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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Before
AfterAir Duct Cleaning Company in San Mateo, CA
Air duct cleaning in San Mateo runs $425 – $775 for a typical single-family home, with most jobs completed in a half day. We’re Cardinal Air Duct Cleaning, part of the Relay Home Co. family, and we handle duct work, HVAC cleaning, and dryer vent jobs across the Peninsula from our Bay Area dispatch. San Mateo’s mix of 1950s ranchers, hillside properties, and newer townhome developments means every job starts with a real look at your system, not a guess. Call (737) 727-2314 for a written quote before any work begins.
Why San Mateo Homes Are Different
San Mateo sits in a fog belt that does not treat ductwork kindly. Homes in the flats near downtown and the Aragon neighborhood pull in damp marine air most mornings from June through August, and that moisture settles inside return ducts and around evaporator coils. Combine it with the fine dust that drifts off 101 and El Camino Real, and you get a sticky gray film that builds faster than homeowners expect. Hillside properties in Baywood Knolls and Sugarloaf run their systems harder during warm spells, which pulls more air through already-coated filters.
Housing stock adds another layer. Many of the ranch homes built in the 1950s and 60s have never had their ducts opened since construction. Townhomes and newer condos in the downtown corridor often share tight mechanical closets where duct runs bend sharply, making access a job for a professional-grade Rotobrush system rather than a shop-vac. And where HOAs govern exterior vents and shared walls, we already know the access patterns in most San Mateo blocks. That local knowledge means fewer surprises on install day.
Our Main San Mateo Services
Three jobs keep our San Mateo schedule full: dryer vent work that prevents very real fire risks, full air duct cleaning that resets the air you breathe, and HVAC cleaning that keeps the whole system running clean and quiet. Each has its own page below.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in San Mateo
Lint is a combustion risk, not just an inconvenience, and San Mateo’s older laundry rooms often vent through long, narrow runs that hide buildup. Our techs work with Nikro HEPA extraction to pull lint from the entire run, from the dryer collar to the exterior hood. Hillside homes and those with rooftop or second-story vent terminations need care at every bend. We check the hood, the flexible transition hose, and the hidden stretch inside the wall or crawlspace. See Dryer Vent Cleaning in San Mateo for full details and local pricing.
Air Duct Cleaning in San Mateo
A full duct cleaning means getting eyes and tools inside your supply and return runs, and for many San Mateo homes that also means facing decades of dust, pet hair, and the odd construction debris from a past remodel. We use Rotobrush rotary agitation with Nikro HEPA-negative extraction, so debris is captured immediately rather than pushed around. Every job includes a written price first and before-and-after photos of your own ducts. The details live at Air Duct Cleaning in San Mateo.
HVAC Cleaning in San Mateo
Your blower, coils, and drip pan are the heart of the system, and San Mateo’s damp summers encourage a lot of biological growth in exactly those spots. We open the air handler, clean accessible components with professional equipment, replace basic filtration, and confirm the system runs quietly afterward. We’re set up to work with Honeywell, Aprilaire, Abatement Technologies, and Guardsman filtration media. For the full scope in this city, see HVAC Cleaning in San Mateo.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in San Mateo
We work on systems carrying most major equipment names found across the Peninsula, from builders’ grade to high-efficiency. Common filtration and component brands we handle include Honeywell, Aprilaire, Guardsman, and Abatement Technologies. Standard replacement filters and common parts are stocked on our local trucks, which keeps most San Mateo jobs to a single visit. See our brands for the full equipment and filtration lines we carry.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning Company in San Mateo, CA
| Service | Typical range in San Mateo |
|---|---|
| Standard whole-home air duct cleaning | $425 – $775 |
| Single system (one HVAC unit) | $425 – $575 |
| Dual or zoned system | $650 – $1,150 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (standard run, under 15 ft) | $129 – $189 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (extended or second-story run) | $189 – $325 |
| HVAC cleaning add-on (blower, coils, pan) | $180 – $320 |
| Return plenum and filter housing deep clean | $85 – $160 |
| Supply register package (per 10 registers) | $120 – $195 |
| Filtration upgrade (Guardsman or Aprilaire media, per unit) | $145 – $310 |
What pushes price upward in San Mateo is access: hillside crawlspaces, rooftop unit housings, runs longer than most in newer developments, and decades of deferred cleaning that doubles labor time. Whatever the number, you get it in writing before a single duct is touched, and it does not change at the door.
Neighborhoods We Serve in San Mateo
We cover the entire San Mateo area, including the historic blocks near downtown, the flatter Aragon and Hayward Park streets, and the hillside communities off Alameda de las Pulgas. Most calls in the city are reached the same window they’re scheduled.
- Baywood Knolls
- Aragon
- Shoreview
- Sugarloaf
- Hillsdale
Service Area – Cities Near San Mateo
Beyond San Mateo proper, our crews serve neighboring Peninsula communities where the climate and housing mix run similar. You’ll find us on the road in Burlingame, CA, Millbrae, CA, San Carlos, CA, and nearby Belmont, MA. Scheduling is coordinated from our Bay Area dispatch office, with local teams doing the work.
Serving San Mateo, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Mateo 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 Air Duct Cleaning Company in San Mateo
We schedule jobs across San Mateo every weekday, and most residents get a window within the same week of calling. We never promise a same-day arrival, but our dispatch team will give you a live, trackable arrival time once the booking is confirmed. Call (737) 727-2314 to check current availability for your neighborhood.
For most single-family homes, no approval is needed for interior duct cleaning. For condos and townhomes, exterior vent terminations and shared mechanical spaces sometimes require a heads-up to the HOA. Our crews know the common patterns in San Mateo complexes and will flag anything that needs board sign-off before we start.
No. Access and system size drive the cost. A single-story Hayward Park rancher typically falls at the lower end of the $425 – $775 range, while a hillside home with a long rooftop vent run and a zoned system runs higher. You will have a written price before any work begins, and that number will not change at your door.
Call (737) 727-2314 for a free, no-hassle estimate or home.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local air duct cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What San Mateo 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.