we hit our quoted windows.
Common Duct Sealing Problems We See in University of California-Davis Homes
- Crushed original flex duct in student rentals west of campus. The 1960s – 1990s flexible duct runs in attics and crawlspaces have been compressed by storage, foot traffic, or decades of settling. Sealing the joints doesn’t help when the run itself is pinched flat and moving almost no air.
- Disconnected collars at the air handler plenum. In the converted housing near campus, vibration from blower motors and tenant turnover maintenance have loosened the mechanical connections where flex duct meets metal. Cold air dumps into the attic or crawlspace until the collar is reattached and sealed.
- Illegal dryer-vent ties into HVAC chases. Some older University of California-Davis units, especially pre-1980s conversions, have dryer vents routed through the same chase as heating and cooling ducts. Lint buildup creates pressure irregularities that make duct sealing readings meaningless until the systems are separated.
- Pollen-clogged returns masking leak locations. The agricultural belt around UC Davis generates fine dust and plant debris that coats return grilles and filters. A system can appear to have supply-side leaks when the real restriction is at the return. We clean before we seal, then test again.
Pricing for Duct Sealing in University of California-Davis, CA
Whole-system duct sealing in University of California-Davis runs $450 – $750 for apartments and small duplexes, $650 – $950 for larger converted student housing with complex plenum work. Single-run duct repair is typically $280 – $550; multi-run or plenum reconstruction runs $500 – $900. These are whole-system prices, not per-vent teaser rates that balloon once the technician is inside your home.
What moves the price: accessibility (crawlspace vs. attic vs. closet), the number of disconnected or crushed runs we find, whether illegal dryer-vent separation is needed, and whether the job is scheduled during the pre-fall rush when demand peaks. We inspect first, write the price down, and do not move it at the door. Estimates are free. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule.
We Also Serve Cities Near University of California-Davis
Our crews travel throughout the region for scheduled duct sealing and repair work. We regularly serve University of California-Davis homeowners and landlords, and we’re available in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco as well. Dispatch is coordinated from the brand’s Los Angeles office, with local technicians assigned to each market.
Serving University of California-Davis, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the University of California-Davis 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 Duct Sealing in University of California-Davis
Student turnover is extreme here, with subtenants and summer leases creating a compressed move-out/move-in cycle that other cities don’t match. Landlords who don’t seal between tenants get complaints about odors, uneven cooling, and high bills that eat into their margins. Pre-move-in sealing is standard practice for experienced property managers in this zone, not an extra.
Yes, and we build our August and early September calendar specifically around this need. We recommend booking 2 – 3 weeks ahead during peak season. Call (361) 326-5060 to hold a slot – estimates are free, and the price is locked in writing before work starts.
We start with a camera inspection of the accessible duct runs, looking for crushed flex, disconnected collars, and illegal dryer-vent crossovers common in pre-1990s conversions. Then we clean returns and supplies, seal all accessible joints with mastic and foil tape, reconnect any separated components, and take static-pressure readings before and after. You get a written report with photos and the numbers that prove the improvement.
They can. Pet dander from on-campus animal housing and veterinary research facilities is a documented indoor air concern in adjacent rentals, and landlords often schedule duct cleaning and sealing to clear accumulated allergens between tenants. We check for dander loading in returns and can recommend filtration upgrades from Honeywell or Aprilaire as part of the sealing process.
We separate them. This is a fire code violation and it makes accurate duct sealing impossible because the dryer lint creates pressure variables that mask the real leaks. We document the crossover, price the separation and re-routing, and handle it before any sealing work begins. The repair is included in your written quote, not added later.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving University of California-Davis since 2004.




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