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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AfterHow Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in Los Angeles?
Air Duct Cleaning in Los Angeles typically costs $350 to $700 for a standard single-family home, with most LA homeowners landing around $450 to $550 for a full system that includes the main trunk lines and every supply and return register. Larger homes in the hills, multi-unit buildings, and systems with heavy debris or mold push the number to $900 or more. That price should always be a written number handed to you before any work starts, not a range that moves once the truck is parked.
That’s the model we run at Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning. You get a written price up front, background-checked technicians in uniform, and photo proof of what came out of your ducts. No surprise line items, no “we found something extra” conversation at the door.
Air Duct Cleaning Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s what the numbers look like across the Los Angeles market right now. Every job is a little different, but these ranges reflect real quotes for real homes from the Valley to the South Bay.
| Service | Typical LA Price Range | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard single-family home (up to 2,000 sq ft, 8-12 vents) | $350 – $550 | Main trunk lines, all supply registers, return vents, one HVAC unit |
| Mid-size home (2,000 – 3,000 sq ft, 12-18 vents) | $500 – $800 | Full system, multiple returns, one or two HVAC units |
| Large home (3,000+ sq ft or multi-system) | $800 – $1,400+ | Every branch line, all returns, plus coil and blower cabinet cleaning |
| Additional HVAC unit | $100 – $200 each | Second furnace or air handler tied to the same duct network |
| Dryer vent cleaning (add-on) | $100 – $175 | Full lint line, exterior termination, airflow test |
| Mold remediation add-on | $400 – $1,200+ | EPA-registered treatment, containment, post-treatment verification |
| Sanitizing / deodorizing treatment | $75 – $200 | Mist or fogging treatment for odor and microbial control |
| Filter upgrade (Aprilaire, Honeywell, Guardsman) | $40 – $300 | Depends on MERV rating and cabinet compatibility |
What pushes you toward the top of a range? Square footage and vent count first, then system condition. A 1970s ranch house in Van Nuys with original flex duct running through a hot attic is a different job than a newer build in Playa Vista with a tight, accessible system. Pets, recent remodeling, water intrusion, and years of skipped filter changes all add time and equipment. If your ducts have visible mold or rodent activity, expect the job to move into remediation territory.
What Affects Air Duct Cleaning Pricing in Los Angeles
- Home size and vent count. Most LA companies price by the number of registers and the length of trunk line. A 12-vent home in Sherman Oaks costs less than an 18-vent home in Encino because there’s simply more duct to clean and more time on site.
- Access to the system. Attic and crawlspace access matters. Homes in the Hollywood Hills often have ducts buried in tight, angled attic runs, while slab-foundation homes in Torrance and Long Beach have their own challenges with inaccessible return chases. Hard-to-reach systems add labor.
- Duct material. Flexible foil duct is faster to clean than rigid sheet metal with years of caked-on debris, and it’s also more prone to tearing. If your system is older flex duct from the 1990s, technicians have to work carefully and may find sections that need replacing.
- Contamination level. Visible mold, rodent droppings, or heavy construction dust from a recent remodel in Silver Lake or Highland Park means remediation, not routine cleaning. That’s a bigger job with different equipment, like Abatement Technologies containment units to keep spores out of your living space.
- Number of HVAC systems. Two-story homes and duplexes with separate units for each floor price per unit. A Santa Monica duplex with two air handlers runs roughly double a single-system house.
- Who you hire. Truck-mounted vacuum services, handyman duct cleaning, and true professional duct cleaning using equipment like Rotobrush rotary brush systems and Nikro HEPA vacuums are three different price tiers. The cheap end usually means less equipment and less time in your system.
Los Angeles also has its own quirks. Wildfire smoke seasons push more homeowners in the San Gabriel Valley and Westside to book after ash events, so availability tightens and some companies raise rates during those weeks. Coastal humidity in areas like Venice and El Segundo can encourage microbial growth in ducts in a way that inland homes don’t see. And if you live in an older rent-controlled building in Koreatown or Echo Park, your ducts may not have been touched in decades. For comparison, check our How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in Miami, FL? (2026 Price Guide).
What “Professional” Actually Means at This Price
When a price seems too low for Los Angeles, it usually means one of three things: no negative-pressure containment, no rotary brush agitation, or no camera verification. Professional duct cleaning uses both a brush system to loosen debris and a HEPA-rated vacuum running in negative pressure. Negative-pressure extraction means the loosened debris goes straight into the vacuum, not back into your living room.
Our trucks carry Rotobrush brush systems for agitating the duct walls, Nikro HEPA vacuums for extraction, and Abatement Technologies containment for jobs involving mold or heavy contamination. We snap before-and-after photos of the duct interiors and the register boots so you can see what changed. If you want to compare pricing, see our Manhattan air duct cleaning cost guide or ask any company you call which equipment they run and whether you’ll get photos.
How to Save on Air Duct Cleaning
The honest answer is that the best savings come from booking before you have a problem. A few practical moves:
- Bundle duct cleaning with dryer vent cleaning. Most LA companies, ours included, discount the second service when it’s on the same visit. As an add-on it’s usually $100 to $175, but bundled it drops.
- Book during off-peak months. Late winter and early spring are slower than the summer AC rush and the fall wildfire-smoke surge. Scheduling in February or March often gets you a better rate and faster availability.
- Get three written quotes. Ask each company for the price in writing before they arrive. If a phone quote is vague, that’s a signal the real number will change once they’re inside your home.
- Stay on top of filters. A $15 filter changed every 60 to 90 days keeps a $500 duct cleaning from becoming a $700 duct cleaning two years later. In dusty areas like the East Valley, change them more often.
- Ask about the guarantee. A company that stands behind the work for a year is a better value than one that saves you $50 and disappears. Our 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every job for a full year; if it’s not right, we come back and make it right.
- Skip the upsell. You don’t need sanitizing treatment on every job. If your ducts aren’t showing microbial growth or odor, decline it.
Free estimates make the comparison easy. Call (737) 727-2314 and a live person answers, day or night.
Repair or Replace? When Duct Work Needs More Than Cleaning
Sometimes the price of cleaning shows you that a section of duct is torn, disconnected, or crushed. That’s worth knowing. A cleaning runs $350 to $700 in LA. Replacing a single damaged run of flex duct usually costs $150 to $400 depending on length and attic access. Replacing an entire system runs $2,500 to $6,000. We give you a written price on any repair, back it with a written guarantee, and offer a free second visit if the repair fails.
The rule we use: if a duct can be cleaned and still performs, clean it. If it’s crushed, wet, or filled with rodent damage, replace that section. Replacing the whole system is almost never the first answer.
FAQs – Air Duct Cleaning Cost
How much does air duct cleaning cost in Los Angeles?
Most LA homeowners pay $350 to $700 for a standard single-family home, with the average around $500, similar to what you’ll find in our Nashville-Davidson air duct cleaning cost guide. Larger homes with two HVAC systems or heavy contamination run $800 to $1,400. Call (737) 727-2314 for a written quote specific to your home; estimates are free.
Is it cheaper to clean or replace air ducts?
Cleaning is almost always cheaper. A full cleaning runs $350 to $700. Replacing a single damaged section of duct runs $150 to $400, and replacing the whole system runs $2,500 to $6,000. Replace only what’s damaged. Call us for an assessment before you assume the worst.
How long does air duct cleaning take?
A standard single-family home takes 2 to 4 hours. Larger homes with multiple HVAC systems run 4 to 6 hours. We give you a live, trackable arrival window when you book, part of The Relay Standard, so you’re not stuck waiting around all day.
Do you charge extra for multiple stories or multiple HVAC units?
Yes, typically $100 to $200 per additional HVAC unit. A two-story home with separate upstairs and downstairs systems is priced as two units because each has its own duct network to clean and verify. Two-story jobs in LA usually land in the $700 to $1,000 range.
Does air duct cleaning actually make a difference?
Yes, when there’s real debris to remove. In homes with pets, recent remodeling, or wildfire smoke exposure, homeowners regularly notice better airflow and less dust on surfaces within a week. Our before-and-after duct photos show exactly what came out. Call (737) 727-2314 to schedule a free estimate.
Can you come today?
Often, yes. Same-day and next-day appointments are available in many Los Angeles neighborhoods depending on the season. The live person who answers at (737) 727-2314 can tell you what’s open this week.
Book With a Written Price and Photo Proof
Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning is the air duct specialist of the Relay Home Co. family, founded in 2005. Every booking includes a written price before any work starts, a background-checked uniformed technician you know by name, a live trackable arrival window, before-and-after photos of the work, and a digital invoice you can pay from your phone. If anything isn’t right within 365 days, we come back and correct it at no charge.
If you want a real number for your Los Angeles home, call (737) 727-2314 for a free estimate. A live person answers 24/7, and we’ll give you a written price before we touch a single duct.
Written by Omar Haddad, Owner at Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning, serving Los Angeles, CA.
Pricing reflects the Los Angeles market as of 2026. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning offers free estimates – call (737) 727-2314.
What Our Customers Say
"Booked a slot in the app, got a reminder text, and watched the crew's van on the map as it came. Cleaned all the vents and the main trunk. Easy from start to finish."
- Rob J."Cleaning plus HVAC coil clean. Tech texted when he was ten minutes away. No surprises on the price."
- Evan S."Dryer vent fix fixed the burning smell. The clog was behind the elbow and the whole laundry room smells normal now."
- Dennis K.