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 Seattle?
Air duct cleaning in Seattle typically runs $450 to $850 for a standard single-family home, with most homeowners landing near $600. That covers a full system of supply and return ducts, the registers, and the air handler. Larger homes, homes with two HVAC systems, or ducts that haven’t been touched since the original build can push past $1,000.
Seattle’s wet marine climate adds a wrinkle other markets don’t deal with. Ducts here spend eight months a year cycling damp air, and that moisture feeds dust that clumps together instead of drifting loose. Clumped debris takes longer to clear and sometimes needs containment, which is why a downtown condo and a 1970s rambler in Wedgwood can get quoted differently even when the square footage is close.
Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning gives you a written price before a single duct is touched. If that number changes at your door, that’s on us, not you. Call (737) 727-2314 and a live person picks up, any hour.
Air Duct Cleaning Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s what the line items look like in the Seattle market this year. Ranges assume a typical 1,500 to 2,500 square foot home in King County with one forced-air system.
| Service | Typical Seattle Price | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard air duct cleaning | $450 – $850 | All supply and return ducts, registers, grilles, air handler wipe-down |
| Additional HVAC system | $250 – $400 | Each extra furnace or heat pump system on the same property |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $120 – $250 | Full lint line removal from dryer to exterior termination |
| HVAC coil & blower cleaning | $200 – $450 | Evaporator coil and blower wheel, the parts ducts can’t reach |
| Mold or microbial treatment | $300 – $900 | Antimicrobial application after confirmed growth is removed |
| Duct sealing (add-on) | $400 – $1,200 | Aeroseal or mastic sealing at leak points along the run |
| Air quality test / inspection | $0 – $150 | Camera scope and particle reading; often free with a booked cleaning |
What pushes you toward the top of those ranges? Square footage is the obvious one, but in Seattle the bigger drivers are age and moisture history. A 1920s Craftsman in Ballard with original galvanized ductwork takes more passes than a 2015 townhouse in Ballard’s newer blocks. Flex duct, common in homes built after 2000, cleans quickly but tears if the tech gets impatient, so it calls for gentler rotary settings. We run Rotobrush brush systems for exactly that reason: the rotational speed is controllable, so rigid and flex ducts each get handled properly rather than one-size-fits-all.
If you want the full picture of how we handle a system top to bottom, our air duct cleaning service page walks through the process step by step.
Why Two-Brand Equipment Matters to Your Price
Equipment choice isn’t a marketing detail, it’s what keeps a quote honest. We pair Rotobrush rotary brushes with Nikro HEPA-rated vacuums. Negative-pressure extraction is the term of art, and it means the loosened debris gets pulled straight into the vacuum instead of being stirred into your living room. On jobs where a duct has rusted through (common in Seattle basements) or where a prior pest issue left material behind, we bring Abatement Technologies containment units to seal off the work zone. Those tools cost more than a truck-mounted shop vac, and they’re why a real cleaning takes a few hours instead of forty-five minutes.
What Affects Air Duct Cleaning Pricing in Seattle
Before you compare quotes, know the six variables that actually move the number. Two companies can give you the same headline price and mean completely different scopes.
- Home size and duct runs. A 1,200 sq ft bungalow in Columbia City has fewer branches than a 3,400 sq ft two-story in Magnolia. Every additional branch adds time, and time is what you’re really buying.
- Number of HVAC systems. Seattle homes with a furnace plus a ducted heat pump are effectively two systems. Each one carries its own return, registers, and filters, so most companies (us included) price them separately.
- Access and duct location. Crawlspaces and attics in older Queen Anne and Fremont homes often mean tight access. If a tech has to remove a furnace panel or navigate a low crawl, that’s real labor, and it shows up in the quote.
- Level of contamination. Fresh dust clears fast. Rodent debris, mold, or construction dust from a recent remodel in a neighborhood like South Lake Union takes containment, extra passes, and sometimes a separate treatment.
- Duct material. Rigid sheet metal is the friendliest. Flex duct needs gentler tooling. Transite and older asbestos-era ducting requires special handling and, in some Seattle buildings, may need an abatement professional first.
- Add-on services. Sealing, coil cleaning, and antimicrobial treatments are quoted individually. They don’t have to happen the same day, so you can stagger them if budget matters.
One factor that gets overlooked: Seattle’s wet season. Between October and April, indoor humidity in a lot of older homes climbs enough that dust in the ducts stays tacky. Because we’re in that season most of the year here, we often recommend cleaning in the shoulder months (late spring, early fall) when the system is running less and the ducts have a chance to dry between passes. If you’re dealing with a musty smell right now, schedule whenever it’s convenient, but plan on inspecting again before winter.
The Relay Standard Booking Experience
Price isn’t the only thing that should be transparent. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning is the air duct specialist within the Relay Home Co. family, founded in 2005, and every booking follows The Relay Standard: a live, trackable arrival window so you’re not parked by the window for four hours; before-and-after photo documentation of the work; and a digital invoice you pay from a link, no checkbook, no card reader. Technicians are background-checked and arrive in uniform, and you’ll know your tech’s name before the doorbell rings.
Call (737) 727-2314 for a free estimate. A live person answers around the clock.
How to Save on Air Duct Cleaning
You don’t need a coupon to lower your bill. A few decisions shift the number meaningfully.
- Bundle dryer vent cleaning with your duct service. Most companies, Cardinal included, price the second service lower when the truck is already at your address. It’s $120 – $250 on its own, but adding it to an existing visit usually saves you the trip charge.
- Replace filters on schedule before the visit. A clogged filter forces the system to work harder and can leave more debris behind. Fresh filters let the cleaning do its job in fewer passes, which can drop your quote by a tier.
- Clean in the shoulder season. Late spring and early fall jobs are less rushed, so scheduling flexibility can sometimes mean a lower quote on a non-emergency cleaning.
- Skip treatments you don’t need. Antimicrobial fogging sounds impressive but only helps if there’s confirmed microbial growth. If a quote adds it without evidence, ask why. We show you the camera footage first.
- Get the written price up front. This is the biggest saver of all. A vague phone estimate is where surprise charges come from. Cardinal hands you a written price before work starts, and it doesn’t change at the door.
Every Cardinal job also carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the work isn’t right within 365 days, we return and correct it at no charge. That’s the longest satisfaction window in the trade, and it covers every booking without exception. If a repair we make fails, you get a written guarantee and a free second visit.
FAQs – Air Duct Cleaning Cost
How much does air duct cleaning cost in Seattle?
Plan on $450 to $850 for a typical Seattle home, with most jobs landing around $600. Homes over 2,500 square feet, properties with two HVAC systems, or ducts needing mold treatment can run $1,000 to $1,800. Call (737) 727-2314 for an exact quote on your address; estimates are free and no-work-required pressure.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace my air ducts?
Cleaning almost always wins on cost. A full cleaning runs $450 – $850, while replacing a duct system in a Seattle home typically starts around $3,500 and climbs past $8,000 for a two-story with finished spaces. Replacement only makes sense when ducts are crushed, badly leaking, or contaminated beyond cleaning. If a leak is the real problem, duct sealing at $400 – $1,200 is often the middle path. Call (737) 727-2314 and we’ll tell you honestly which one your home needs, with camera footage to back it up.
Can you come today?
Often yes, depending on the day’s route. Seattle bookings typically get scheduled within one to three business days, and urgent jobs (recent water intrusion, pest debris, moving-in deadlines) can sometimes be placed same-day. You’ll get a live, trackable arrival window through The Relay Standard so you know exactly when your tech arrives. Call (737) 727-2314 and we’ll check the schedule while you’re on the line.
Why does my quote differ from a big-box coupon price?
Coupon pricing in the Seattle market often starts at $99 and climbs once the technician is inside, because the advertised number covers only a handful of registers or a surface pass. For context, see How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in Staten Island, NY? (2026 Price Guide). Cardinal’s written price before any work starts is the full job: every supply and return, the air handler, and photographic before-and-after proof. If a lower quote is real, great; ask what it covers. If it grows by the time you’re mid-job, that’s the exact problem upfront pricing solves. Call (737) 727-2314 for a number that won’t move.
Do I really need duct cleaning in a wet climate like Seattle’s?
More than you’d think. Seattle’s marine air means indoor humidity in older homes often exceeds the dry-air markets this service is usually sold for, and damp dust clings to duct walls instead of drifting loose. Left alone, that layer feeds odors, aggravates allergies, and makes your HVAC work harder. The sweet spot for most Seattle homes is every three to five years, or every two years if anyone in the house has asthma or you’ve had a remodel or water event. Call (737) 727-2314 and we’ll help you figure out your interval during a free estimate.
What does your 365-Day Done Right Promise actually cover?
Every booking, period. If the work isn’t right within 365 days, we come back and correct it at no charge. That’s the full year, on every job, not a handpicked set. It also includes a written guarantee on every repair plus a free second visit if the repair fails. Call (737) 727-2314 and ask us anything about the promise before you book; we’d rather answer now than surprise you later.
Book Your Seattle Air Duct Cleaning
Pricing in Seattle doesn’t have to be a mystery. You now have the real ranges for 2026: $450 – $850 for a standard home, $250 – $400 for a second system, $120 – $250 for the dryer vent, and clear tiers for coil cleaning, mold treatment, and sealing. What matters is getting a written number for your specific home before anyone shows up with a truck and a shop vac.
Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning runs on professional-grade Rotobrush, Nikro, and Abatement Technologies equipment, backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise and a written guarantee on every job. You get a live, trackable arrival window, photo proof of the work, and a digital invoice you can pay from your phone. We answer live, 24 hours a day.
Call (737) 727-2314 for a free estimate on your Seattle home. If you’d like to see how we handle the whole system first, start with the home page to get oriented.
Pricing reflects the Seattle market as of 2026. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning offers free estimates – call (737) 727-2314.
Written by Omar Haddad, Owner at Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning, serving Seattle since 2005.
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.