Air Duct Cleaning Cost
Modeled $689 typical, $430–$1,205 depending on the size of the system and how long the job takes. A diagnostic or service-call fee of about $110 may sit on top, and is often credited if you have the repair done the same visit. Every figure here is built from the model below, not an average we were told.
What the quote is actually made of
This is the part no cost guide shows you, and it is what lets you read your own quote. Clean a home's supply and return ductwork, at a modeled HVAC technician shop rate of $86/hour billed:
| Line | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor (2.5–7.0 h x 2 techs at $86/h billed) | $430 | $689 | $1,205 |
| Parts | None — this job is labor and equipment | ||
| Total | $430 | $689 | $1,205 |
No parts. What varies is crew time and equipment, which is why the metro spread on this job is much wider than on a parts-heavy repair.
How long the work takes
A two-person job: seal registers, run the negative-air machine, brush and vacuum each run, then the returns and plenum. The high end covers large homes, two systems, or heavy debris. We model 2.5–7.0 hours, typically 4.0. This is the model's weakest input. Wages are published; hours per job are not, in any authoritative public form. If you do this work and our hours are wrong, tell us on the corrections page and we will change them — the model version stamped on this page moves when they do, and the change is logged there.
Does where you live change it?
Yes, materially. This job is mostly labor, so it tracks the local wage directly — about 58% between the lowest- and highest-wage metros below. Find yours rather than reading a national average.
| Metro | Median HVAC technician wage | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $37.50 | $900 | $562–$1,575 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $35.49 | $852 | $532–$1,491 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $37.48 | $900 | $562–$1,574 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $28.63 | $687 | $429–$1,202 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $28.34 | $680 | $425–$1,190 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $34.58 | $830 | $519–$1,452 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $31.05 | $745 | $466–$1,304 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $27.90 | $670 | $418–$1,172 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $29.41 | $706 | $441–$1,235 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $28.35 | $680 | $425–$1,191 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $37.75 | $906 | $566–$1,586 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38.51 | $924 | $578–$1,617 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $34.41 | $826 | $516–$1,445 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $24.30 | $583 | $364–$1,021 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $30.37 | $729 | $456–$1,276 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $24.74 | $594 | $371–$1,039 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, release oesm25ma, occupation 49-9021 (Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers), 389 metro areas.
How to read your quote
- Ask what the part is and what it costs. A model number lets you check the retail price yourself in a minute.
- Ask whether the diagnostic fee is included or credited. Quotes differ on this and it is $75–$195 of difference.
- Ask how many hours are billed. Flat-rate pricing is normal and legitimate; it should still be explainable.
- Get a second quote if the number is more than double this range. That is a question about scope — often there is a second failed part, or the tech is quoting a replacement rather than a repair.
The model
total = ( hours × shop rate ) + ( part retail × markup ), where shop rate = local BLS wage × 3.0.
A shop's billed rate is not the tradesperson's wage. BLS reports what HVAC technicians are paid — a national median of
$28.70/hour. Shops bill payroll tax, insurance, vehicle, dispatch, warranty, overhead and profit on top of it.
Our 3.0× puts the national figure at $86/hour, inside the
$75–$150/hour that industry pricing guides report for residential trade service (fieldedge.com, housecallpro.com, invoiceowl.com). Like the hours, that
multiplier is an assumption, and it moves with evidence.
Model version trades-v3-2026-09, as of 2026-09-17.
It is a modeled estimate, not a quote: the actual price turns on what failed, what else is failing, and what your contractor's overhead really is.
How we build cost figures →