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.
Trusted Air Duct Cleaning for San Antonio Homeowners
Air duct cleaning in San Antonio typically costs $350 to $650 for a standard single-system home, and most jobs are completed in three to six hours. If your vents are blowing dust, your allergies act up at home, or you can’t remember the last time the ducts were touched, that’s the job we do every day. Cardinal Air Duct San Antonio is part of the Relay Home Co. family, founded in 2005, and led by Omar Haddad, who has built our process around one principle: a written price before work starts, plus before-and-after photos so you can see exactly what you paid for. Call (254) 347-3897 for a free estimate.
Air Duct Cleaning Services
Full System Cleaning covers the full path that conditioned air travels through your home: supply ducts, return ducts, registers, and the plenum. San Antonio’s cedar pollen, dust, and summer humidity mean ducts here collect more than just dust – they trap spores, pet dander, and sometimes construction debris from drywall work. We run a Rotobrush rotary brush system through every trunk line and branch, paired with a Nikro HEPA vacuum creating negative-pressure extraction. That means loosened debris goes straight into the vacuum, not back into your living room. Most standard single-system homes in San Antonio run $350 to $650 for this service.
Full System Coverage
We clean every supply duct, return duct, and register in your home, not just the main trunk lines. The plenum, coil area, and blower compartment get attention because that’s where dust piles up first.
Post-Job Photo Documentation
Before we leave, you get a camera tour of your ducts. You’ll see what the interior looked like when we arrived and what it looks like when we finish. No guessing, no taking our word for it.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Styles & brands we work with
HVAC Duct Cleaning
HVAC Duct Cleaning focuses on the ductwork connected to your heating and cooling system rather than just the vents you can see. It matters because your HVAC moves roughly 1,200 to 2,000 cubic feet of air per minute through those ducts, and every particle in that airstream circulates through your home. We clean the full network from the air handler outward, including the return side, where San Antonio’s fine limestone dust likes to settle. Pricing for a full HVAC duct cleaning in a typical 2,000 to 2,500 square foot San Antonio home falls between $400 and $700, depending on system layout and accessibility.
Return Ducts and Air Handler
Return Duct Cleaning pulls air back to your system, and it’s often packed with lint, hair, and dust. Cleaning only the supply side leaves half the problem in place, so we do both.
Coil and Blower Area
A dirty evaporator coil reduces cooling efficiency and forces your AC to run longer in San Antonio heat. We clear the coil area during HVAC duct cleaning, which helps your system breathe and cools your home faster.
Vent Cleaning
Vent Cleaning is the visible part of duct cleaning – the registers and grilles in your ceiling, walls, or floors where conditioned air enters each room. San Antonio homes with pets, kids, or regular renovation work often have vents caked with dust, grease, and hair. We remove each register, clean it thoroughly, and vacuum the first few feet of ductwork behind the opening where buildup is thickest. Vent cleaning is included in every full duct cleaning package, which runs $350 to $650 for a standard home, but it can also be quoted as a standalone service for spot jobs.
Register Removal and Washing
Every register comes off and gets cleaned on both sides. You’d be surprised how much airflow improves when a register has been blocked by months of accumulated fuzz and dust.
Visible Vent Interior
We vacuum and brush the visible portion of each vent opening so the air path is clear where it matters most. This is the part you see every day, and it’s the part you’ll notice immediately after cleaning.
Air Duct Repair
Air Duct Repair addresses holes, separations, collapsed sections, and leaking joints in your ductwork that force your HVAC to work harder and send conditioned air into your attic or walls instead of your rooms. San Antonio’s hot, humid attics are tough on flexible ductwork. Flex duct can sag, tear, and separate at the collar over time, and we see it regularly in homes across Alamo Heights and Timberwood Park. Repair pricing starts at around $150 for simple collar reseals and runs upward from there; we give a written price before any work begins, and every repair carries a written guarantee plus a free second visit if the repair fails.
Sealing Leaks and Separations
A disconnected duct in the attic can waste 20 to 30 percent of the air your system produces. We find these leaks, seal them properly with mastic or appropriate duct tape, and restore the connection.
Replacing Damaged Sections
When flex duct is torn, collapsed, or moldy, the right fix is replacement, not a patch. We quote replacement sections by the foot with the price in writing before any material gets cut.
Ductwork Cleaning
Ductwork Cleaning is the deepest version of duct cleaning – it addresses the entire network of trunk lines, branch runs, and the return plenum box itself. If you’ve bought a San Antonio home that sat empty, had active termite treatment, or went through a serious remodel, loose dust and debris can pack into the ductwork at volumes that surprise even us. Our team runs professional-grade rotary brushes through every accessible branch, in both directions where possible, and the Nikro HEPA vacuum runs simultaneously so debris exits the system, not your home. A full ductwork cleaning for a typical single-family home in San Antonio runs $400 to $700.
Trunk Line and Branch Runs
We treat every branch line as its own job. Each one gets brush agitation and vacuum extraction, not just the runs that are easiest to reach from the attic staircase.
Return Plenum and Filter Area
The box where return air collects is often the dirtiest part of the system. We open it, clean it, and document it with photos so you can see the before and after for yourself.
Air Duct Inspection
Air Duct Inspection is a camera-guided look inside your ducts to check for dust accumulation, mold, pest activity, or structural problems without guessing. Homeowners ask for this when they smell something musty, hear rattling in the vents, or want to know if their ducts actually need cleaning before paying for the full service. We run a camera through key sections of the ductwork and show you what we find on the spot. A standalone inspection is a great starting point if you’re unsure about your system’s condition, and we apply the inspection fee toward any cleaning or repair you book.
Camera Overview of Main Runs
We snake a camera through the main trunk lines and major branch runs, capturing video and stills of anything concerning. You see the footage, not just a verbal summary.
Moisture and Damage Checks
We look for wet insulation, rust, separated joints, and crushed flex duct. These are the issues that turn a small problem into a big repair bill if left ignored.
Residential Air Duct Cleaning
Residential Duct Cleaning is a whole-home service tailored to single-family houses, townhomes, and duplexes across San Antonio. Homes here face a specific set of conditions: cedar pollen in winter and spring, fine dust from new construction, and summer humidity that can turn dust into a paste inside cool ductwork. We’ve cleaned ducts in everything from 1940s bungalows in Alamo Heights to new builds in Converse and Castle Hills. A standard residence with one HVAC system runs $350 to $650, and we quote it per system, not per vent, so you know the total before we start.
Single-System Homes
Most San Antonio homes have one central unit. One price, one system, one written quote before any work begins, and we finish in a single visit.
Two-Story and Split Systems
Larger homes with two AC systems or zoned ductwork take longer and cost more, but the pricing structure stays the same: written upfront, per system, no surprises.
Commercial Air Duct Cleaning
Commercial Duct Cleaning serves offices, retail spaces, medical clinics, and light industrial buildings across San Antonio. The difference from residential work is scale: longer runs, more registers, higher ceilings, and sometimes stricter air quality expectations from staff and customers. We schedule after-hours or weekend work when needed to avoid interrupting business, and we provide photo documentation for property managers and building owners who need to verify the work. Commercial pricing starts around $0.25 to $0.40 per square foot depending on system complexity and access, and we quote every project in writing before scheduling.
Office and Retail Spaces
Dusty ducts in offices mean grimy desks and unhappy employees. We clean systems outside business hours so you don’t lose a shift to maintenance.
Medical and Light Industrial
Clinics and labs often need documented air quality work. We provide before-and-after photo records for every job, which many property managers keep on file for compliance purposes.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterBrands We Service
We work on every major duct system and the equipment connected to it, but three brands come up most often in our trucks. Rotobrush is the rotary brush system we run ourselves, and it handles everything from lightly dusty flex duct to packed trunk lines without damaging the liner. Nikro HEPA vacuums are our standard extraction units, pulling fine particulate out of airstreams at true HEPA filtration levels rather than just blowing it around.
Abatement Technologies containment units appear on jobs where we need to isolate a section of the system during repair or cleaning. Whether you have flex duct, rigid metal, or fiberglass ductboard, we have the right tools for the material. We also service systems that incorporate filtration products from brands like Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Guardsman, so if your setup includes specialty media filters, we know how to work around them without compromising the install.
Signs You Need a Pro Right Now
- Visible dust puffing from vents when the AC kicks on. That puff is what’s been sitting in your ducts getting blasted into the room. It means buildup has reached the point where airflow is carrying debris, and cleaning is overdue.
- Uneven room temperatures on the same floor. One room hot, another cold, same thermostat. This often points to a disconnected or collapsed duct branch, not an AC problem, and repair plus cleaning solves it.
- Allergy symptoms that improve when you leave home. If you feel better at work or on vacation than you do in your own living room, your ducts may be recirculating allergens. Dust mites, pollen, and pet dander accumulate in ductwork over time.
- Moldy or musty smell from the vents. San Antonio humidity means moisture can condense in ducts, especially in attics. Once mold smells come from the vents, you need a camera inspection to find the source before it spreads further.
- Rodent or pest activity in the attic. Droppings, nesting material, and damage often end up inside ducts. If you’ve had pest control out, get the ducts inspected and cleaned afterward because the debris doesn’t leave on its own.
Our Process, Step by Step
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Written estimate before anything else. We look at your system, count the supply and return registers, check access points, and put a fixed price in writing. That number does not change at the door.
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Pre-inspection with camera footage. Before cleaning, we run a camera through key duct sections to identify existing damage, blockages, or problem spots you should know about. This protects you and us: you see the condition before work starts.
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Containment and equipment setup. We cover the work area, connect the Nikro HEPA vacuum to the main trunk line, and establish negative pressure so debris flows toward the vacuum and not into your rooms.
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Rotary brush agitation through every branch. Each duct run gets brushed from both directions where access allows. The brush loosens caked dust and debris while the vacuum pulls it out of the system in real time.
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Post-job camera verification and walkthrough. You see before-and-after photos from inside your own ducts before we pack up. We sweep up, replace the registers, and confirm the system is running correctly before we leave.
How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost in San Antonio?
A standard air duct cleaning for a single-system San Antonio home runs $350 to $650. Larger homes with two systems or extensive ductwork can run $600 to $900. Commercial spaces are priced by square footage, typically starting around $0.25 to $0.40 per square foot. The variables that move the price are: the number of systems, the total number of registers, access difficulty, and whether repairs are needed alongside the cleaning. Homes with crawlspace ductwork cost a bit more than homes with accessible attic systems because the work takes longer and requires more physical maneuvering.
To avoid overpaying, ask for a flat price per system before the job starts. If a company quotes per vent and won’t commit to a total, walk away. That pricing model is designed to grow once you’re already on the hook. At Cardinal Air Duct San Antonio, your free estimate includes the full written price, a list of everything covered, and photo verification after the work. Call (254) 347-3897 and you’ll have a number in hand before the technician arrives.
Our Service Area Near San Antonio
We serve the entire San Antonio metro area, including Converse, Terrell Hills, Timberwood Park, Floresville, Scenic Oaks, Alamo Heights, Kirby, Castle Hills, and Lackland AFB. We also cover Air Duct Cleaning in New Braunfels and Air Duct Cleaning in Cibolo for customers just outside the city. If you’ve been looking for Air Duct Cleaning in San Antonio, home is where most of our customers start, and we make scheduling simple from there.
Serving San Antonio, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Antonio area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions About Air Duct Cleaning in San Antonio
Air duct cleaning removes dust, debris, pollen, pet dander, and other buildup from the inside of your home’s ductwork using professional agitation tools and HEPA vacuum extraction. It covers supply ducts, return ducts, registers, and the plenum. The goal is cleaner air moving through your home and a more efficient HVAC system.
Most single-system San Antonio homes take three to six hours from setup to final walkthrough. Larger homes with two systems or complex duct layouts can take a full day. We give you a time window when you book and keep you updated if anything changes.
A typical single-family home with one HVAC system runs $350 to $650. Two-system homes and larger properties run higher, and commercial spaces are quoted by square footage. Your written quote from Cardinal Air Duct San Antonio is fixed before work begins and does not change at the door. Call (254) 347-3897 for an exact quote, free.
Yes. We clean flex duct, rigid metal ductwork, and fiberglass ductboard, and we work with common filtration systems from Honeywell, Aprilaire, and Guardsman. Our equipment includes Rotobrush rotary brush systems and Nikro HEPA vacuums, which handle virtually every residential and light commercial configuration.
No. We schedule around your availability, including evenings and weekends, and a live person answers the phone 24/7. There is no premium for scheduling outside standard business hours. You’ll get the same written pricing and the same 365-Day Done Right Promise on every job.
Every job is backed by our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the work isn’t right within 365 days, we return and correct it at no charge. Every repair also carries a written guarantee with a free second visit if the repair fails. That’s the standard for every booking, no exceptions.
Clear a path to your main HVAC closet or attic access and move anything fragile away from the registers. Keep pets in a separate room during the visit. Beyond that, there’s nothing to do – our team brings all equipment, covers the work area, and cleans up before leaving.
Schedule Your Air Duct Cleaning Service in San Antonio Today
Ready for a written quote and genuinely clean ducts? Call (254) 347-3897 and talk to a live person, any time, day or night. You’ll get a fixed price before work starts, before-and-after photos of your own ducts, and a full year of coverage with the 365-Day Done Right Promise. No bait prices, no per-vent gimmicks, no surprises at the door.
Written by Omar Haddad, Owner at Cardinal Air Duct San Antonio, serving San Antonio since 2005.