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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterTrusted Dryer Vent Cleaning Nationwide
Dryer vent cleaning is the single most overlooked fire-prevention task in American homes. The U.S. Fire Administration records roughly 2,900 dryer fires every year, and the leading cause is lint buildup in the vent line. If your clothes take two cycles to dry, or the laundry room feels hot while the dryer runs, the vent is almost certainly restricted. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning handles this job the right way, with professional-grade equipment and a written price before any work starts. Not sure if you need a pro? Read our guide on DIY vs Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning: What’s Safe to Do Yourself. Call (737) 727-2314 and a live person answers, day or night.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Service
A Dryer Vent Cleaning Service removes the lint, dust, and debris that builds up inside the metal duct running from your dryer to the outside exhaust. It is not the same as cleaning the lint trap. The trap catches maybe 25 percent of lint; the rest travels into the vent line and sticks to the walls. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning runs a rotary brush through the full vent length, then pairs it with a Nikro HEPA-rated vacuum to pull loosened debris out. Most single-family homes fall in the $150 to $250 range, depending on vent length and accessibility.
What Our Technicians Actually Do
Every visit starts with a quick airflow test at the exterior vent hood, not just a visual glance. Then we run a Rotobrush rotary brush system through the vent line from both directions. The brush breaks up compacted lint while the Nikro vacuum maintains negative pressure, so debris goes into the canister, not back into your laundry room.
What You Get When We Finish
You get before-and-after photos of the vent interior, the exterior hood, and the airflow reading. You also get our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the vent clogs again within a year due to our work, we return and correct it at no charge. No fine print, no exceptions.
Dryer Vent Installation
Dryer Vent Installation means replacing an old, damaged, or improperly routed vent line with new rigid metal ductwork that meets current fire code. Many homes still have white plastic or foil flex hose, which is now prohibited in most jurisdictions. If your vent line is plastic, sagging, kinked, or runs more than 25 feet without a booster fan, it should be replaced. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning installs rigid aluminum duct with properly sealed joints. Typical installations run $200 to $400, including materials and the exterior hood.
When a New Vent Is the Only Fix
Plastic flex hose melts and collapses under heat. We see it every week. Once a vent collapses or separates at a joint, cleaning will not solve the problem because the exhaust is venting into the wall cavity or attic. In those cases, we quote a full replacement and install it the same visit.
Proper Routing and Code Compliance
A safe dryer vent runs the shortest possible distance to an outside wall, with no screws penetrating the duct (screws catch lint), and no more than two 90-degree elbows. Our technicians route the line with as few turns as possible and seal every joint with foil tape, never duct tape. You get a written price before we cut anything.
Dryer Vent Repair
Dryer Vent Repair covers the specific fixes between full replacement and routine cleaning: a damaged exterior hood, a disconnected joint, a crushed section of pipe, or a failed booster fan. If your dryer vent is blowing air into the wall instead of outside, that is a repair job, not a cleaning job. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning diagnoses the failure, shows you the problem in photos, and quotes the fix on the spot. Most repairs fall between $120 and $280, depending on the part and access.
Common Failures We Fix
The exterior vent hood is the most common failure point. Flaps crack, hinges rust, birds build nests inside. A broken hood lets outside air, rain, and pests into the vent line. We stock replacement hoods and booster fans on the truck, so most repairs are done in one visit.
Repairs Are Backed in Writing
Every repair from Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning comes with a written guarantee, and if that repair fails, a second visit is free. That is part of the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it applies to every job without exception. You will not find a longer-standing satisfaction window in the trade.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Company
A Dryer Vent Cleaning Company is only as good as the equipment it brings and the standard it refuses to lower. For Los Angeles-area homeowners, see The Complete Dryer Vent Cleaning Guide for Los Angeles Homeowners. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning is part of the Relay Home Co. family, founded 2005, and we operate under The Relay Visibility Guarantee: a live trackable arrival window, before-and-after photo proof, and a digital invoice you can pay from a link. Most single-home dryer vent cleanings run $150 to $250. You get the written price before any work begins, and it does not change at the door.
Why Homeowners Choose Us Over Cheaper Quotes
Cheap quotes usually mean a handyman with a shop vac and no camera, no brush, no verification. Lint is sticky and packed tight. A vacuum alone removes loose surface debris but leaves the compacted layers that actually restrict airflow. We run a brush and a HEPA vacuum together, then prove the result with photos.
The Relay Standard Experience
When you book with Cardinal, you get a live arrival window you can track from your phone. You know your technician’s name before they knock, and that technician is background-checked and in uniform. You receive before-and-after photos of your own vent, not stock images. That is The Relay Standard, and every location is held to it.
Dryer Vent Inspection
A Dryer Vent Inspection is a diagnostic service that checks the vent line for airflow restriction, code violations, and fire hazards before they become emergencies. It is a good move after buying an older home, after any appliance change, or if your dryer’s performance has dropped suddenly. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning performs a full assessment with a camera and an airflow meter. Inspections run $75 to $120, and if the inspection leads to cleaning on the same visit, we credit the inspection fee toward the job.
What the Inspection Actually Checks
We inspect the entire vent path: the connection behind the dryer, the full duct run, and the exterior hood. We measure airflow in cubic feet per minute and compare it against the manufacturer’s spec for your dryer model. We also check for improper materials like plastic flex, sagging sections, and separation at the joints.
What You Get in the Report
You get photos of every section we inspected, the airflow reading, and a plain-English summary of what is fine, what needs attention, and what needs immediate repair. No jargon. If something is urgent, we show you why in the camera footage and give you a written price for the fix.
Commercial Dryer Vent Cleaning
Commercial Dryer Vent Cleaning serves the high-volume machines in laundromats, apartment complexes, hotels, gyms, senior facilities, and any business running dryers more than a few cycles a day. Those vents load with lint ten times faster than a home vent, and the fire risk scales with it. Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning works nights and weekends to avoid shutting down your operation. Pricing depends on vent count, vent length, and building height, with multi-vent contracts typically running $300 to $800 per visit. We provide a written quote before any work begins.
Multi-Family and Property Management
Property managers get a simple compliance solution: we clean every dryer vent on schedule, document every vent with before-and-after photos, and provide a digital report for your records. If a vent fails inspection for a lender or insurer, our documentation proves the maintenance history. We offer annual contracts with predictable pricing, and every job falls under the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Engineered for High-Volume Locations
Long commercial vent runs often need booster fans to maintain airflow. Our technicians use Abatement Technologies containment units in occupied buildings, and they carry Rotobrush rotary brush systems sized for commercial ducting. That means no lint dust spread across the laundry room and no half-cleaned vents that pass a visual check but fail an airflow test.
Brands We Service
Our technicians work on every major dryer brand, and we bring the right connection fittings and hoods rather than forcing a universal part to fit. We have deep experience with Samsung, LG, Maytag, Whirlpool, Electrolux, Speed Queen, GE, and Kenmore units across both gas and electric models. We understand the airflow specifications for each manufacturer, and we check our cleaning results against those specs rather than guessing.
Whether you have a Speed Queen in a commercial laundry, a Maytag in the mudroom, or any other make, we can inspect, clean, repair, and replace the vent line correctly. The vent system is the same challenge on every brand: get the airflow out, keep the lint out of the house, and leave a verifiable result. That is what we do.
Signs You Need a Pro Right Now
- Clothes need two or three cycles to dry. A healthy dryer vent moves 100 percent of the moisture out on the first run. When every load takes twice as long, the vent is restricting airflow, and your dryer’s heating element is working overtime. The energy waste adds up fast, and the lint keeps compacting.
- The dryer or laundry room feels hot while running. Heat belongs inside the drum, not radiating off the machine. Heat buildup means exhaust is backing up somewhere in the line. That heat accelerates lint ignition risk and shortens the life of the dryer’s motor and heating element.
- You smell a distinct burning or musty odor. Burning lint smells like a campfire, and it is the final warning before a fire starts. A musty smell means trapped moisture is feeding mold inside the vent line. Both smells are reasons to stop using the dryer until the vent is inspected.
- The exterior vent hood does not open when the dryer runs. Go outside and watch the flap while the dryer is on. If it is not flapping open, airflow is blocked. If you see lint hanging off the hood or the surrounding siding, the blockage is already severe. This also invites rodents and birds into the line.
- It has been over a year since the last cleaning. The National Fire Protection Association recommends annual dryer vent cleaning for all households. Homes with long vent runs, multiple pets, or heavy laundry volume often need it every six to nine months. If you cannot remember the last cleaning, it is due.
Our Process, Step by Step
- 1
Access and airflow test. We pull the dryer out, disconnect the vent, and measure airflow at the exterior hood with a meter. The baseline reading tells us how restricted the line is before we touch it. Then we inspect the full vent path with a camera to locate the blockage.
- 2
Rotary brush agitation. We run a Rotobrush rotary brush through the vent line from both directions. The brush breaks up the compacted lint that a vacuum alone cannot move. Lint packs tight against the duct walls, and this is the step that actually removes it.
- 3
HEPA vacuum extraction. The Nikro HEPA-rated vacuum runs simultaneously with the brush, creating negative-pressure extraction. That means the loosened debris goes straight into the vacuum canister, not back into your laundry room. HEPA filtration also keeps the air clean during the job.
- 4
Camera verification and before-and-after photos. We run the camera through the vent again after cleaning and show you the difference on our screen. You receive before-and-after photos of the vent interior, the exterior hood, and the final airflow reading. If the airflow does not meet manufacturer spec, we continue until it does or explain why it cannot.
- 5
Reconnect, test, and hand you the invoice. We reconnect the dryer, run a short cycle to confirm proper airflow, and clean up the work area. Your digital invoice is sent to your phone and payable by link. The written price you received before the job is the price on the invoice, no additions.
How Much Does Dryer Vent Cleaning Cost?
A typical single-family dryer vent cleaning runs $150 to $250 in most homes, based on vent length, access, and how long it has been since the last cleaning. For example, Dryer Vent Cleaning in Huntington Park falls within this range for standard homes. Longer vent runs over 25 feet, multi-story homes, or vents with multiple elbows may run $250 to $350. Dryer vent installation typically runs $200 to $400 including materials. Repairs run $120 to $280 depending on the part. Commercial jobs run $300 to $800 per visit depending on vent count and building size.
What affects the price: the length of the vent line, the number of turns, whether the dryer is on the main floor or in a tight utility closet, and how long it has been since the last service. A heavily clogged vent takes more time because we do not stop until airflow meets manufacturer spec. How to avoid overpaying: get a written price before any work starts and make sure it includes the full vent length, not just the first few feet. Our free estimate includes the airflow test, camera inspection, and a written quote with no obligation. Call (737) 727-2314 and we will walk you through it.
Where We Work
Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning serves homeowners and businesses across the United States through local crews operating under The Relay Visibility Guarantee, including our Dryer Vent Cleaning in Los Angeles. Each location is independently owned and operated, but every crew follows the same standard: written pricing before work begins, background-checked uniformed technicians, before-and-after photo proof, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise on every job. No matter where you are, you get the same transparent experience from booking to invoice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dryer Vent Cleaning
Dryer vent cleaning is the process of removing compacted lint and debris from the duct that carries hot, moist air from your dryer to the outside. It is not the same as cleaning the lint trap or the inside of the dryer drum. It requires a rotary brush to break up the packed lint and a HEPA-rated vacuum to extract it.
A standard single-family dryer vent cleaning takes 45 to 90 minutes. If the vent has not been cleaned in years or the line runs long, it may take up to two hours. We work until the camera shows a clear vent and the airflow reading meets manufacturer spec, not until the clock runs out. Call (737) 727-2314 to schedule.
Most standard dryer vent cleanings run $150 to $250 for a typical single-family home. Longer or more complex vent runs may cost more. You receive a written price before any work starts, and it does not change at the door. Our estimates are free and include a camera inspection.
Yes. We work on Samsung, LG, Maytag, Whirlpool, Electrolux, Speed Queen, GE, Kenmore, and every other major brand. The vent system is the same challenge on every make and model: restore correct airflow and leave verifiable proof. Call (737) 727-2314 and tell us what you have.
We will always do our best to get to you quickly, and a live person answers the phone 24/7 so you will never leave a voicemail. However, we never promise a same-day visit or a specific dispatch window beyond what we can actually deliver. We schedule the first available appointment and give you a live trackable arrival time when it is booked.
Every job is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the work is not right within 365 days, Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning returns and corrects it at no charge. Every repair also comes with a written guarantee, and if a repair fails, the second visit is free.
Clear the area around the dryer so the technician has full access to pull the machine out. If possible, run a final load of laundry before we arrive, because the dryer will be disconnected during the service. There is nothing else you need to do. Your technician will bring all equipment and handle the full process.
Schedule Your Dryer Vent Cleaning Service Today
A clogged dryer vent is a slow-building fire risk in your laundry room. Cleaning it is a fast, affordable fix. Call (737) 727-2314 now for a free, no-obligation estimate with a written price before any work starts. A live person answers 24/7, and every job comes with the 365-Day Done Right Promise. Get it done.
Written by Omar Haddad, Owner at Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning, serving homeowners nationwide since 2005.