Whole-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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AfterHow Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in Manhattan?
Our Air Duct Cleaning services in Manhattan typically cost $450 to $950 for a standard one- to two-bedroom apartment, and $850 to $1,800 for larger prewar units and brownstone homes with multiple zones. Most Manhattan jobs we see land in the $550 to $1,100 range. That price covers a full source-removal clean of the supply and return system, register and vent cleaning, and a photo of the finished work.
The number moves based on square footage, how many vents you have, whether there’s a dryer vent bundled in, and how long it’s been since the last clean. A 900-square-foot one-bedroom in Kips Bay prices very differently than a 2,400-square-foot floor-through on the Upper West Side. We’ll get into the exact drivers below, but the short version is this: you should know your price before anyone opens a panel.
Key Takeaways
- Standard Manhattan apartments: $450-$950
- Larger prewar and brownstone homes: $850-$1,800
- Dryer vent cleaning as an add-on: $150-$350
- Every Morton’s visit includes a written price before we start, shoe covers, drop cloths, and a photo of the clean-up before we leave.
Air Duct Cleaning Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s how a typical Manhattan invoice breaks down. These ranges reflect the market as of 2026 and the realities of New York City buildings: tight mechanical closets, long horizontal runs, and shared risers in many co-ops and condos.
| Service / Line Item | Typical Manhattan Price Range |
|---|---|
| Standard apartment air duct cleaning (1-2 bedrooms) | $450 – $950 |
| Larger home / multi-zone cleaning (2,000+ sq ft) | $850 – $1,800 |
| Additional vent or register beyond the standard count | $25 – $55 each |
| Dryer vent cleaning (add-on or standalone) | $150 – $350 |
| Return duct cleaning (large trunk lines) | $120 – $300 |
| HVAC unit / air handler cleaning | $100 – $250 |
| Sanitizing or deodorizing treatment | $100 – $400 |
| Before/after photographic documentation | Included with Morton’s |
| Written price before any work starts | Included with Morton’s |
The biggest single driver is square footage. A studio in Murray Hill might have four supply vents and one return. A four-bedroom on Riverside Drive can have fifteen supply vents across three zones, plus a hallway return and a kitchen return. That’s a fundamentally different job, and the price should reflect it honestly rather than a flat “one price fits all” quote that surprises you at the door.
The second driver is access. In a prewar building, that often means old plaster walls, rigid metal ductwork with few access points, and mechanical closets behind louvered doors. We may need to cut a small access panel into a trunk line to do the job properly, and we’ll always tell you before we do it. In newer glass towers, you’ll usually find flexible ductwork with easier access, which can keep the price at the lower end. If you want to see how this plays out across the city, our home page maps out what we handle.
What Affects Air Duct Cleaning Pricing in Manhattan
Six things move the price up or down on a Manhattan job. We walk through every one of these with you before we quote.
- Size of the home. Square footage and vent count are the two numbers that matter most. A 700-square-foot studio in the East Village and a 2,800-square-foot brownstone floor-through in Harlem are not the same job, and pretending otherwise is how people get surprise invoices.
- Number of vents and returns. Most Manhattan apartments have four to eight supply registers. Larger homes can have fifteen or more, and each additional vent adds time and material to the clean.
- Access and duct layout. Prewar buildings along Central Park West and in the West Village often have rigid metal ductwork with limited access panels. That takes longer than the flexible ductwork you’ll find in newer construction on the Far East Side, and labor is the largest line item on any duct cleaning invoice.
- Condition of the system. If the last cleaning was ten years ago, or if there’s been renovation dust in the ducts from a recent gut reno, that adds time. Post-renovation cleans in Manhattan are common because so many apartments turn over, and construction dust settles deep in the return side.
- Dryer vent add-on. If your dryer vent is long or runs vertically through the building, it takes specialized equipment to clean properly. Vertical dryer runs are standard in Manhattan high-rises and add $150 to $350 to the visit.
- Building access and scheduling. Co-op boards sometimes require a certificate of insurance and a scheduled window. Tighter windows and freight elevator bookings can add coordination time, though they don’t usually change the cleaning price itself.
A note on why Manhattan pricing differs from the suburbs
Suburban homes are typically single-story or two-story with a basement mechanical room and short duct runs. Manhattan apartments are stacked vertically, and your air handler might be in a closet off the hallway with six feet of clearance. That layout means more setup time, more care with the surrounding finishes, and more time protecting floors and furniture. A fair Manhattan price accounts for all of that. Anyone quoting a suburban flat rate for a Manhattan apartment is either cutting corners or planning to raise the price on-site. See How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in Oakland, CA? (2026 Price Guide) for a West Coast comparison.
Is It Cheaper to Repair Your HVAC or Just Clean the Ducts?
These are two different jobs with two different price tags, and mixing them up is a common source of confusion. Duct cleaning removes accumulated dust, debris, and allergens from the ductwork itself. HVAC repair addresses a mechanical failure in the furnace, air handler, or condenser. Duct cleaning runs $450 to $1,800 depending on the home. A repair can run from $200 for a simple part swap to several thousand for a compressor or blower motor replacement. Cleaning won’t fix a broken system, and repair won’t fix dirty ducts. If you’re not sure which you need, that’s a conversation worth having before anyone starts work. Call (323) 918-4345 and we’ll help you sort it out.
How Often Should You Clean Air Ducts in Manhattan?
Every three to five years is the general guideline for most Manhattan homes. There are exceptions. If you have pets, if anyone in the household has allergies or asthma, if you’ve just finished a renovation, or if you’ve recently moved into a unit where the previous owner smoked indoors, a shorter interval makes sense. In buildings where multiple units share mechanical systems, we sometimes recommend every two to three years because dust from neighboring work can migrate. If you’re not sure where you stand, a quick inspection will tell you more than a guess.
How to Save on Air Duct Cleaning
A few practical ways to keep the bill reasonable without cutting corners on the work itself.
- Bundle dryer vent cleaning with duct cleaning. Doing both in one visit saves the trip charge and usually knocks $50 to $100 off the combined total.
- Schedule during off-peak windows. Late spring and early fall are quieter for us than the height of summer AC season or the first cold snap in November. Flexible scheduling sometimes means a better rate.
- Know your vent count before you call. Walk your apartment and count the supply registers and returns. It takes two minutes and lets us give you a more accurate written price up front instead of a broad range.
- Ask about the building’s requirements in advance. If your co-op needs a certificate of insurance or a specific window, having that ready avoids rescheduling fees.
- Don’t skip the clean because the price feels high. Waiting another three years doesn’t make the job cheaper. It makes the job longer, because heavier buildup takes more time to remove properly.
- Get a written estimate before you commit. This is the single easiest way to avoid a surprise on the invoice. We put the price in writing before we start, every time, no exceptions. Call (323) 918-4345 for a free estimate.
What’s Included in a Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning Visit
We’ve been cleaning air ducts and dryer vents since 2005 as part of the Cedarwell family of independently owned companies. Here’s what shows up at your door when you book with us.
- Background-checked, uniformed technicians who work to the Cedarwell C.A.R.E. values
- Shoe covers and drop cloths, every visit, included
- Professional-grade equipment from Rotobrush, Nikro, Abatement Technologies, and Guardsman. We don’t use rental-grade vacuums or consumer shop vacs.
- Quieter tools during nap hours and pet-safe product choices where available, because we know there’s a toddler asleep in the back bedroom and a dog who barks at the doorbell
- A written price before any work starts
- A photo of the clean-up before the crew leaves, so you can see the space was left exactly as we found it
- The 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right
- A live person answering the phone 24/7, not a voicemail box or a chatbot
Paul Adeyemi leads Morton’s, and the standard he sets on every job is simple: the customer knows the price and the plan before we touch anything, and the home looks the way it did when we arrived.
Choosing an Air Duct Cleaner in Manhattan
The New York market has no shortage of companies offering duct cleaning. A few things separate a careful job from a rushed one.
Ask whether the price is written before work starts. Ask whether the technician is background-checked and uniformed. Ask whether you’ll get photo documentation of the clean-up. Ask what equipment they use. And ask what happens if something isn’t right. A company that can answer all five without hesitation is a company worth hiring. If you’d rather just get a straight answer, call (323) 918-4345 and we’ll walk through it with you.
A word on safety
Air duct cleaning around HVAC equipment involves electrical components and, in some buildings, gas-fired furnaces. We don’t recommend opening a furnace cabinet or air handler yourself. Even with the power off at the breaker, there are components inside that hold a charge or sit near gas connections you don’t want to disturb. If something inside the mechanical closet needs attention beyond surface cleaning, that’s a job for a trained technician. We’ll tell you honestly if we see something that warrants a call to a licensed HVAC specialist.
Frequently Asked Questions About Air Duct Cleaning Cost in Manhattan
How much does air duct cleaning cost in Manhattan?
Most Manhattan apartments fall between $450 and $950, and larger homes run $850 to $1,800. The most common invoice we see is in the $550 to $1,100 range. Your exact price depends on square footage, vent count, and whether you add dryer vent cleaning. Call (323) 918-4345 for a free written estimate before you book.
Is it cheaper to clean air ducts or replace them?
Cleaning is almost always cheaper. Air duct cleaning in Manhattan runs $450 to $1,800. Replacing ductwork in an existing home can run into the thousands and often requires opening walls, which is a far bigger project. Replacement only makes sense when the ducts themselves are damaged, crushed, or disconnected. In most cases, cleaning restores the system to good working condition at a fraction of the cost. Call (323) 918-4345 and we’ll tell you honestly which one you need.
Can I get my air ducts cleaned the same day?
Often, yes. We keep same-day appointments available when the schedule allows, and a live person answers the phone 24/7 to check. A standard Manhattan apartment takes two to four hours on-site once we arrive. Larger homes and post-renovation cleans take longer. Call (323) 918-4345 to see what’s open today.
How much does dryer vent cleaning cost in Manhattan?
Dryer vent cleaning runs $150 to $350 when booked as its own visit, and it costs less when bundled with air duct cleaning. Vertical runs in Manhattan high-rises sit at the higher end because they need specialized equipment to clean properly. Bundling both services in one visit usually saves $50 to $100. Call (323) 918-4345 for a combined quote.
Why do Manhattan air duct cleaning prices vary so much?
Because the jobs vary so much. A 700-square-foot studio with four vents and a 2,800-square-foot prewar floor-through with fifteen vents are not comparable, and buildings differ wildly in duct access, mechanical layout, and scheduling requirements. A quote that doesn’t account for these realities is either underestimating the work or planning to add charges later. We put your price in writing before we start, so there’s no guessing once the crew is in your home.
What Happens When You Call Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning
When you call (323) 918-4345, a live person answers. Not a voicemail, not a chatbot. We’ll ask about your apartment size, vent count, and whether you want dryer vent cleaning included. Then we give you a written price before any work is scheduled. On the day of the visit, our technicians arrive in uniform, put on shoe covers, lay down drop cloths, and use professional-grade equipment from Rotobrush and Nikro to clean the system. Before we leave, we take a photo of the clean-up so you can see the space is just as it was. Every job is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and every visit follows the Cedarwell Care Promise.
If you’re in Manhattan and you want to know exactly what your air duct cleaning will cost before anyone touches your home, call (323) 918-4345 for a free estimate. We’ll give you a straight number and a clear plan, and we’ll respect your home, your pets, and your schedule from the moment we walk in.
Written by Paul Adeyemi, Owner at Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning, serving Manhattan since 2005.
Pricing reflects the Manhattan market as of 2026. Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning offers free estimates - call (323) 918-4345.
What Our Customers Say
"Ducts and dryer vent both. They put runners down the whole hall and wore booties. Spotless after, and they showed me photos of what came out. Worth every penny."
- Bonnie Vo"Spotless work. They laid drop cloths everywhere and I was honestly impressed there was zero mess at the end. Showed me the dirt they pulled out so I could see it was worth it."
- Shelby Dunham"New house, old dusty ducts. They were gentle in the house, laid down drop cloths, and double checked every register was sealed back up. Air smells fresh now."
- Scott Hemmings