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.
Air Duct Cleaning Company in Berkeley, CA
Air duct repair in Berkeley starts with understanding what’s actually inside the walls of homes built between 1900 and 1930. Most flats and brown-shingle houses in the 94702, 94703, and 94709 ZIP codes never had forced air originally. Their systems were retrofitted decades later into closets, crawlspaces, and wall cavities, and we find the same pattern on nearly every job: short kinked runs, flattened flex duct, and original galvanized rectangular ductwork that’s leaking at the seams. That’s why our approach here is different from a standard cleaning call. We restore the system first, then clean it. Call (833) 620-5944 to have a technician assess what’s actually going on in your ducts.
Why Berkeley Homes Are Different
Berkeley’s housing stock is older and more structurally varied than almost anywhere else in the East Bay, which changes what duct work actually involves here. The flats, especially in 94702 and 94703, are dense with Craftsman bungalows and multi-unit rentals built before forced-air heating was standard. The hills – 94707 and 94708 – hold a different set of problems entirely.
In the hills, the marine layer sits on the ducts year-round. Crawlspaces stay damp, condensation forms on interior liners, and mold establishes itself in fiberglass insulation that’s been absorbing moisture for decades. We routinely open inspection panels in Berkeley Hills homes and find rodent debris woven through the runs, with entry points chewed into the flex duct at the foundation line. The 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Fire changed things too: seasonal wildfire ash gets pulled into return air paths and settles in the system, and homeowners don’t notice until the furnace cycles on after months of disuse.
The flats have their own signature problems. Galvanized rectangular ductwork from the original retrofit has been in place for 40 to 60 years. Joints were never sealed properly, so the system pulls air from crawlspaces and wall cavities instead of the return grille. We find collapsed flex runs under piers, flattened sections where ducts were squeezed through framing, and enough drywall dust and construction debris to fill a shop vac on a single return line. In student rentals near campus, the turnover cycle means systems get neglected for years at a stretch, and the buildup is worse than in owner-occupied homes.
Styles & brands we work with
- Whole-home duct cleaning
- Dryer vent cleaning
- Camera inspection
- Sanitizing & deodorizing
Our Main Berkeley Services
The two jobs Berkeley homeowners request most are full-system air duct cleaning and dryer vent cleaning, and each one has its own dedicated page with pricing, timelines, and what to expect.
Air Duct Cleaning in Berkeley
Berkeley’s retrofitted systems respond differently to cleaning than newer tract homes do. The runs are shorter and tighter, which means the Rotobrush rotary brush has to work harder around the kinks and transitions. The marine moisture in hillside crawlspaces changes the nature of the debris too – it’s not dry dust you’re dealing with, but matted material that has absorbed humidity. This page covers the full process, what we find in pre-1930 houses versus mid-century apartments, and what cleaning can and can’t fix without repair work. See the specifics at Air Duct Cleaning in Berkeley.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Berkeley
Dryer vents in older Berkeley homes run longer and more awkwardly than modern installations. A vent that leaves the laundry closet, drops through the floor, and travels 20 feet under the house to the foundation wall is common in the flats. Lint builds up faster in these long, humid runs, and we see blockages in Berkeley Hills homes where vents terminate near the foundation and invite rodent nesting. The fire risk is real and the fix is straightforward. Details and pricing are on the Dryer Vent Cleaning in Berkeley page.
Air Duct Repair in Berkeley
Air duct repair is the service Berkeley homes need before cleaning can do its job. In the flats and lower hills of 94702, 94703, and 94709, the original galvanized rectangular ductwork installed during retrofit jobs is now decades past its useful life. Joints have separated, interior liners are breaking down, and the system can’t hold pressure. In the hills of 94707 and 94708, the combination of moisture, rodent activity, and terrain creates a different set of failures: collapsed runs under piers, disconnected sections where the hillside has settled, and flex duct chewed through at the crawlspace entry. Cleaning a system with these failures just moves the contamination around. Repair is the first step, and it’s the service where our full scope really matters. You can see the full scope on our Air Duct Repair hub page.
Ductwork Repair
Signs you need it
Rooms that won’t heat or cool despite adjusting dampers and registers, visible duct sections pulling apart in the crawlspace, a dusty or musty smell when the system runs, and unusually high utility bills.
What it costs in Berkeley
Ductwork repair in Berkeley typically runs between $450 and $1,700, depending on how many sections have separated and whether the runs are accessible from the crawlspace or buried in finished wall cavities.
How we do it
We locate every separation and leak with a pressure test, seal and reconnect the runs using the appropriate mechanical fasteners and mastic, then re-test the system to confirm it holds pressure before the job is done.
Air Duct Replacement
Signs you need it
Flex duct that has collapsed, been flattened, or been chewed through by rodents, original galvanized rectangular ductwork that has rusted through, and systems that have been repaired multiple times without holding pressure.
What it costs in Berkeley
Air duct replacement in Berkeley generally falls between $2,200 and $6,800 for a full system, with partial replacements of the worst runs starting around $900.
How we do it
We remove the failed runs, install properly sized replacement duct with sealed joints, add correct support and slope through the crawlspace, and confirm the entire system moves air efficiently from the air handler to every register.
What Air Duct Repair Costs in Berkeley
| Item | Typical range in Berkeley |
|---|---|
| Ductwork repair | $450 – $1,700 |
| Air duct replacement (partial) | $900 – $2,200 |
| Air duct replacement (full system) | $2,200 – $6,800 |
Costs in Berkeley run higher than the regional average for two reasons: access is tighter in pre-1930 homes where systems were retrofitted into closets and wall cavities, and the damp crawlspaces in the hills mean repairs often involve replacing moisture-damaged sections rather than simply reconnecting them. Every job is quoted as one flat price per project before work starts, so the number on your estimate is the number on your invoice.
How long does air duct repair take in Berkeley?
Most Berkeley duct repairs take one to two days. Partial replacement of the worst runs usually fits in a single day, while a full system replacement in an older home often requires a second day for access and sealing.
Do I need a permit for duct repair in Berkeley?
Most repair and replacement work on existing residential systems does not require a permit in Berkeley, though replacements that involve changes to the system layout may. We handle this on a case-by-case basis and will let you know before work begins.
Brands We Service in Berkeley
We work on all major duct and ventilation brands found in Berkeley homes. We install Honeywell and Aprilaire filtration and air-quality products at the time of service, and we use Nikro and Abatement Technologies equipment on every job. Call us if you’re unsure what system you have – we’ll identify it on arrival.
See the difference
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After
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AfterPricing for Air Duct Cleaning Company in Berkeley, CA
| Service | Typical range in Berkeley |
|---|---|
| Ductwork repair | $450 – $1,700 |
| Air duct replacement (partial) | $900 – $2,200 |
| Air duct replacement (full system) | $2,200 – $6,800 |
| Air duct cleaning (single system) | $495 – $895 |
| Air duct cleaning + dryer vent cleaning (combined) | $595 – $995 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (standalone) | $149 – $249 |
| Dryer vent repair / replacement | $175 – $450 |
| Air duct cleaning + air duct repair (combined) | $650 – $2,500 |
Berkeley pricing shifts based on access and system condition. A hillside crawlspace with rodent damage or a flatland retrofit with collapsed flex runs will push a job toward the higher end, while a straightforward cleaning on an accessible system costs less. You get one flat price for the job before we start, based on what we actually find in your ducts.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Berkeley
We serve all of Berkeley, from the flats to the hills. Every job we do in the 94702, 94703, 94705, 94707, 94708, and 94709 ZIP codes gets the same equipment and the same approach. We schedule service across the city throughout the week, and our technicians arrive with all the equipment needed for the job.
- Berkeley Hills
- North Berkeley
- South Berkeley
- Elmwood
- West Berkeley
Service Area – Cities Near Berkeley
Beyond Berkeley, our service area covers the East Bay communities where retrofitted systems and marine moisture create the same challenges. We work regularly in Albany, CA, Richmond, CA, San Pablo, CA, and Alameda, CA. If you’re nearby and need full-system duct care, call and we’ll confirm coverage.
Serving Berkeley, CA – Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Berkeley area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage – if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Air Duct Cleaning Company in Berkeley
We schedule Berkeley jobs throughout the week and group appointments by area to keep travel time down. Most homeowners get an appointment within a few days of calling, and we’ll give you a firm arrival window when you book.
For single-family homes, no. For condos and townhomes in Berkeley, some HOAs require notice before work in shared crawlspaces or utility chases. We can provide a scope-of-work description if your HOA needs one, and we’ll coordinate access with property managers where needed.
We cover all Berkeley ZIP codes including 94702, 94703, 94705, 94707, 94708, and 94709, from the flats through the Berkeley Hills. If you’re in an adjacent community, call and we’ll confirm whether your address falls within our operating area.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees. Talk to a local air duct cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you. The visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Berkeley Customers Say
"Did the dryer vent while they were here for a small add on price. The dryer now finishes a load in one cycle instead of two."
- Javier Morales"Two guys, about three hours, plastic down at every register, and they wiped the vent covers before putting them back."
- Diego Delgado"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."
- Paul Schaefer