Whole-home duct cleaning
Dryer vent cleaning
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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.
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Before
AfterHow Much Does HVAC Cleaning Cost in Houston?
HVAC cleaning in Houston typically runs between $350 and $900 for a full residential system, with most single-family homes falling in the $450 to $650 range. That covers air duct cleaning, coil cleaning, blower motor cleaning, and a basic sanitizing treatment. Homes with multiple HVAC units, extensive mold growth, or ducts that haven’t been touched in a decade or more can push the total past $1,200.
We’re going to give you real numbers here, not “it depends.” You’ll see exactly what each component costs, what drives the price up, and what a fair quote should include in the Houston market as of 2026. If you want a written price for your specific home, call (713) 936-5800 and we’ll send a technician out to assess your system at no charge.
Key Takeaways
- Full residential HVAC cleaning in Houston averages $450 to $650.
- Duct cleaning alone typically costs $300 to $500 for a single system.
- Coil cleaning adds $100 to $250 depending on access and condition.
- Houston humidity makes mold and mildew treatment a common add-on at $75 to $200.
- Written pricing before work starts is the single best way to avoid bait-and-switch quotes.
HVAC Cleaning Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s what you should expect to pay in Houston right now. These are the numbers we quote, and they’re the numbers you’ll see on invoices from reputable local companies. Anyone quoting dramatically less is either skipping steps or planning to add fees at the door.
| Service | Typical Houston Price Range | What It Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Full HVAC cleaning (single system) | $450 – $650 | Supply and return ducts, coils, blower, drain pan, sanitizer |
| Air duct cleaning only | $300 – $500 | All accessible supply and return ducts, register cleaning |
| Evaporator coil cleaning | $100 – $250 | Coil access, chemical cleaning, fin straightening |
| Condenser coil cleaning | $75 – $150 | Exterior coil wash, debris removal |
| Blower motor and housing cleaning | $75 – $150 | Motor removal, housing wipe-down, reassembly |
| Mold/mildew treatment | $75 – $200 | Antimicrobial fogging or spray application |
| Drain line flush and pan treatment | $50 – $100 | Clearing condensate line, treating pan with biocide |
| Duct sealing (if needed) | $400 – $1,200 | Mastic sealing of accessible duct joints and seams |
| Second HVAC system (upstairs unit, etc.) | $250 – $400 additional | Full cleaning for a secondary system |
These ranges assume a typical Houston home: 1,800 to 2,800 square feet, one or two systems, and ducts that are accessible from the attic or crawl space. Homes in Kingwood, The Woodlands, or Sugar Land with larger square footage and longer duct runs will land on the higher end. A tightly packed townhome in Montrose or the Heights may come in under $400.
What moves the price up? The big one is mold. If your evaporator coil or duct interior shows visible microbial growth, that treatment isn’t optional. Houston’s humidity – routinely above 70 percent from May through October – means moisture sits in ducts and drain pans far longer than it does in drier climates. That’s not a scare tactic. It’s what we see on roughly a third of our Houston jobs.
Access matters too. If your air handler is in a finished attic with tight clearance, the technician needs more time to remove panels and reach the coil. Older homes in the Heights or Garden Oaks often have tight mechanical closets that add 30 to 60 minutes to the job. You don’t get charged a separate “access fee” with us, but the labor time shows up in the quote.
What Affects HVAC Cleaning Pricing in Houston
- Number of HVAC systems. A two-story home with separate upstairs and downstairs units means two full cleanings. Most companies charge $250 to $400 for the second system rather than doubling the rate, but you should confirm that before booking.
- Duct length and layout. A sprawling ranch home in Katy with long duct runs takes more hose and more time than a compact bungalow in the East End. Longer systems mean more surface area, more bends, and more labor.
- Mold and microbial growth. Houston’s humidity creates conditions that don’t exist in Phoenix or Denver. If the coil or ducts show visible growth, antimicrobial treatment adds $75 to $200 and is non-negotiable if you want the system actually clean.
- Access to the air handler. Attic-mounted units in older Pearland or Pasadena homes often sit in tight spaces that slow the work down. Closet-mounted units are simpler and usually cheaper to service.
- Age of the system. A unit installed in 2018 will usually clean up faster than one from 2005. Older systems accumulate more debris and sometimes have deteriorated insulation inside the air handler that complicates cleaning.
- Duct sealing needs. If we find leaks during the cleaning – and Houston homes lose a lot of conditioned air through attic ductwork – sealing those joints with mastic adds cost but pays for itself in lower electric bills. We’ll show you the leaks with photos before we quote sealing.
One thing that should not affect your price is the day of the week or the time of day. At Hollis Air Duct Houston, the price we write down before the job starts is the price you pay. No weekend surcharges, no “emergency” fees that appear at the door.
How to Save on HVAC Cleaning
The best way to save money on HVAC cleaning is to stay ahead of it. A system cleaned every two to three years costs less per visit than one that’s been neglected for a decade. Here’s what actually moves the needle:
- Change your filters on schedule. A $15 filter replaced every 60 to 90 days keeps the blower and coil from loading up with dust. That means less labor when we do come out. In Houston, where the AC runs eight to ten months a year, check filters monthly during peak season.
- Bundle services. If you need HVAC cleaning in Houston and dryer vent cleaning, ask about combined pricing. Bundling typically saves $75 to $150 versus booking them separately.
- Handle both systems at once. Two-story homeowners who clean both HVAC units in a single visit usually get a better rate on the second system than scheduling them months apart.
- Address mold early. The $200 antimicrobial treatment you need today is cheaper than the $1,500 coil replacement you’ll need if microbial growth eats through the fins. We’ll tell you plainly if something can wait. We don’t upsell treatments you don’t need.
- Get a written quote and compare exactly. Not all “duct cleaning” includes the same steps. One company’s $299 special might cover only the supply ducts and leave the return, coil, and blower untouched. Ask what’s included, in writing, before you book.
Every quote from Hollis Air Duct Houston is free. Call (713) 936-5800 and we’ll schedule a walkthrough at your convenience. You’ll get a written price with the exact scope of work before anything starts.
Why Houston’s Climate Makes HVAC Cleaning Different
Houston doesn’t have a cooling season. It has a cooling year with a brief pause around January. That constant runtime means your evaporator coil stays wet for most of the year, and a wet coil in a dark air handler is exactly where mold and mildew want to live.
We also contend with Houston’s clay-heavy soil and construction dust. New developments in Cypress, Fulshear, and Richmond send fine particulates into the air that get sucked into return ducts. Homes near active construction – and there’s always active construction somewhere in Harris County – need more frequent filter changes and often need their ducts cleaned sooner than the three-year average.
Finally, Houston’s salt air matters if you live within a few miles of Galveston Bay. Homes in Clear Lake, Seabrook, and La Porte see accelerated corrosion on outdoor condenser coils. Cleaning those coils isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about keeping the aluminum fins from pitting and failing early.
What a Proper HVAC Cleaning Should Include
If you’re comparing quotes across Houston companies, ask what “cleaning” actually means. A proper job touches all of these components. A $99 special touches almost none of them.
- Supply and return duct cleaning. This uses either a rotary brush system or a negative-air vacuum (or both) to dislodge and extract dust, pet dander, and debris from the full duct system. At Hollis, we run Rotobrush rotary brush systems and Nikro negative-air machines – professional-grade equipment, not a shop vac and a prayer.
- Evaporator coil cleaning. The indoor coil is where dust and moisture combine into a paste that strangles your system’s efficiency. A proper cleaning removes this buildup so your AC doesn’t work harder than it should.
- Condenser coil cleaning. The outdoor unit needs a thorough wash to shed Houston’s pollen, grass clippings, and construction dust.
- Blower motor and wheel cleaning. A dirty blower wheel throws the fan out of balance and reduces airflow. We remove the wheel, clean the blades, and reassemble.
- Drain pan and condensate line service. Clogged drain lines cause water damage and are the number one reason Houston AC units shut down in August. We flush the line and treat the pan.
- Sanitizing treatment. After the physical cleaning, we apply an antimicrobial to the coil and pan to slow microbial regrowth.
That’s the full scope. Anything less is a partial cleaning, and partial cleanings don’t fix the air quality or efficiency problems you’re paying to solve.
The 365-Day Done Right Promise
Roy Castellanos runs Hollis Air Duct Houston under the Garrison Standard, which is a specific set of rules about how a job gets done. The rules are simple: show up inside the window we quoted, put the price in writing before any work begins, complete the job by the book, and leave the site clean.
The 365-Day Done Right Promise is the guarantee behind that standard. If the work we do fails within a full year, we come back and make it right at no charge. That includes a free second visit, not a negotiated discount or a prorated credit. It’s in writing on every job we do in Houston, and it covers the entire scope of the HVAC cleaning – ducts, coils, blower, drain line, and sanitizing treatment.
We can make that promise because we do the job completely the first time. You won’t find us advertising a $129 duct cleaning that turns into a $900 upsell at the door. The price is the price, and the guarantee is the guarantee.
Who Shows Up at Your Door
When you book with Hollis Air Duct Houston, you know who’s coming before they arrive. Every technician is background-checked and uniformed, and their name is on the confirmation you receive when you schedule.
Our equipment list isn’t a secret either. We run Rotobrush rotary brush systems for duct agitation, Nikro negative-air machines to pull debris out of the home rather than recirculate it, and filtration products from Honeywell and Aprilaire. For duct sealing, we use Guardsman mastic and Abatement Technologies products. These are the same tools commercial crews use on office buildings and medical facilities. They’re what’s needed to do the job properly in a Houston home.
Duct Sealing: What It Costs and When You Need It
Duct sealing is the most expensive add-on in HVAC cleaning, and it’s also the one that pays for itself fastest. The Department of Energy estimates that typical homes lose 20 to 30 percent of conditioned air through duct leaks. In Houston, where electricity rates hover around 14 cents per kilowatt-hour and AC runs constantly from April through November, that leakage translates to real money.
Sealing accessible duct joints with mastic runs $400 to $1,200 depending on the home’s layout and the number of leaks. We’ll show you the leaks before we quote the work – you’ll see exactly where the air is escaping and what it’s costing you.
Signs you need duct sealing: rooms that never reach the thermostat setting, dust accumulating faster than it should, higher summer electric bills than neighbors with similar homes, and visible gaps or disconnected sections in attic ductwork.
FAQs – HVAC Cleaning Cost
How much does HVAC cleaning cost in Houston in 2026?
Full HVAC cleaning in Houston costs $450 to $650 for a typical single-family home with one system. Larger homes or those with two systems run $700 to $1,050. Duct-only cleaning without coil or blower service runs $300 to $500, but we recommend the full scope for real results. Call (713) 936-5800 for a written quote on your specific home.
Is HVAC cleaning worth the money?
Yes, if you’re dealing with visible dust on registers, allergy symptoms that improve when you leave home, musty smells from vents, or a system that hasn’t been cleaned in five or more years. A $450 cleaning is a fraction of the cost of replacing a coil that fails early from neglect. In Houston’s humidity, mold on the coil is a when, not an if. Cleaning before it gets bad saves thousands.
How often should HVAC ducts be cleaned in Houston?
Every two to three years for most Houston homes. Homes with pets that shed heavily, residents with allergies or asthma, or anyone living near active construction should consider annual cleaning. The constant AC runtime in Houston’s climate loads ducts with dust faster than in cooler climates, so three years is the outside edge for most families.
Can you clean HVAC ducts yourself?
You can vacuum the register covers and wipe down vent grilles, but a real duct cleaning requires professional negative-air equipment and rotary brushes that reach deep into the duct system. Consumer vacuums don’t have the reach or suction power to pull debris from a full duct run. Skip the DIY attempt and get a proper cleaning; it’s safer and actually works. Call (713) 936-5800 to schedule a free assessment.
How much does mold removal from HVAC cost in Houston?
Mold and mildew treatment on the coil, pan, and ducts typically adds $75 to $200 to a cleaning job. If the growth is severe enough to require coil removal or duct replacement, costs escalate to $800 to $2,500. We treat what’s treatable and tell you plainly if replacement is the only real fix. No scare pricing, no unnecessary upgrades.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a moldy HVAC coil?
If the mold is on the surface of the coil, cleaning and antimicrobial treatment costs $100 to $300. If the mold has penetrated deep into the coil fins or the coil is corroded, replacement runs $1,200 to $2,800 installed for most Houston homes. The math says clean early and often. A $200 treatment today beats a $2,000 coil next summer.
Get a Written Price for Your Houston Home
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably ready to get a real number for your home. Call (713) 936-5800 and we’ll schedule a free walkthrough at a time that works for you. A live person answers the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No voicemail trees, no callback queues.
You’ll get a written quote before any work starts. That quote stays the same whether the job takes three hours or six. The work is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and if anything’s not right within a year, we come back and fix it at no charge.
Roy Castellanos and the Hollis Air Duct Houston team have been cleaning HVAC systems in the Houston area since 2004. We’re part of the Garrison Partners family, and we run every job by the Garrison Standard: show up inside the window, price it in writing, do it by the book, leave it clean. That’s the whole deal.
Pricing reflects the Houston market as of 2026. Hollis Air Duct Houston offers free estimates – call (713) 936-5800.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Houston, serving Houston since 2004.
What Our Customers Say
"They checked each section with a camera and showed me the dust before and after. Thorough and honest."
- Nicole H."Careful with the carpet and furniture. Even wiped down the vent covers before putting them back."
- Leo B."Dryer vent was packed with lint and took two hours to dry a load. Cleaned it out from the roof cap down. One cycle again."
- Paula Q.