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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After
Before
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Before
AfterAir Duct Cleaning Company in Palo Alto, CA
Air duct cleaning in Palo Alto runs $450-$950 for a full single-family home and usually takes four to six hours. We’re Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning, and our Palo Alto crews work on homes that are genuinely different from what you’ll find across the county line: 1950s and 1960s ranch houses with original attic ductwork, dense tree canopies that load intakes with pollen, and fire-season ash that settles deep into supply runs. If you’d like a written quote before anything starts, call (323) 918-4345.
Why Palo Alto Homes Are Different
Palo Alto sits at the eastern base of the Santa Cruz Mountains, which changes what’s inside the ducts. During the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire, thousands of homes ran HVAC systems on continuous recirculate for days. That pulled fine ash and particulate through return grilles and packed it along the inside of supply trunk lines. Flatter, fire-distant cities like Sunnyvale didn’t see the same loading, and our technicians still find pale gray ash residue in Palo Alto ductwork from repeated dry-season smoke events.
The housing stock compounds this. In Midtown, Barron Park, and South Palo Alto, most homes are original 1950s-1970s ranches with sheet-metal ducts running through unconditioned attic spaces. These systems are now 50 to 70 years old, and many were left in place when blown-in attic insulation arrived during the energy retrofits of the 1970s. Degraded duct-collar seals allow loose fiberglass fibers to migrate into supply air, a finding we flag regularly in Palo Alto’s original-ductwork homes. Add Bay-influenced winter condensation inside unsealed attic ducts, and you have conditions that produce visible dust film on registers year-round, not just during fire season.
Our Main Palo Alto Services
Two services account for nearly all of our work in Palo Alto: full-system air duct cleaning and dryer vent cleaning. Each one has its own detailed Palo Alto page below.
Air Duct Cleaning in Palo Alto
In a Palo Alto ranch built between 1950 and 1975, a proper duct clean means removing the register covers, sealing each grille into our Rotobrush or Nikro collection system under negative pressure, and working every branch line from the trunk to the boot. Palo Alto’s aging flex-duct transition joints are often partially disconnected, so we inspect and reconnect them as part of the job. The full walkthrough is on the Air Duct Cleaning in Palo Alto page, including what we protect inside the home before the equipment comes through.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Palo Alto
Most Palo Alto laundry rooms vent through short runs under the house or straight out an exterior wall, which sounds easy until you see what four years of lint does to a 12-foot run with two elbows. We clean the full run from dryer port to exterior termination, remove the lint block at the wall cap, and test static pressure before we leave. This matters in older Palo Alto homes where dryer vents share wall cavities with original framing. Details are on the Dryer Vent Cleaning in Palo Alto page.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Palo Alto
We service and clean all major HVAC and dryer brands, and we run our collection systems on equipment from Nikro and Abatement Technologies. Replacement filters and Aprilaire and Honeywell media are stocked locally for Palo Alto jobs, which means no waiting on a shipment when your system needs an airflow test or a filter change during the duct clean. See our brands for the full list.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning Company in Palo Alto, CA
| Service | Typical range in Palo Alto |
|---|---|
| Full-home air duct cleaning (up to 10 vents) | $450 - $650 |
| Full-home air duct cleaning (11-20 vents) | $650 - $950 |
| Each additional vent over 20 | $25 - $40 |
| Return-side duct cleaning only | $250 - $400 |
| Supply-side duct cleaning only | $250 - $400 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (single-story, short run) | $120 - $180 |
| Dryer vent cleaning (two-story or long run) | $180 - $250 |
| Duct sanitizing / deodorizing treatment | $150 - $300 |
| HVAC filter replacement (standard media) | $40 - $90 |
| Furnace / air handler cleaning (blower, coil, cabinet) | $150 - $350 |
In Palo Alto, prices trend toward the higher end when a home has original 1950s-1970s ductwork with attic access through a small scuttle, multiple return registers in odd locations, or visible fiberglass debris from old insulation blow-ins. Every Morton’s job starts with a written price agreed to before work begins, so the number on the invoice matches the number on the quote.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Palo Alto
We work throughout Palo Alto, from the ranch-house blocks of Midtown to the mature lots of Barron Park and the newer builds near the foothills. You’ll see our vans most often in these areas:
- Midtown
- Barron Park
- South Palo Alto
- College Terrace
- Downtown North
Scheduling for most Palo Alto neighborhoods runs a few days out, and our crews typically arrive between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. so the house is quiet by the time kids are home from school.
Service Area – Cities Near Palo Alto
Beyond Palo Alto itself, our Bay Area crews cover the neighboring communities along the Peninsula. We regularly work in Stanford, CA, Menlo Park, CA, Atherton, CA, and Los Altos, CA. If you’re a few blocks outside the city line, call us, and we’ll confirm coverage for your street.
Serving Palo Alto, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto
Most Palo Alto duct cleaning appointments are scheduled within three to five business days. Fire season creates a fall spike in demand as smoke residue settles, so August through October may push scheduling out further. Call (323) 918-4345 and our team will give you the next available morning or afternoon slot.
No. Duct and dryer vent cleaning does not require permits or HOA approval in Palo Alto, and no structural changes are made to the home. If your neighborhood has narrow streets or limited truck parking, let us know when you schedule so we can plan the approach. Call (323) 918-4345 with any access questions.
We serve the entire city of Palo Alto, including Midtown, Barron Park, South Palo Alto, College Terrace, and neighborhoods near Stanford. There is no extra trip or distance fee for any Palo Alto address. Call (323) 918-4345 to confirm your street and get a written estimate.
Contact Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning in Palo Alto
We handle each Palo Alto job the same way: a written price before the hoses come off the truck, shoe covers and drop cloths throughout the house, quieter tools when a toddler is napping, and a photo of the finished clean-up before we shake your hand and go. If you want clear answers and a number you can plan around, call (323) 918-4345 for a free estimate.
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 Palo Alto 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