Whole-home duct cleaning
Dryer vent cleaning
Camera inspection
Sanitizing & deodorizingWhole-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.
Styles & brands we work with
- Whole-home duct cleaning
- Dryer vent cleaning
- Camera inspection
- Sanitizing & deodorizing
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterHow Much Does HVAC Cleaning Cost in Columbia?
HVAC cleaning in Columbia typically runs $350 to $700 for a standard whole-home air duct cleaning, with dryer vent cleaning at $120 to $250 and duct repair priced separately by the job. Larger homes, heavy contamination, or long flexible duct runs push the total toward the top of that range. Every price we give is set by a free written estimate, so you know the number before any work begins.
We’re Stallion Air Duct Cleaning, and we approach HVAC cleaning as a full-system job rather than a quick vacuum pass. That means ducts, vents, connections, and the parts of the system most crews skip. Homes across Columbia run the range from tight townhouses in Oakland Mills to larger single-family houses out toward River Hill, and the price reflects what’s actually in your system, not a flat guess over the phone.
Key Takeaways
- Standard whole-home air duct cleaning in Columbia: $350 to $700.
- Dryer vent cleaning: $120 to $250, usually done alongside duct work.
- Duct repair is quoted separately and depends on how much of the system needs rebuilding.
- Free estimates, upfront pricing, and a written price that doesn’t move after the work starts.
- Our technicians have up to 13 years of experience on residential ventilation systems.
HVAC Cleaning Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s how the numbers typically break down for Columbia homes. These are ranges, not fixed prices. The written estimate you get on-site replaces every figure below for your specific house.
| Service | Typical 2026 Range | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Air duct cleaning, standard home | $350 – $700 | Rotary brush and negative-pressure vacuum cleaning of main trunk lines and branches, register and vent cleaning, containment to control dust |
| Air duct cleaning, large or heavily soiled home | $700 – $1,100 | Longer run times, extra branch lines, heavier debris loads, more containment setup |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $120 – $250 | Full-length vent brush and vacuum, lint removal from the entire run including the exterior termination |
| Duct repair (minor, sealed joints and small runs) | $150 – $400 | Resealing disconnected joints, patching small tears in flex duct, reconnecting loose branches at the trunk |
| Duct repair (moderate, section replacement) | $400 – $900 | Replacing damaged flex or rigid sections, rebuilding crushed runs, correcting poor connections |
| Duct repair (extensive) | $900 – $2,000+ | Multiple failed sections, widespread joint failures, or long runs that need full replacement |
| IAQ filter or equipment recommendations | Quoted with the estimate | Filtration and air quality options using Honeywell and Aprilaire systems when cleaning alone won’t solve the problem |
What drives cost up or down comes down to a few things: the square footage the duct system serves, how many branches and registers feed the rooms, whether the ductwork is rigid metal or flexible, and how much buildup has accumulated. A townhouse with a compact system and eight registers prices very differently from a four-bedroom house with a sprawling trunk line and twenty supply runs. Reaching the ducts matters too. Systems boxed in behind finished basement ceilings or buried in tight attic spaces take longer to set up and clean properly, and that labor is part of the estimate.
Repair is the wild card. Some homes have ductwork that cleans up fine and needs nothing more. Others have crushed flex runs behind drywall or joints that have pulled apart at the trunk, letting conditioned air leak into unconditioned space before it ever reaches a room. We repair what others only clean around, and if that’s what your system needs, the estimate shows it as a separate line so you can see exactly what you’re paying for. If the ducts just need cleaning, that’s the only thing on the estimate.
What Affects HVAC Cleaning Pricing in Columbia
Pricing here isn’t arbitrary. A handful of local factors move the number, and they’re worth understanding before you compare quotes.
- Home size and system layout. Columbia’s housing stock spans compact townhomes, split-levels, and larger single-family houses, and the number of registers and branch runs is the single biggest driver. More rooms fed by more duct runs means more cleaning time and a higher estimate.
- How long since the last cleaning. A system that hasn’t been cleaned in years carries a heavier debris load, which takes longer to remove completely. Systems serviced on a reasonable interval clean up faster and usually cost less.
- Duct material and condition. Rigid metal ductwork responds well to rotary brush equipment. Aging flexible duct that’s sagging, torn, or crushed may need section repair before cleaning is even worth doing, and that adds to the job.
- Access and setup difficulty. Finished basements, tight attics, and mechanical closets packed with equipment all take more preparation. We run containment equipment to keep dust out of your living space, and that setup is part of the labor.
- Contamination level. Visible debris, rodent activity, or heavy dust loading calls for more aggressive cleaning and stronger containment. This is where real filtration equipment matters, and it’s why we run Abatement Technologies filtration on jobs that call for it.
- Whether you’re adding dryer vent cleaning. Bundling duct and dryer vent cleaning in one visit saves mobilization time, and a clogged dryer vent is a genuine fire hazard worth addressing while we’re already set up.
One thing that doesn’t affect our pricing: the day you call. The estimate is per job, and the written price is the same whether we’re out first thing in the morning or later in the day. We dispatch Sunday through Friday, 7am to 7pm, and we’re closed Saturday.
What Professional HVAC Cleaning Actually Involves
Knowing what the price covers helps you judge whether a quote is realistic. A proper HVAC cleaning is not a shop-vac pass over the registers. It’s a controlled process.
We use professional-grade rotary brush and negative-pressure vacuum systems from Rotobrush and Nikro, purpose-built for duct cleaning rather than repurposed hardware-store equipment. The brush agitates debris off the duct walls while negative pressure pulls it out of the system and into containment, so it never ends up settling back into your living space. On heavier jobs, we bring in Abatement Technologies filtration equipment for containment-grade particulate control. Registers and vent covers come off, get cleaned, and go back on. The air handler and the connections at the trunk get checked, because that’s where leaks and disconnected runs usually live.
That connection check is where cleaning and repair meet. A lot of duct problems in this housing stock aren’t about dirt at all. They’re about runs that have come loose, joints that were never sealed well to begin with, or flexible duct that’s been crushed or kinked during a past renovation. Cleaning a system with a disconnected branch just moves air into an attic or a wall cavity. That’s why we offer air duct repair as its own service line and fold it into the estimate when it’s needed, so one team handles the ventilation pathway from the air handler to the last register.
Air quality is the other half of the picture. If a system cleans up fine but the homeowner is still fighting dust or wants better filtration, the ductwork is the delivery system and the air handler is where the fix lives. We work with the same IAQ brands your HVAC installer trusts, Honeywell and Aprilaire, and we’re comfortable recommending upgrades that make sense alongside cleaning rather than treating the two as separate problems. We also use Guardsman-grade professional products in the cleaning and protection process.
How to Save on HVAC Cleaning
There’s no magic discount, but there are real ways to keep the number reasonable without cutting corners on the work.
- Get the free written estimate first. A phone estimate is a guess. The on-site estimate is a number you can hold us to, and it costs nothing. Call (866) 643-6070 to set one up.
- Bundle duct and dryer vent cleaning. Doing both in a single visit spreads the setup and mobilization cost across two jobs instead of two separate appointments.
- Address repairs while we’re already there. A joint that needs resealing during a cleaning visit is a small addition. The same joint fixed on a separate appointment adds a whole new trip.
- Don’t wait for a total failure. Duct cleaning on a reasonable interval costs less than duct cleaning plus a rebuild. Small problems caught early stay small.
- Ask what’s actually in the estimate. A quote that covers the trunk lines but skips the branch runs isn’t a bargain, it’s a partial job. Make sure what you’re comparing is the same scope, not just the same headline number.
- Know what dryer vent cleaning protects. Regular dryer vent cleaning keeps the exhaust path clear and protects the appliance, and it’s one of the lower-cost services on the list at $120 to $250.
If you’ve had a quote that felt too good to be true, it usually was. Cheap quick-pass cleaning leaves the problem in place and you pay again to fix it properly. The free estimate from us is a real evaluation of your system, and the written price it produces is the price.
FAQs – HVAC Cleaning Cost
How much does HVAC cleaning cost in Columbia?
HVAC cleaning in Columbia typically costs $350 to $700 for a standard whole-home air duct cleaning, with larger or heavily soiled homes running $700 to $1,100. Dryer vent cleaning is $120 to $250, and duct repair is quoted separately based on what needs fixing. Call (866) 643-6070 for a free estimate – estimates are free and the written price sets the final cost.
Is it cheaper to repair my ducts or replace them?
Repair is almost always cheaper than replacement when the ductwork is otherwise sound. Minor joint sealing runs $150 to $400, moderate section replacement runs $400 to $900, and only extensive failures push past $900 toward a full replacement. A written estimate tells you which category your system falls into. Call (866) 643-6070 to book one – estimates are free.
How much does a clogged dryer vent cost to clean in Columbia?
Dryer vent cleaning in Columbia typically costs $120 to $250 depending on the length and routing of the vent run and how much lint has built up. It’s one of the more economical services we offer and worth doing alongside duct cleaning. Call (866) 643-6070 for an exact quote – estimates are free.
Can you come today?
Same-day service is often possible depending on the schedule, and we dispatch Sunday through Friday from 7am to 7pm. We’re closed Saturday. We answer 24/7, and a call outside dispatch hours is booked into the next opening, Sunday through Friday, 7am to 7pm. Call (866) 643-6070 to check availability and get a free estimate.
Why do HVAC cleaning quotes vary so much in Columbia?
Quotes vary because scope varies. A $99 special usually covers a partial pass over the main lines and skips the branch runs, registers, and connection checks that make up a real cleaning. A $350 to $700 estimate from us covers the full system using professional Rotobrush and Nikro equipment with proper containment. Compare what’s included, not just the bottom line. Call (866) 643-6070 to get a free written estimate you can compare against any other quote.
Get a Free Written Estimate
The number that matters is the one on your written estimate, and getting it costs you nothing. We walk your system, check the ducts and connections, and put a firm price in front of you before any equipment comes out of the case. Whether you need air duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, air duct repair, or a combination, one team handles the whole ventilation pathway.
Call (866) 643-6070 for a free estimate. We answer 24/7, and fast dispatch runs from 7am to 7pm, Sunday through Friday. Our technicians have up to 13 years of experience, and we’re licensed and insured. We’re based around the Columbia area and know what these homes’ duct systems typically look like, which means the estimate you get reflects the house you’re actually living in.
Pricing reflects the Columbia market as of 2026. Stallion Air Duct Cleaning offers free estimates – call (866) 643-6070.
Written by the team at Stallion Air Duct Cleaning.
What Our Customers Say
"Work is good and the price was fair. The scheduling was a little loose, the window they gave me was pretty wide and he showed up at the back end of it. Once he was here he was quick and knew what he was doing."
- Carmen Morales"They photographed every return and supply before starting and sent me the file afterward. No upsell to a sanitizing treatment I didn't need."
- Cedric Carter"Ran a negative air machine on the whole system rather than the shop vac on a stick that the cheap outfit down the road uses. Showed me the before and after photos from inside the trunk line and it was genuinely disgusting."
- Ernesto Hernandez