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 San Diego?
Air duct cleaning in San Diego, CA typically costs between $450 and $1,200 for a standard single-family home in 2026, with most families landing in the $550 to $750 range. For comparison, see our How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in San Francisco, CA? (2026 Price Guide). Dryer vent cleaning is usually a smaller ticket, running $130 to $250 on its own. The final number depends on your square footage, how many registers and returns you have, and whether you’re dealing with two-story ductwork, pet hair build-up, or a system that hasn’t been touched since before you moved in.
At Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning, we give you a written price before any work begins – not a phone-ballpark, not “we’ll see when we get there,” an actual itemized number you can look at while the technician is still standing in your entryway. If you want that number today, call (323) 918-4345 and a live person will pick up, any hour.
Key Takeaways
- Most San Diego single-family homes fall between $450 and $1,200, with a typical clean at $550 to $750.
- Dryer vent cleaning runs $130 to $250 as a standalone add-on.
- Home size, number of vents, system age, and pet hair are the biggest cost drivers.
- Morton’s provides a written price before work starts, on every single job.
- Every Morton’s visit is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise and the Cedarwell Care Promise, and includes shoe covers, drop cloths, and a photo of the clean-up before we leave.
Air Duct Cleaning Cost Breakdown (2026)
Below is what San Diego homeowners are paying for each component of a duct cleaning visit in 2026. These are real market ranges, not national averages padded for coastal California labor rates.
| Service | San Diego Price Range (2026) |
|---|---|
| Standard home (up to 1,500 sq ft) | $450 - $650 |
| Mid-size home (1,500 - 2,500 sq ft) | $600 - $850 |
| Larger home (2,500 - 4,000 sq ft) | $800 - $1,200 |
| Two-story or multi-zone system add-on | $100 - $250 |
| Additional vent or register (beyond 12) | $15 - $30 each |
| Heavy pet hair or dander remediation | $75 - $200 |
| Mold or microbial treatment | $200 - $600 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (standalone) | $130 - $250 |
| Dryer vent + duct combo | $550 - $900 |
| HVAC coil and blower cleaning add-on | $150 - $400 |
If your quote comes in below $300 for a full San Diego house, ask what equipment is being used and how many technicians are on the truck. Real duct cleaning takes time: the truck-mounted vacuum, the rotary brush agitation through every run, back-and-forth passes, and then a final visual check. Entry-level rental gear and a single tech moving fast through 20 vents isn’t the same job as a proper Rotobrush and Nikro pass through the whole system. A low number usually means something was skipped, and it’s often the part of the ductwork you can’t see from the floor.
What Affects Air Duct Cleaning Pricing in San Diego
Pricing isn’t random. The same house in Chula Vista and the same square footage in Carlsbad can land on very different invoices. Here’s what moves the number. For San Jose area pricing, see How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in San Jose, CA? (2026 Price Guide).
- Square footage and register count. A 1,300 sq ft bungalow in North Park with eight vents is a different job than a 3,200 sq ft house in Scripps Ranch with twenty. Each additional vent adds time – typically $15 to $30 per register beyond a dozen.
- Ductwork layout and home age. Older San Diego homes, especially in neighborhoods like Hillcrest, South Park, and Golden Hill, often have original galvanized ductwork with more elbows, longer runs, and, in some cases, disconnected sections. That takes longer to clean and sometimes requires sealing or reconnecting a joint before the clean can be finished.
- Number of AC systems. San Diego homes with two HVAC units (common in larger homes in Rancho Bernardo, Poway, and Carmel Valley) need both systems cleaned separately, which adds $100 to $250.
- Pet hair and dander. Coastal San Diego sees a lot of dogs that live outside part of the day, and the hair they shed gets pulled into return vents fast. If you’ve got a lab, a golden, or two cats, expect an add-on in the $75 to $200 range.
- Access limitations. Crawl space ductwork, low attic clearance, and second-story units in older Mission Hills homes can add time. Not every job gets the easy walk-through.
- Additional services. Coil cleaning, blower cleaning, or microbial treatment after a moisture issue (we do see this in San Diego homes with swamp coolers or coastal humidity problems) each carry their own line item, from $150 up to $600.
The climate here matters too. San Diego’s marine layer pulls in salt air and moisture, which can accelerate corrosion on metal duct components in coastal neighborhoods like Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, and Point Loma. For Seattle’s different climate challenges, see How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in Seattle, WA? (2026 Price Guide). Inland areas like El Cajon and Santee run hotter and dustier, so return vents there tend to build up dry particulate faster. We adjust our approach based on where you actually live, not just the square footage on paper.
How to Save on Air Duct Cleaning
You don’t need to accept the first number you’re quoted. A few practical ways San Diego families keep the bill reasonable:
- Bundle duct cleaning with dryer vent cleaning. Most San Diego companies (including us) offer a combined rate that’s lower than booking the two separately. It’s usually $550 to $900 for both, versus $600 to $1,000 if you split them across two visits.
- Ask for a written estimate up front. If a company won’t put a number in writing before they arrive, that’s a red flag. Free written estimates are standard, and you should never be charged a surprise fee after the work is done. Call (323) 918-4345 and we’ll walk through your home’s specifics on the phone.
- Clean at the right interval, not twice a year. Most San Diego homes don’t need annual duct cleaning. Every two to three years is typical. Homes with pets, allergy concerns, or recent construction may need it sooner – genuinely sooner, not sales-pitch sooner.
- Watch for coupons that drop below $99. A $79 whole-house duct cleaning is essentially a vent wipe-down. Real equipment and real labor cost real money. A suspiciously cheap quote usually means you’ll be upsold hard on-site or you’ll get a surface-level pass.
- Take care of it before a bigger problem. If you’re noticing reduced airflow in a specific room or a slightly musty smell when the AC kicks on, cleaning now is cheaper than waiting until a coil or blower needs service ($150 to $400 extra) down the line.
If you want an honest number for your home without anyone trying to sell you something you don’t need, our team answers live 24/7. We’ll tell you whether you actually need a cleaning or whether you can hold off another year.
Why San Diego Homeowners Choose Morton’s for Duct Cleaning
Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning was founded in 2005 and has been part of the Cedarwell family of independently owned companies from the start. We specialize in Air Duct Cleaning and dryer vent cleaning, and we do it with professional equipment from Rotobrush, Nikro, Honeywell, Aprilaire, Abatement Technologies, and Guardsman. That’s a different tier of tool than what most general handyman crews show up with.
Every job comes with the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If something isn’t right, we come back and make it right. It’s stamped on every job, not offered only when a customer asks. The Cedarwell Care Promise is the standard our entire team works to: shoe covers and drop cloths on every visit, a written price before any work starts, and a photo of the clean-up before we walk out the door. If you’ve had a crew leave grit on your floors or a bill that didn’t match the quote, this is the opposite of that experience.
Our technicians are background-checked and arrive in uniform. We know a lot of our San Diego customers have a toddler napping down the hall or a dog who thinks the vacuum is a threat – we work around both. Quieter tools during nap windows, pet-safe product choices where they’re available, and a walkthrough before we pack up so you can see what we did and where. You can see the full range of what we do on our home page.
One safety note: the high-voltage wiring, blower motor, and HVAC components we work around aren’t a DIY-friendly zone. We handle that area with the system properly isolated and grounded. For the parts of your system that carry serious electrical current or sit inside a gas furnace cabinet, always leave that work to a trained professional.
FAQs – Air Duct Cleaning Cost
How much does air duct cleaning cost in San Diego?
Most San Diego single-family homes fall between $450 and $1,200, with a typical job landing around $550 to $750. Homes under 1,500 sq ft tend to run $450 to $650; larger homes with two HVAC systems can hit $800 to $1,200. Call (323) 918-4345 for a free written estimate specific to your address – no surprises on the invoice.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace my ductwork?
Repair is almost always cheaper, usually $150 to $600 for sealing or reconnecting a section, versus $2,500 to $8,000 or more for full duct replacement in a San Diego home. Replacement is only the better call when the ductwork is collapsed, extensively disconnected, or visible microbial growth has taken over large sections. We’ll tell you honestly which one you’re looking at before doing either. Call (323) 918-4345 and we’ll take a look.
Can you clean my ducts and dryer vent the same day?
Yes. Most of our San Diego customers book both in a single visit, and the combined rate (typically $550 to $900) is lower than booking them separately. Same-day scheduling is often available. Call (323) 918-4345 and a live person will find you a time that works – we answer 24/7, no voicemail, no chatbot.
How much does dryer vent cleaning cost in San Diego?
Standalone dryer vent cleaning in San Diego runs $130 to $250. If your dryer vent run is long, goes up through the roof, or hasn’t been cleaned in several years, expect the higher end of that range. This is a job we strongly recommend not doing yourself if the vent runs through a wall or roofline – there are real fire and electrical risks with the back-of-dryer panels on many units. Call (323) 918-4345 for a free estimate.
Do you offer free estimates for duct cleaning in San Diego?
Yes, every estimate is free, and it’s a written price you get before any work starts. We don’t add charges after the fact, and we don’t run pressure offers. If you’ve been quoted something that felt high, call (323) 918-4345 and we’ll give you a second number to compare.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
A few things help us give you an accurate written price on the first call:
- Approximate square footage of your home.
- How many HVAC systems you have (one for a typical single-story, two for many two-story San Diego homes).
- Whether you’re also interested in dryer vent cleaning.
- Rough number of floor and ceiling vents, if you happen to know.
- Any pets in the house (we’ll factor in pet hair remediation if it applies).
- Whether your ductwork runs through an attic, crawl space, or slab.
Even if you don’t have all of those details, we can work with what you know. We’ve quoted thousands of San Diego homes and can usually land within a small range from a couple of quick questions.
Book a Free Estimate for Air Duct Cleaning in San Diego
Whether you’re in Chula Vista, La Mesa, Poway, Escondido, or anywhere in between, we’d be glad to give you a written price for duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, or both. Every visit comes with the 365-Day Done Right Promise, the Cedarwell Care Promise standard, shoe covers and drop cloths, and a photo of the clean-up before the crew leaves. Call (323) 918-4345 any time – day or night – and a live person from Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning will pick up and get you a free estimate.
Pricing reflects the San Diego market as of 2026. Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning offers free estimates – call (323) 918-4345.
Written by Paul Adeyemi, Owner at Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning, serving San Diego since 2005.
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