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

It goes without saying that clean airflow through your home is extremely important. Homeowners in Philadelphia may notice higher energy bills, less effective heating and cooling, odd smells, and other signs that their ducts need cleaning. Air duct cleaning closets in Philadelphia run $363 on average, but it commonly ranges from $291 to $451 depending on factors like home size and number of vents.

Air Duct Cleaning Cost Factors 

The total price of duct cleaning in Philadelphia, PA, depends mostly on the number of vents you have and the length of your ducts. While material matters, it has less of an effect on the total project cost (unless the work requires special tools). Older houses in the city—there are plenty—should exercise caution when hiring pros and should only hire those who have experience with the aging bones of older homes.  

Total Square Footage of Vents

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.

The cost of cleaning ductwork is $0.15 to $0.30 per square foot. So, to clean vents in a 1,500-square-foot house, expect to pay between $180 and $360. 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 $35 each to clean, with most homeowners paying between $25 and $50 per vent. To get a ballpark estimate for the cost of vent cleaning, count the vents in your home and multiply that by $35.

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.

Labor Cost

Most ductwork pros charge by the hour, with duct cleaning services priced between $90 and $125 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 have never been cleaned and need a lot of work to remove dust and buildup, expect additional fees.

Weather

Pros will charge extra if they have to trudge through snow to access your ductwork, but more importantly, you’ll pay more to do this project when it’s super hot or cold outside. Your pro will shut off your system, meaning your home won’t be able to run its cooling or heating system. If you can, schedule this work when the outside temperature matches your preferred indoor temperature. For most, this is between 67 and 77 degrees.

Air Duct Cleaning Pro Costs

Labor in Philadelphia

Duct cleaning pros will almost always work the typical 8-to-6 timeslot. It’s extremely rare that duct cleaning is an emergency, so know that any work done outside common working hours will include, at the very least, a 50% markup. Other than that, try to hire pros in the same neighborhood to avoid travel costs. If you live in South Philly, hire from South Philly, Fishtown from Fishtown, etc. 

Licensing

HVAC licensing isn’t required in Pennsylvania as a whole, but Philly pros need certain licenses to perform certain types of work. This includes HVAC work, so duct cleaners need to be licensed. Work completed without proper licensing can void your warranty or home insurance—a serious problem in case of expensive fire damage. 

Tipping

Tipping isn’t the norm when paying for duct cleaning, just like it wouldn’t be normal to tip other contractors. We recommend tipping only if you experience exceptional service, your pro cuts you a deal on the labor, or they perform work on the fly. Tipping 10% is what we recommend for pros who go above and beyond, but again, it isn’t ordinary or expected.  

A Philadelphia duct cleaning pro will be able to break these down further and should be your first call. Just remember to at least three pros to make sure you’re getting a fair quote from a licensed company. 

General Contractor 

A general contractor might be in your home working on another project and notice your ducts need cleaning. While some contractors have experience in HVAC systems, we strongly recommend you stick to dedicated Philadelphia duct cleaning pros, especially since pricing is similar to what general contractors charge per hour anyway. If you plan on replacing your ducts entirely, an HVAC pro would be the best choice.

Does Air Duct Cleaning Increase Home Value?

No, cleaning air ducts won’t increase your home’s value, and no buyer wants to perform maintenance immediately after purchasing a home. For Philly homeowners, this means having your ducts in good shape so your home is more attractive if you’re in the market to sell. 

Homeowners (and buyers) consider clean ducts a safety requirement. Clean ducts mean cleaner air, but it also means less risk of fire or the spreading of contaminants.

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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