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 HVAC Cleaning Across Corte Madera
HVAC cleaning in Corte Madera typically runs $425 – $875 for a complete system, and the job usually takes 3 – 5 hours when done right. We serve every neighborhood in Corte Madera, from the ranch homes near Christmas Tree Hill Road to the newer builds off Redwood Highway. Our background-checked techs run Rotobrush agitation tools and Nikro HEPA vacuums, and every booking comes with a written price before work starts. Call (737) 727-2314 for a free estimate.
Why Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning Is Corte Madera’s Preferred HVAC Cleaning Company
Corte Madera homeowners call us because we answer the phone. A live person picks up 24/7, no voicemail loops. That matters when your system kicks on and you smell something you can’t place.
Our reputation in Corte Madera is built on one thing: we show up, we explain what we found, and we hand you a written price before a single duct is touched. That price does not change at the door. It’s the Relay Standard, and every independent Cardinal location operates under it.
We know Corte Madera’s housing stock well. The older ranch homes near the marsh have crawlspace duct runs that most companies never inspect. The hillside builds have tight attic access with flex duct that’s hard to reach. Omar Haddad, who leads our team, insists on camera inspection before any scope is set. It’s the only way to know what you’re actually paying for.
Customers in Corte Madera, Larkspur, and Mill Valley consistently tell us the same thing: the before-and-after photos of their own ducts are what sold them. You see the debris we removed. You see the coil before and after. Nothing hidden.
Evaporator Coil Cleaning in Corte Madera
Evaporator coil cleaning in Corte Madera homes is often the single most neglected maintenance item in the entire HVAC system. The coil sits inside your air handler, and when it’s caked with dust and grime, your system works harder, cools less, and costs more to run. In a Corte Madera ranch with decades of dust cycling through, it’s common to find the coil blanketed in a gray film that kills efficiency.
A standalone evaporator coil cleaning in Corte Madera typically runs $225 – $400 depending on access. When we do it as part of a full HVAC Cleaning, the coil work is included in the system price, not added on as a surprise line item.
What the Job Actually Involves
We remove the access panel, inspect the coil with a camera, and document what we find before touching anything. Then we apply a professional coil cleaner, let it dwell, and rinse with low pressure so fins don’t bend. We finish with a coil treatment that slows future buildup.
When Corte Madera Homeowners Need It
If your AC runs but the air coming out is warmer than it used to be, or if your energy bill ticks up during hotter months without explanation, the coil is a likely suspect. Homes near the marsh deal with higher humidity, and that moisture makes coil buildup stick harder.
AC Duct Cleaning in Corte Madera
AC duct cleaning in Corte Madera is where we spend most of our time because this is where the health of your indoor air is decided. Ducts collect dust, pet dander, construction debris, and in older Corte Madera homes, rodent droppings from crawlspace runs. A standard AC duct cleaning for a single system here runs $425 – $625 for most homes.
The process is straightforward: we create negative pressure with a Nikro HEPA vacuum, meaning the loosened debris goes straight into the containment unit, not back into your living room. Then we agitate the duct walls with a Rotobrush system to break up what’s sticking. Every duct, every branch, gets the same treatment.
Camera Inspection Before Cleaning
We never quote a duct cleaning without first looking inside. A camera inspection shows us things a flashlight can’t: disconnected runs, crushed flex duct, active rodent activity, or debris wedged in a transition. In Corte Madera’s older homes, we frequently find disconnected returns drawing damp crawlspace air into the system.
Before and After Photos, Yours
You get photos of your ducts, not stock images. We document the before and after of every accessible section. If you don’t see a visible difference, we haven’t done our job. That’s what the 365-Day Done Right Promise is for: if the work isn’t right within a full year, we return and correct it at no charge.
Trusted Brands We Service in Corte Madera
Our techs service and clean equipment from every major manufacturer you’ll find in Corte Madera homes: Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Daikin, and Mitsubishi. We also install and service filtration products from Aprilaire and Guardsman, and we stock common filters locally for fast turnaround. When we need containment or specialized extraction, our Abatement Technologies units and Nikro HEPA vacuums are on the truck. If your system has a brand-specific quirk, we’ve probably seen it before.
Common HVAC Cleaning Problems We See in Corte Madera Homes
- Disconnected returns in crawlspaces. In older ranch homes near the marsh, return ducts run through crawlspaces where the duct connections can separate over time. The system pulls damp, musty air from under the house and pushes it through every room. We’ve found this on 1960s homes off Tamalpais Drive more times than we can count.
- Crushed flex duct in tight attic spaces. Hillside builds in Corte Madera often have shallow attic cavities with flex duct squeezed into spaces it was never meant to occupy. Airflow drops, rooms get stuffy, and the system works harder than it should. Camera inspection shows the extent before we quote.
- Coil buildup from coastal humidity. Corte Madera’s proximity to the bay means more moisture in the air, and moisture makes dust stick to evaporator coils like glue. A coil that’s never been cleaned can add 20 – 30% to your cooling costs during summer months.
- Rodent activity in duct runs. The mix of marshland and older housing creates ideal conditions for rodents. We find nesting materials and droppings in ducts more often in Corte Madera’s older neighborhoods than almost anywhere else we work. That debris is a health issue, not just an air quality problem.
Pricing for HVAC Cleaning in Corte Madera, CA
A full HVAC cleaning in Corte Madera, including evaporator coil cleaning, blower cleaning, and complete duct cleaning, runs $425 – $875 for a typical single-system home. Standalone services cost less: evaporator coil cleaning runs $225 – $400, blower cleaning $150 – $250, and AC duct cleaning alone $425 – $625. Condenser cleaning on outdoor units typically adds $100 – $175 depending on access.
What changes the price? Access matters. A crawlspace duct run that requires more time, or a tight attic install that slows the work, affects the quote. But here’s the thing: we give you the price before we start. It does not change at the door. No per-vent math, no upsell after the fact. Call (737) 727-2314 for a free estimate with a camera-verified scope.
We Also Serve Cities Near Corte Madera
Our HVAC cleaning crews serve the communities around Corte Madera as well: Larkspur, Mill Valley, Kentfield, and San Rafael. Scheduling and dispatch come from the brand’s San Francisco Bay Area office, but the techs arrive local, in uniform, with equipment stocked for the neighborhood’s specific housing types. Call and a live person picks up.
Serving Corte Madera, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Corte Madera 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 HVAC Cleaning in Corte Madera
Every 3 – 5 years for most Corte Madera homes. Homes with pets, recent renovation work, or duct runs through crawlspaces may benefit from every 2 – 3 years. The honest answer depends on what our camera inspection finds, not a calendar. Call (737) 727-2314 and we’ll walk you through what to look for.
Per system, always. Vent count is a meaningless metric when the real issues in Corte Madera are disconnected crawlspace returns, crushed attic flex duct, and coil buildup. Our price covers the complete system: ducts, coil, blower, and air handler. One flat number, written down, before work starts.
Camera inspection first, then a written quote. After you approve, we seal off the system, run negative pressure with a HEPA vacuum, agitate the duct walls with Rotobrush tools, clean the evaporator coil and blower, and document everything with before-and-after photos. You pay from a digital invoice link when the job is done. Call (737) 727-2314 to schedule.
We do not promise same-day service. Complete HVAC cleaning with camera inspection and proper source removal takes time, and rushing it means leaving debris behind. We’ll get you on the schedule as quickly as possible, and since a live person answers 24/7, you’ll know exactly when we’re coming.
Older ranch homes near the marsh often have crawlspace duct runs that are disconnected, chewed through, or collapsed. A standard cleaning that ignores those runs leaves the real problem untouched. Our camera inspection finds those issues and our quote includes fixing them, not just cleaning around them.
We handled an HVAC cleaning on a 1960s ranch off Tamalpais Drive where the homeowner complained of musty odors from the supply and return ducts whenever the system kicked on. Using a camera inspection, our tech found a disconnected return duct in the crawlspace drawing in damp marsh-side air, and after reconnecting it and running source removal with HEPA filtration and negative pressure, the odor cleared on the next cycle.
Corte Madera’s housing stock splits between older ranch homes near the marsh and newer hillside builds, so HVAC systems here face a mix of crawlspace duct runs prone to rodent intrusion and tight attic installs with inaccessible flex duct, meaning camera inspection, not guesswork, decides the actual scope of every job. Flat per-system pricing, camera-verified source removal, and before-and-after photos of your own ducts: that’s what an honest HVAC cleaning in Corte Madera looks like.
Call (737) 727-2314 for a free estimate. A live person answers, and you’ll get a written price before any work starts.
Written by Omar Haddad, Owner at Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning, serving Corte Madera and the surrounding Bay Area communities.




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