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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AfterFast, Reliable Dryer Vent Cleaning Across Novato
Dryer vent cleaning in Novato typically costs $150-$280 for a standard single-family run, and most jobs are scheduled within a few business days with a written price confirmed before we arrive. We’re the Dryer Vent Cleaning crew families in Ignacio, Atherton, and the Hamilton neighborhoods call when a dryer starts taking two cycles or the laundry room smells off. Our dispatch team coordinates from the San Francisco Bay Area office, and our techs know the difference between a tract-home vent in western Novato and the retrofitted military duct chases off Hangar Avenue that need extra scoping time.
Call (323) 918-4345 for a free estimate. A live person answers, 24/7.
Why Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning Is Novato’s Preferred Dryer Vent Cleaning Company
We’ve been part of the Cedarwell family since 2005, and our reputation in Novato is built on showing up prepared for what this city actually throws at us. That means Rotobrush agitation tools and Nikro negative-pressure vacuums for the matted lint paste we find in bay-humid homes near the wetlands, and extra camera time for the 22-foot runs with multiple elbows common in Hamilton’s converted barracks housing.
Novato customers tell us the same thing: they chose us because the last crew rushed through, didn’t photo the clean-up, and the dryer was slow again inside six months. We don’t do that. Every visit gets shoe covers and drop cloths before we touch anything, a written price before we start, and a photo of the clean-up before we leave. Background-checked, uniformed techs. The Cedarwell C.A.R.E. values on every job. And the 365-Day Done Right Promise stamped on your invoice, not offered only if you complain.
Dryer Vent Repair in Novato
Dryer Vent Repair in Novato is what you need when the vent run itself is damaged, disconnected, or improperly routed, not just dirty. In the 1960s ranch tracts near Ignacio and the split-levels off Atherton, we see sagging flex duct crushed behind dryers, elbows separated by years of vibration, and exterior hoods with missing flappers that let in rain and rodents. A typical repair in Novato runs $180-$420 depending on access, material replacement, and whether we need to reroute through a finished wall. Hamilton’s older converted housing adds complexity: military-era duct chases often contain asbestos-wrapped sections that must be handled with Abatement Technologies containment protocols, and oversized runs require commercial-grade adapters to mate with residential dryers properly.
When Repair Beats Cleaning
If your dryer heats but airflow at the exterior hood is weak even after a clean, the run may be crushed, too long, or have unsealed joints. We verify with a manometer reading before and after any work. No guesswork, no upsell.
Common Novato Repair Scenarios
Bay-side humidity rusts through cheap vent hoods on eastern Novato homes within five to seven years. We stock Guardsman-grade replacement caps and bird guards sized for local wind patterns, so you’re not waiting on parts.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Company in Novato
Dryer Vent Cleaning Company is what Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning operates as across Novato, from the redeveloped Hamilton neighborhoods to the hillside homes near Mount Burdell. The job is source removal: we agitate and extract lint, dust, and the moisture-matted debris that builds in vent runs, using professional equipment from Rotobrush and Nikro under HEPA filtration. A standard cleaning in Novato runs $150-$280; homes with longer runs, multiple elbows, or heavy accumulation from neglected service fall toward the upper end. We don’t fog or spray. Fogging a sanitiser into a vent run full of matted lint is like deodorizing a trash can without emptying it. The smell comes back.
What a Real Clean Includes
We inspect with a camera, agitate the full run length, extract under negative pressure, and verify airflow improvement at the hood with a manometer. You get before-and-after photos. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies.
Working Around Your Household
Kids’ nap schedules, dogs who need to stay calm, cats who bolt for open doors. We know. Quiet tools during rest hours, pet-safe product choices where applicable, and we close gates behind us. Shoe covers and drop cloths from the moment we walk in.
Trusted Brands We Service in Novato
Our vans carry professional-grade equipment from Rotobrush, Nikro, and Guardsman, not rental-shop attachments that lose suction halfway through a long run. For Novato’s Hamilton retrofits with their commercial-scale duct chases, we stock the larger-diameter brushes and adapter collars that most residential crews don’t carry. When a vent hood needs replacement near the San Pablo Bay wetlands, we use corrosion-resistant Guardsman caps rated for that salt-adjacent air. Parts on the van mean faster turnaround for you, and every tool is maintained to the Cedarwell Care Promise standard. If we don’t have it, we source it fast from our Bay Area supply chain. No waiting two weeks for a $12 part while your dryer vents into the garage.
Common Dryer Vent Cleaning Problems We See in Novato Homes
- The Hamilton lint migration. In converted military housing off Hangar Avenue and South Palm Drive, dryer vents share wall cavities with HVAC plenums and run 20-plus feet with multiple elbows. Lint doesn’t just collect at the hood; it migrates into adjacent mechanical space and mats behind the first elbow where a standard clean won’t reach.
- Bay-humidity paste. Homes near the San Pablo Bay wetlands, especially in eastern Novato zip codes, get seasonal humidity that condenses against cool exterior walls. Dryer lint absorbs that moisture and forms a dense paste a shop-vac can’t pull. We find this in tract homes built in the 1970s with minimal insulation and in Hamilton retrofits alike.
- Heat-neglect buildup. Novato’s inland valley runs hotter and drier than coastal Marin, so homeowners assume a hot dryer exhaust is self-cleaning. It isn’t. Lint still accumulates, and the combination of high heat and restricted airflow is what drives fire risk. Annual service matters more here, not less.
- Wildfire smoke infiltration. The 2017 Wine Country fires and 2019 Kincade Fire both pushed heavy smoke through Novato before southern Marin felt it. That particulate settles in ductwork and vent runs, adding a layer of fine ash that standard lint traps don’t catch and that accelerates buildup between professional cleans.
Pricing for Dryer Vent Cleaning in Novato, CA
Most Novato dryer vent cleanings fall between $150 and $280. A straightforward single-family run in a 1970s ranch near Ignacio, one elbow, accessible exterior hood, typically lands around $150-$190. Hamilton’s converted military housing with 22-foot runs, multiple elbows, and the extra camera scoping those retrofits demand, runs $220-$280. Dryer Vent Repair in Novato, including rerouting, hood replacement, or fixing separated joints in finished walls, ranges from $180 to $420.
What moves you within those ranges: run length and elbow count, accessibility (crawl space, attic, finished basement), severity of buildup, and whether we find damage requiring repair. We give you one flat price per system, agreed in writing before any work starts. No per-foot add-ons. No surprise fogging upsells. If we find something unexpected during inspection, we stop and explain before proceeding. Estimates are free. Call (323) 918-4345.
We Also Serve Cities Near Novato
Our crews work throughout central and southern Marin and into southern Sonoma County. We regularly schedule Dryer Vent Cleaning in Novato alongside routes through Fairfax, San Anselmo, Petaluma, and San Rafael. Same equipment, same Cedarwell Care Promise, same written price before work starts. If you’re in one of these neighboring cities and found this page, we cover your area too.
Serving Novato, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Novato 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 Dryer Vent Cleaning in Novato
Hamilton’s converted military housing was retrofitted with duct chases sized for barracks laundry loads, so runs are longer, often oversized, and share wall cavities with HVAC systems. Lint migrates beyond the vent itself and accumulates in places a standard clean won’t reach. We budget extra scoping time for Hamilton jobs and use camera inspection to find the second accumulation behind the first elbow. Call (323) 918-4345 if your Hamilton dryer is slowing down.
It can, yes. Seasonal humidity on Novato’s eastern edge condenses against cool exterior walls, and lint trapped in the run absorbs that moisture. The result is a musty smell and, in sustained conditions, microbial growth on the lint mat itself. A fogging sanitiser won’t remove the source; we extract the matted material with agitation and negative pressure, then verify dry airflow at the hood. If you’re smelling mustiness from your laundry room, that’s worth a call.
1960s-70s sheet-metal ductwork in Novato tracts like those near Atherton was built with minimal filtration and often hasn’t been professionally serviced. The metal itself is durable, but joints may be unsealed and elbows poorly supported, letting lint leak into wall cavities. We inspect for these issues during cleaning and flag any separation or damage for repair. Older metal runs can also harbor the wildfire particulate that settled in 2017 and 2019 if they weren’t cleaned after those events.
Once a year for most Novato homes. The inland valley heat means your dryer runs more total hours, and wildfire smoke seasons add fine particulate that accelerates buildup. Homes in Hamilton or near the bay wetlands with humidity issues may need inspection every 10-12 months. If your dryer takes longer than one cycle, that’s your signal to call regardless of schedule. Call (323) 918-4345 for a free estimate.
Cleaning removes lint and debris from an intact run; repair fixes the run itself when it’s damaged, disconnected, or improperly routed. You need cleaning if airflow is weak but the duct is whole. You need repair if the hood is missing, flex duct is crushed, elbows are separated, or the run is too long for your dryer’s rated airflow. We inspect first and tell you which applies before quoting. No charge for the diagnosis with any scheduled service.
Ready to schedule? Call (323) 918-4345 for a free estimate on dryer vent cleaning or repair in Novato. A live person answers, 24/7, and we’ll confirm your written price before any work starts.
Written by Paul Adeyemi, Owner at Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning, serving Novato since 2005.