Whole-home duct cleaning
Dryer vent cleaning
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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.
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Before
AfterHow Much Does HVAC Cleaning Cost in Houston?
HVAC cleaning in Houston typically costs between $450 and $1,200 for a full system clean, with most single-family homes in the 2,000 to 2,500 square foot range landing between $550 and $800. That price includes supply and return ducts, the air handler, blower assembly, coils, and drain pan. If you add dryer vent cleaning at the same visit, expect another $75 to $150 on top.
Before we get into the nuts and bolts, here’s what matters most: get a written price before anyone starts. Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning has done it that way since 2005, and it protects you from the “low quote, big invoice” shuffle that gives this industry a bad name in Houston. You’ll know your number before a single drop cloth hits the floor.
Key Takeaways
- Full HVAC cleaning in Houston runs $450 to $1,200, with most homes at $550 to $800.
- Add $75 to $150 for dryer vent cleaning during the same appointment.
- Expect the job to take 3 to 5 hours for a typical single-family home.
- Homes with pets, recent renovations, or smokers near the returns usually cost more.
- A written price before work starts is standard practice at Morton’s, not a favor.
HVAC Cleaning Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s how the numbers shake out in Houston this year. These are real ranges based on what we’ve seen across neighborhoods like Meyerland, Cypress, Katy, and The Heights over the past twelve months. No vague “it depends” hand-waving. Just line items.
| Service Component | Typical Houston Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full HVAC cleaning (up to 10 supply vents) | $450 – $650 | Single system, single return. Most common package. |
| Each additional supply vent beyond 10 | $15 – $30 per vent | Large homes or multi-return layouts add up. |
| Second HVAC system (upstairs/downstairs split) | $250 – $400 extra | Very common in two-story Houston homes built after 1995. |
| Evaporator coil cleaning (if accessible) | $100 – $200 | Often included in full clean; priced separately if not. |
| Blower motor and housing cleaning | $75 – $150 | Usually included; itemized for transparency. |
| Dryer vent cleaning (add-on) | $75 – $150 | Recommended same-day; saves a second trip fee. |
| Mold or microbial treatment (if present) | $150 – $450 | Only after inspection. Not a standard add-on. |
| Flex duct replacement (per run) | $180 – $350 per run | Only if ducts are collapsed or rodent-damaged. |
What moves the price up or down? Square footage matters less than you’d think. The real drivers are the number of vents, the number of returns, whether you have one system or two, and how long it’s been since the last cleaning. A 1,400 square foot bungalow in Montrose with 8 vents and a single return usually lands on the low end. A 3,200 square foot two-story in Sugar Land with 15 vents, two returns, and a separate upstairs unit lands closer to the top of the range, and sometimes above it.
Access matters too. If your air handler is in a cramped attic closet in an older Heights home, the tech spends more time working around tight clearances. If it’s in a clean, open garage in a newer Cypress build, the job moves faster. Both scenarios get the same quality, but one takes longer, and labor is the biggest cost in this work.
What Affects HVAC Cleaning Pricing in Houston
Houston’s climate and housing stock create some pricing quirks you won’t see in other metros. Here’s what actually moves the needle.
- Pet count and breed. Two indoor dogs shedding year-round means more dander, more hair, and more time on the brush work. We use professional equipment from Rotobrush and Nikro that handles heavy pet load faster than residential rental gear, but a home with three labs in Katy still takes longer than a pet-free condo in Midtown. Longer labor, higher price.
- Renovation history. Post-Harvey and post-2021 freeze renovations left drywall dust and insulation fibers inside duct runs across Houston. Homes remodeled within the last two years, especially in Meyerland and Bellaire, often need a deeper clean. We see it on nearly every job: white dust that just keeps coming.
- Number of HVAC systems. Houston’s heat means a lot of homes have two systems. One for upstairs, one for down. Each system has its own blower, coil, and return. Cleaning both doubles the labor on the mechanical side and pushes the total toward the top of the table above.
- Return configuration. Older Houston homes sometimes have a single large return in a hallway, which is simpler and cheaper to clean. Newer builds in master-planned communities like Bridgeland or Sienna often have returns in every bedroom. More returns, more access points, more time.
- Time since last cleaning. If it’s been eight years, expect the job to take longer and cost more than a same-home clean done three years ago. The buildup in humid Houston air, which runs the AC nine months a year, accumulates faster than in drier climates. We recommend every three to five years for most families, and every two to three if you have multiple pets.
- Mold or moisture concerns. Houston’s humidity means some duct systems grow what shouldn’t be growing. If a tech finds microbial growth during the inspection, you’ll be shown photos before any treatment quote is given. Treatment adds cost but should never be sold as an automatic upsell. At Morton’s, it’s your call after you see what we see.
Is HVAC Cleaning Worth It in Houston?
For most Houston families, yes, and the reason is local: the AC runs so many months out of the year that anything sitting in the ducts gets recirculated constantly. Here’s a question we hear often across our home service area. If you’ve got kids with allergy symptoms in the spring, or a dog that sheds year-round, or you’ve just finished a kitchen remodel that filled the house with drywall dust, a proper duct cleaning removes the stuff your filter can’t catch. The blower spins it back into the air with every cycle. Cleaning it out means the air you breathe after the job is measurably cleaner than before.
One honest note: if a Houston company quotes you $99 for a whole-home HVAC cleaning, something is off. That price doesn’t cover the labor for a three-hour job, the equipment, or the attention a real clean requires. You’ll either get a “bait and switch” upsell at the door, or a rushed job that misses the coil and blower entirely. The $450 to $800 range is where honest, thorough work lands in this market, and that’s what Morton’s charges because that’s what the job actually takes.
How to Save on HVAC Cleaning in Houston
You don’t have to spend top dollar to get a real clean. Here’s how Houston families keep the cost reasonable without sacrificing quality.
- Bundle the dryer vent. Adding dryer vent cleaning to your HVAC appointment costs $75 to $150. Booking it separately later means a second trip fee and more of your time. Same-day bundling at Morton’s keeps the cost down, and it’s the smartest money-saving move most homes can make.
- Change your own filters between visits. A $15 filter changed every 60 to 90 days keeps the blower and coil cleaner between professional jobs. It won’t replace a full cleaning, but it means the next one is faster and cheaper because there’s less buildup to remove.
- Schedule in the shoulder season. October through November and February through March are slower months for HVAC companies in Houston. You may not get a discount, but you’ll get more scheduling flexibility, and crews aren’t rushing to the next heatwave call.
- Ask for a written, itemized price before booking. This is the biggest one. At Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning, every quote is written and itemized before any work starts. No surprises on the invoice, no mysterious “supply fees” added at the end. If a company won’t put the price in writing, keep looking.
- Don’t skip the inspection. A proper inspection finds issues a quick quote might miss, like a disconnected return pulling attic air, or a flex duct pinched behind a beam. Fixing those during the scheduled appointment costs less than a second service call.
For an exact quote for your home, call (940) 314-5008. Estimates are free, and a live person answers, day or night.
How Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning Prices a Job
Paul Adeyemi, who leads Morton’s Air Duct Cleaning, likes to put it this way: you should know your total before we unload the truck. That’s not a slogan. It’s the way pricing works here, and it’s been that way since 2005, when Morton’s joined the Cedarwell family of independently owned companies.
Here’s our process. You call, and a human picks up. You tell us about the home: square footage, number of vents, number of systems, pets, any recent renovation work. We give you a written price range for the work described. On the day of the appointment, the technician walks the home with you before anything starts, confirms the scope, and hands you a written price for the exact job. You approve it. Work begins. The number on the written quote is the number on the invoice. Always.
Every visit includes shoe covers and drop cloths, so the floors are protected from the moment the crew walks in. Technicians are background-checked and arrive in uniform. We use quieter tools when we can, especially if there’s a napping toddler or a nervous dog in the house. And the products we use are chosen with pets and kids in mind whenever a pet-safe option exists.
After the job, before the crew leaves, you get a photo of the clean-up. Visual proof the house looks as good as, or better than, it did when we arrived. That’s the Cedarwell Care Promise in practice, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise is the backstop: if it’s not done right, we make it right. Full stop.
The equipment side matters too. We run Rotobrush and Nikro negative-air systems, paired with HEPA filtration from Abatement Technologies. For homes that need better air quality between cleanings, we can talk through options from Honeywell and Aprilaire. These are professional-grade tools, not the rental aisle at the hardware store, and they’re a big reason our cleans hold up in humid Houston air.
If you’re ready to get a written price for your home, call (940) 314-5008. If you want to learn more about what’s included in a full system clean, see our HVAC Cleaning in Houston page for the detailed breakdown.
FAQs – HVAC Cleaning Cost
How much does HVAC cleaning cost in Houston in 2026?
Most Houston homes pay between $450 and $1,200, with the typical single-family home landing between $550 and $800 for a full system clean. The final number depends on vent count, number of systems, and whether you add dryer vent cleaning at $75 to $150. Call (940) 314-5008 for a written quote specific to your home, free of charge.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace dirty HVAC ducts?
Cleaning costs $450 to $1,200 and is almost always the right first step. Replacement of damaged flex duct runs costs $180 to $350 per run, and full duct replacement in a Houston home can run $3,000 to $7,000. If your ducts are old but structurally sound, cleaning is the far cheaper route. A technician who shows you photos of your actual ducts before recommending replacement is the one to trust.
Can you clean HVAC ducts the same day I call?
Sometimes, yes. Morton’s keeps scheduling flexibility for same-day and next-day appointments in Houston, especially during the spring and fall shoulder seasons. During peak summer weeks, expect a one to three day wait. Call (940) 314-5008 and ask, a live person answers 24/7 and can tell you the soonest opening.
How long does HVAC cleaning take in Houston?
A standard single-system clean takes 3 to 5 hours for a home under 2,500 square feet. Two-system homes and properties with heavy pet dander or renovation dust may take 6 to 8 hours. Morton’s techs work the full time the job requires, and the written price you approve before work begins doesn’t change if the job runs long.
Does HVAC cleaning include the dryer vent?
No, dryer vent cleaning is a separate service. It costs $75 to $150 when added to an HVAC cleaning appointment, which is less than booking it alone. Since the house is already being served, bundling saves money and keeps the day simpler. Ask for it when you call (940) 314-5008 and it’ll be on the written quote.
Why do some Houston companies advertise $99 duct cleaning?
Because it gets the phone to ring. A legitimate whole-home HVAC cleaning in Houston cannot be done for $99, not with trained labor, commercial equipment, and a real inspection. Those offers typically lead to aggressive upsell attempts at the door, or a job so rushed it misses the coil and blower entirely. Morton’s has priced jobs honestly since 2005, with a written price before work starts, every time.
Ready for a Written Price?
You don’t have to guess what HVAC cleaning will cost in Houston. You can know. Call (940) 314-5008, tell us about your home, and we’ll give you a written price before anyone touches a thing. Free estimate, no pressure, and a real person on the other end of the line, any hour of the day.
Written by Paul Adeyemi, Owner at Mortons Air Duct Houston, serving Houston since 2005.
Pricing reflects the Houston market as of 2026. Mortons Air Duct Houston offers free estimates – call (940) 314-5008.
What Our Customers Say
"With two cats the vents were full of hair. The crew was kind and patient with the pets, kept the doors closed, and vacuumed up before they left. Really considerate."
- Lacey Burkhart"New baby coming so we wanted the air clean. They were respectful of the nursery, quiet, and left everything exactly as they found it. Photos of the before and after sealed it for me."
- Russell Fahey"Friendly, calm crew that clearly cared about the house. Covered their shoes, protected the floors, and double checked they'd closed up every vent cover properly. Would have them back."
- Omar Zaid