How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in San Francisco? [2025 Data]

San Francisco’s mild climate may mean HVAC systems get less heavy use than in other parts of the country, but no matter how often you use your HVAC system, it needs regular cleaning to function properly and prevent damage. Cleaning air ducts in San Francisco costs $347 on average, with most homeowners paying between $252 and $449. We break down some of the things that determine how much you’ll pay to clean your air ducts.

Air Duct Cleaning Cost Factors 

The cost of air duct cleaning in San Francisco, California, depends on several factors, with your home’s square footage and number of vents playing the largest part in determining cost. The type of ducts you have also matters—some materials require specialized cleaning and will cost more. Take a look at some of the factors that affect how much you’ll pay for air duct cleaning. 

Total Home Square Footage 

The more ductwork you have, the more you'll pay for cleaning. Some local air duct cleaners base their price on the property’s square footage since the larger your home is, the more ductwork you'll have. Ductwork is measured in linear feet rather than square footage, but can be difficult to calculate since each home will require different lengths of ducting to connect the vents to the HVAC system.

The cost of cleaning ductwork in San Francisco is $0.13 to $0.27 per square foot of your home. So, to clean vents in a 1,500-square-foot house, expect to pay between $195 and $405. Here’s a breakdown of the average air duct cleaning costs based on the size of your home:

Number of Vents

As with ductwork, the more vents you have, the more it’ll cost to clean them. On average, vents cost $31 each to clean, with most homeowners paying between $22 and $45 per vent. To get a ballpark estimate for the cost of vent cleaning, count the vents in your home and multiply that by $31. In most cases, one vent is needed for every 100 to 150 square feet of living space, so if you don’t want to count your vents, you can estimate using your home’s total square footage.

Here’s how the number of vents affects your air duct cleaning cost:

Type of Ductwork

If you have flex ducts, expect to pay toward the upper end of the range. Unlike metal ducts, flex ducts require special cleaning equipment, so you’ll pay more to clean them. Rigid metal ducts are easy to clean with a vacuum, air hose, or power brush, so they cost less to clean.

Fiberglass and fiberboard ductwork require careful cleaning of HVAC duct parts with specialty equipment to minimize the risk of dislodging particulates from the material, which can then enter the HVAC system and pose health risks. Cleaning these types of ductwork will cost more than cleaning metal ducts but less than cleaning flex ducts. 

Labor Cost

Most ductwork pros charge by the hour, with duct cleaning services priced between $80 and $115 per hour. Depending on the size of your home, the type of ductwork you have, and how accessible the ducts are, most cleaning jobs require three to eight hours of labor.

Accessibility

If you ensure that vents are easy to reach with vacuuming equipment, accessibility shouldn’t be a problem. But some ductwork designs make accessing them difficult, especially if you don’t have floor vents. If air duct technicians have to work harder or take additional steps to reach your vents, it can result in additional labor charges.

Inspections

Some vent problems, like noticeable mold or nests, don’t require an inspection before cleaning. However, if you aren’t sure about the state of your vents, consider arranging a professional inspection. These inspections are often bundled together as part of an HVAC inspection, which costs an average of $300 but can fall under $100 for simple systems.

Level of Cleanliness or Contamination

Duct cleaning is offered as a package with set labor costs, but extremely dirty jobs will cost extra. If the ducts are blocked because they’ve never been cleaned and need a lot of work to remove dust and buildup, expect additional fees.

If your household has any smokers, it may cost more to remove smoke residue in the ducts, since it can be more difficult to remove than regular buildup. Built-up dust and residue can also damage your ducts or HVAC system over time, so plan to pay extra if you need to repair the air ducts or other HVAC parts. 

Air Duct Cleaning Pro Costs

Air duct cleaning uses standard equipment and very little in the way of materials, so labor costs for a San Francisco air duct cleaning pro will make up almost all of your total project cost. It may be tempting to DIY this project to save on labor costs, but improper cleaning can damage your ductwork and cause issues with your HVAC system.

A pro will also be able to spot damage or potential problems with your ducts and tell you whether your ducts need cleaning or repair (or both), which you might miss if you tackle the job yourself. Ductwork repair costs $200 to $2,100 on average, depending on the type of repair. 

Does Air Duct Cleaning Increase Home Value?

While air duct cleaning doesn’t have a direct effect on your home’s value, a well-maintained HVAC system will save you money on repairs over the life of the system and may make your home easier to sell. San Francisco’s real estate market is notoriously competitive, so a home with a history of regular HVAC maintenance will appeal to potential homebuyers, since they’ll be able to avoid the expense of repair or replacement soon after moving in. 

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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