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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AfterFast, Reliable HVAC Cleaning Across Larkspur
Air Duct Cleaning in Larkspur typically runs $350 – $550 for a standard system, and the work usually takes three to five hours. That’s the honest number most Larkspur homeowners don’t get until a technician is already standing in their hallway. We’re Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning, part of the Relay Home Co. family founded in 2005, and we write the price down before a single duct is touched. Call (737) 727-2314 and you’ll get a live person, not a voicemail loop.
Our crews know Larkspur’s block-by-block mix of old and new ductwork. A 1920s bungalow off Magnolia Avenue is a different job than a 2010s build near Piper Park, and we price it accordingly. One flat price per system, agreed before we start. No per-vent math, no door-knock add-ons.
Why Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning Is Larkspur’s Preferred HVAC Cleaning Company
Larkspur homeowners call us because the price they’re quoted on the phone is the price they pay. That’s rare in this trade. We’re held to The Relay Visibility Guarantee, which means every booking comes with a live trackable arrival time, before-and-after photo documentation of your own ducts, and a digital invoice payable from your phone. No muddy “it ran a little long” surprises at the end.
Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and run professional-grade equipment: HVAC Cleaning crews carry Rotobrush rotary brushes, Nikro HEPA vacuums, and Abatement Technologies containment units. You’ll know your tech’s name before they knock. And every job carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the work isn’t right within a year, we return and correct it at no charge.
Omar Haddad leads our team, and he holds every job in Larkspur to the same standard: written price first, photographic proof after, and a full year to call us back if anything’s off. That’s not a sales line. That’s the operating rule.
AC Coil Cleaning in Larkspur
AC Coil Cleaning in Larkspur is one of the most overlooked maintenance tasks in this town, mostly because nobody sees the coils until something’s wrong. Older homes near downtown Larkspur often run their air handlers in tight closet spaces, which means the evaporator coil collects a layer of Marin County dust and lint faster than a homeowner expects. When that layer builds, your system runs longer to hit the same thermostat setting.
The job means removing access panels, applying a professional-grade coil cleaner, flushing the evaporator and condenser coils, and checking the drain line. In Larkspur, this typically runs $180 – $300 depending on system size and access. We do it as part of a full HVAC Cleaning in Larkspur service or on its own. What it is not is a quick spray-and-go. If the coil isn’t fully accessible, we’ll photograph the before and after so you can see exactly what got cleaned.
Evaporator Coil Service
This is the indoor coil, and it’s the one that gets gummed up when filters aren’t changed regularly. In Larkspur’s older homes with original return pathways, fine dust from unsealed crawl spaces finds its way onto the evaporator surface. We clean it with non-acidic foaming solutions approved for coil metals, then verify airflow before and after.
Condenser Coil Service
The outdoor condenser takes direct hits from pollen, redwood duff, and yard debris around Larkspur’s tree-lined streets. We flush the fins, straighten obvious bent sections, and clear the drainage path. Expect $140 – $220 for condenser coil cleaning as a standalone job.
AC Cleaning in Larkspur
AC Cleaning in Larkspur is broader than the coils alone. It means the blower wheel, housing, drain pan, and accessible duct connections all get attention in one visit. We pull the blower assembly when the design allows it, remove caked dust from the fan blades, and sanitize the pan where standing moisture creates that musty smell Larkspur homeowners notice when the system first kicks on in late spring.
A complete AC Cleaning for a typical Larkspur home runs $300 – $450. While that’s a meaningful amount, it’s also a lot less than the $1,200-plus you’ll pay for a new blower motor when a gummed-up wheel burns itself out five years early. The work usually takes half a day.
Blower and Air Handler Cleaning
We remove the blower assembly, clean each blade with a soft brush and vacuum, and clear the housing. Then we photograph the motor and wheel so you can see the difference. It’s straightforward work, but it requires pulling the assembly correctly so the motor isn’t knocked off balance.
Drain Line and Pan Treatment
Marin County’s mild temperatures mean Larkspur AC systems run intermittently, which lets moisture linger in the drain pan longer than in hotter climates. We flush the drain line with a biocide treatment that retards algae growth. If the line is already clogged, we clear it before it backs into the unit.
Trusted Brands We Service in Larkspur
We service and clean systems built around Honeywell controls, Aprilaire filtration cabinets, and Guardsman air purifiers, and we keep common filter sizes and replacement components stocked for Larkspur jobs. If your system needs a new Aprilaire media filter or a Guardsman UV lamp, we usually have it on the truck. That matters when you want the job finished in one visit, not two. We also service all major HVAC manufacturers regardless of brand, so don’t worry if your system is a less familiar name.
Common HVAC Cleaning Problems We See in Larkspur Homes
- Collapsed liner insulation in older duct runs. Larkspur’s pre-1950s homes often have interior insulation lining inside supply ducts. Over decades it sags, tears, and blocks airflow to back rooms. We’ve pulled sections out of a 1920s bungalow off Magnolia Avenue that were reducing airflow by half.
- Unsealed register boots and duct joints. In homes near Baltimore Canyon, old register boots pull away from the subfloor over time. The gap pulls dust from crawl spaces straight into the living space every time the system cycles.
- Per-vent pricing that explodes on site. Larkspur’s older homes have long, winding duct runs behind original plaster walls. Contractors who quote per vent often revise the number once they see access. Our flat-per-system price removes that conversation entirely.
- Dust redistribution from shop-vac “cleaning.” A handyman without negative-pressure containment releases dust into the home rather than removing it. We use HEPA-filtered extraction so the loosened debris goes into the vacuum, not back into your living room.
Pricing for HVAC Cleaning in Larkspur, CA
Most standard HVAC cleanings in Larkspur run $350 – $550 for the full system: evaporator and condenser coils, blower assembly, drain pan, and accessible supply and return ducts. AC-only cleaning runs $300 – $450. Coil cleaning on its own runs $180 – $300 for the evaporator, $140 – $220 for the condenser. What moves the number is system size and access difficulty, not per-vent counts.
The number we quote is the number you pay. It’s written down before work starts, and it doesn’t change at the door. Estimates are free. Call (737) 727-2314 and we’ll walk you through exactly what your system needs.
We Also Serve Cities Near Larkspur
Our crews handle HVAC cleaning throughout central Marin, including Kentfield, Corte Madera, San Rafael, and Mill Valley. Each of these towns has its own mix of old and new ductwork. You get the same upfront written price and 365-Day Done Right Promise no matter which side of the 101 we’re working that day.
Serving Larkspur, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Larkspur 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 Larkspur
Every four to six years is a realistic interval for most Larkspur homes, assuming you change filters at least twice a year and don’t have major renovations throwing drywall dust through the system. Homes near heavily wooded areas like Madrone Canyon may need it closer to every four years. If you’ve never had it done in a home older than 20 years, start now and reassess after a camera inspection. Call (737) 727-2314 and we’ll scope it honestly.
Because per-vent pricing invites the classic bait-and-switch: a low vent count that grows once the technician sees the real duct layout. Larkspur’s older homes behind original plaster walls are exactly where that happens. We charge one flat price per system, agreed in writing before we start, no matter how many vents your home has. That’s the entire point of The Relay Visibility Guarantee.
Yes, because the dust inside your ducts is mostly generated indoors: shed skin cells, pet dander, cooking residue, and lint from laundry. Larkspur’s outdoor air may be fresh off the bay, but if the inside of your supply ducts hasn’t been cleaned in a decade, you’re breathing what’s in there. We photograph the inside of your ducts before and after so the difference is in front of you.
A shop vac doesn’t create negative pressure and doesn’t reach the full length of the duct run. That means it pulls some dust out and pushes the rest into the room. We run Nikro HEPA-filtered extraction with containment, so loosened debris exits into the vacuum, not the air you breathe. We also photograph every section we clean. If a contractor can’t show you the before and after, they didn’t do the job.
Yes. We’ll walk you through the plan before we open the first panel, and you’ll see the camera images during the inspection. Most Larkspur homeowners want to see what’s actually inside their ducts, and we’d rather show you than tell you. You’ll get before-and-after photos after the job, along with a digital invoice you can pay from your phone. Call (737) 727-2314 to schedule.
Contact Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning in Larkspur
We’re ready to look at your system and tell you honestly what it needs. Written price first. Photographic proof after. A full year to call us back. Call (737) 727-2314 for a free estimate, or book through our phone-native system and track your technician’s arrival live. That’s how HVAC Cleaning should work in Larkspur.
Written by Omar Haddad, Owner at Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning, serving Larkspur, CA.