Dryer vent cleaning
Whole-home duct 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.
Styles & brands we work with
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterDryer Vent Inspection in San Antonio, TX
A dryer vent inspection in San Antonio typically costs between $85 and $175 as a standalone service, takes 45 to 90 minutes, and tells you definitively whether your vent is a fire hazard or just inefficient. Most inspections are booked the same day or within 24 hours, and at Cardinal Air Duct San Antonio, the written price is in your hand before we touch the vent.
We’re not going to tell you that every inspection automatically becomes a cleaning. Sometimes the vent is clear and you just need the peace of knowing. Other times we find the kind of blockage that explains why your laundry room feels like a sauna in July. Either way, you get the facts, the photos, and a straight recommendation. If this turns out to be a cleaning job, you can see our full Dryer Vent Cleaning in San Antonio process. Omar Haddad owns Cardinal Air Duct San Antonio, and he built this service around one promise: no mystery pricing, no upselling, no scare tactics. Just measurements, photos, and a written report.
When You Need Dryer Vent Inspection
You don’t need to wait for a problem to justify an inspection. In fact, the homeowners who avoid the biggest repairs are usually the ones who book an inspection when something just feels slightly off. Here are the scenarios we hear most often from San Antonio homeowners:
- Clothes take two or three cycles to dry. In Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills, we see older homes with long vent runs that collect lint fast. If your dryer used to finish a load in 45 minutes and now takes 90, the restrictor is usually the vent, not the machine.
- The laundry room gets hot and humid while the dryer runs. That heat and moisture should be leaving your home through the vent. If it’s staying inside, you’re not just uncomfortable; you’re slowly feeding mold and mildew in the walls around the vent path.
- You just moved into a home. You have no idea what the previous owner’s venting habits were. New construction in the Stone Oak area is usually fine, but resale homes in older neighborhoods like Jefferson and Woodlawn Lake can have vents that haven’t been touched in a decade.
- You smell a musty or burning odor when the dryer runs. Musty means trapped lint is holding moisture against the duct wall. Burning means the lint has gotten hot enough to smolder. The second one is an emergency, not just an inspection.
- It’s been more than a year since the last cleaning. The National Fire Protection Association recommends an annual inspection for most households. If you have a large family, pets, or you dry multiple loads a day, every six months is defensible.
- The outside vent flap doesn’t open when the dryer is running. Walk outside while your dryer is on. If the louvered flap isn’t visibly opening, airflow is restricted somewhere in the line. This is a common finding in the Helotes and Leon Valley areas, where birds and wasps nest in exterior vent caps.
If any of these sound familiar, call (254) 347-3897 and we’ll schedule a time that actually works for you.
Our Dryer Vent Inspection Process
Every inspection follows the same sequence, and you see the results at multiple points. No “trust us” moments. Here’s exactly how it works:
- Walkthrough and baseline questions. We ask how often you run the dryer, how many people live in the home, and whether you’ve noticed any of the symptoms above. This frames what we look for, especially in homes where the vent runs through the attic or slab, both common in San Antonio construction.
- Exterior vent cap check. We start outside. We open the cap, check the louver function, look for bird or rodent debris, and measure the flap’s airflow when the dryer is running. A crushed or painted-shut cap can restrict flow as much as a lint clog.
- Airflow measurement at the vent termination. Using a digital anemometer, we measure the actual cubic feet per minute coming out of the vent. A healthy residential dryer vent moves roughly 100 to 130 CFM at the exterior. If you’re getting 50, there’s a problem somewhere.
- Camera inspection of the full vent run. We run a small camera through the vent from both ends when possible. This shows the exact location and severity of any blockage, separation, crushed section, or transition issue. You see the footage on our screen as we go.
- Static pressure and temperature reading. We check the temperature differential along the vent and note any hot spots. Lint is insulating, and it can hold heat well enough to reach ignition temperatures well before it smokes.
- Written report with photos and clear recommendation. You get the findings in writing: airflow before and after (if we clean), camera stills, and our professional recommendation. If the vent needs cleaning, we hand you a written price for that too. If it’s clear, we tell you to run your laundry and have a better day.
This is the same process we use across our Dryer Vent Cleaning service, just as a standalone diagnostic for homeowners who want answers before committing to anything bigger.
Dryer Vent Inspection Pricing in San Antonio
Let’s talk numbers-if you’re wondering how much does dryer vent cleaning cost, a standalone dryer vent inspection in San Antonio generally runs $85 to $175. That range accounts for access difficulty, vent length, and whether we’re inspecting a single-story slab home or a two-story with roof venting. Here’s the honest breakdown:
- Standard single-story, short vent run (under 15 feet): $85 to $110. These are the quickest inspections, usually in homes where the dryer sits on an exterior wall.
- Two-story or long vent run (15 to 35 feet): $120 to $150. The extra time is spent running camera from both ends and checking junctions in the attic.
- Roof-vented systems: $140 to $175. Roof vents require ladder access and a longer camera setup. This is common in newer Stone Oak and Cibolo construction.
- Inspection plus cleaning on the same visit: Most homeowners roll the inspection cost into a full cleaning. When we inspect and you choose to clean the same day, the cleaning price reflects the inspection work. Ask for the exact number when you call.
What affects the cost: vent length, vent location (wall versus roof), accessibility of the dryer, and whether the existing vent meets current code. San Antonio homes built before the early 2000s often have flexible foil or vinyl ducting that’s no longer code-compliant. If we find that, we’ll flag it honestly and give you options. No pressure to replace on the spot.
Every inspection includes the written price before we begin. That’s the Cardinal standard, and it’s non-negotiable. You’ll never see a number change between the estimate and the invoice. If you want a ballpark before we even arrive, call (254) 347-3897 and describe your setup. A live person answers, 24/7.
Why Choose Cardinal Air Duct San Antonio for Dryer Vent Inspection
There are companies in San Antonio that will inspect your dryer vent and there are companies that will use the inspection as a sales funnel. We are not the second kind. We run professional-grade equipment from Rotobrush and Nikro for our cleaning jobs, and our inspection tools are calibrated for real measurement, not theater. If the vent is clear, we tell you it’s clear. If it’s not, we show you the footage and give you a written price. The 365-Day Done Right Promise backs every job: if the work isn’t right within a full year, we return and correct it at no charge. No fine print, no exclusions.
We’re also part of the Relay Home Co. family, founded in 2005, which means every booking operates on The Relay Standard. You get a live trackable arrival time, before-and-after photo documentation, and a digital invoice you can pay from your phone. Background-checked, uniformed technicians. You know the tech’s name before they knock.
And when you call, a human picks up. That might sound like a small thing, but it matters at 9 p.m. when your laundry room smells like an electrical fire. No voicemail loops, no “we’ll call you back next business day.” Just a person who can schedule you or talk you through what’s happening.
Common Questions About Dryer Vent Inspection
Here’s what San Antonio homeowners ask us most. Direct answers, no runaround:
How often should I have my dryer vent inspected?
Most households need an annual inspection. If you have four or more people doing laundry, pets that shed, or you dry heavy bedding regularly, every six months is smarter. The inspection catches blockages before they become dryer fires or appliance failures, and it’s far cheaper than the alternative.
Will an inspection tell me if my vent is a fire hazard?
Yes, that’s the primary purpose. We measure airflow, inspect the full vent path with a camera, and check temperature levels along the run. If we find conditions that create ignition risk, we tell you directly and we give you a written recommendation for correction. Call (254) 347-3897 if you want this done before you run another load.
Can you inspect and clean my dryer vent on the same visit?
In almost every case, yes. Our inspection process is designed to flow straight into vent cleaning when that’s what the findings call for. Most homeowners prefer this because it means one arrival window, one technician team, and one written price. We carry Rotobrush cleaning tools and Nikro HEPA filtration on every truck, so the transition takes minutes, not a second appointment.
What does a typical inspection find in San Antonio homes?
The most common findings are lint buildup at the transition point where the dryer connects to the wall, crushed flexible ducting behind the dryer, and debris or nests in the exterior cap. In homes with roof vents, we also regularly find separated duct joints in the attic. San Antonio’s heat and humidity accelerate lint clumping, especially in attics that hit 130 degrees in August.
Is a dryer vent inspection worth the cost if my dryer seems fine?
Yes, and we’ll tell you why. A dryer is the second most common source of household fires, and most of those fires start in the venting system, not the appliance. An inspection is $85 to $175. A dryer fire is a home insurance claim, a displaced family, and months of reconstruction. The math favors the inspection. If you’re still on the fence, call (254) 347-3897 and we’ll help you figure out if your specific setup is high-risk or low-risk based on vent length, location, and household size.
Get Your Dryer Vent Inspected in San Antonio
If you’re reading this and your dryer takes forever, your laundry room smells like burning lint, or you simply can’t remember the last time anyone looked at your vent, book the inspection. It’s fast, it’s affordable, and the written price comes before we do any work.
Call (254) 347-3897 for a free estimate. A live person answers around the clock. We schedule when it works for you, send a background-checked technician in uniform, and deliver the written report before we leave. That’s the Cardinal standard, and it’s the only way we operate.
Written by Omar Haddad, Owner at Cardinal Air Duct San Antonio, serving San Antonio.