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.
Air Duct Cleaning in East Palo Alto: What It Costs and What You Should Expect
Air duct cleaning in East Palo Alto typically runs $390 – $690 for a single full system on a one-story home, and $690 – $1,150 when a house has two or three separate systems and long duct runs. Most jobs in the 94303 area are completed in a half day to a full day, depending on how many returns and crawlspace trunks need attention. You should expect per-system pricing, not a vague whole-house quote that quietly skips the second air handler. For an exact number on your place, call (877) 824-3121.
What makes East Palo Alto different from neighboring cities is that a large share of the housing stock off University Avenue and Bay Road was built between the 1950s and 1970s. These are mostly single-story ranch and stucco tract houses on slab foundations, with shallow attics and exposed crawlspaces. The original ductwork in these homes was sized for a different era. It was never designed for the MERV filters and air quality standards people expect today, and it certainly was not built to stay sealed for sixty years. Our Air Duct Cleaning team works these systems regularly, so we know what to look for before we ever run a tool through a register.
Fast, Reliable Air Duct Cleaning Across East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto residents call us when the dust settles back on furniture two days after they clean, when a bedroom never seems to heat or cool like the rest of the house, or when a tenant with asthma reports symptoms that worsen indoors. We respond to calls throughout 94303, including the blocks off Pulgas Avenue, Weeks Street, and the bay-side neighborhoods near Cooley Landing. Most appointments in East Palo Alto are scheduled within a few business days, and we give you a straight answer about what the job will cost before we start. Nelson Abreu, who leads our crew, grew up working on exactly this kind of housing stock. He knows these duct systems and the problems they develop after decades of deferred maintenance. Call us at (877) 824-3121 and you will speak with someone who understands East Palo Alto, not a call center reading from a script.
One thing worth saying up front: we price by the system, not by the vent. That matters in East Palo Alto, where a surprising number of homes have two or three separate air handlers. A quote that bundles everything under one flat number usually means the second and third systems are being skipped, or they will get hit with a surprise add-on once the work starts. We do not work that way.
Styles & brands we work with
- Whole-home duct cleaning
- Dryer vent cleaning
- Camera inspection
- Sanitizing & deodorizing
Why Duct Cleaning Union City Is East Palo Alto’s Preferred Air Duct Cleaning Company
The difference starts with equipment. We run Rotobrush and Nikro professional duct cleaning systems, the kind of gear serious contractors use, not a consumer shop vac with a long hose. These machines generate real negative pressure and spin agitation tools through supply and return runs. That is the only way to pull decades of settled dust, rodent debris, and construction material back to the collection point instead of blowing it through your registers. Nelson Abreu and the crew have used this equipment on hundreds of Peninsula homes, and East Palo Alto customers keep calling us back because we document what we actually did.
East Palo Alto trusts us because we show the work. Not every company does. We run video inspection before and after, and you get that footage for your records. When we find a problem during cleaning, we do not just flag it and leave. Our Air Duct Cleaning in East Palo Alto crew can repair damaged ductwork on the spot, which is something most cleaners will not do. A disconnected flex run in a shallow attic or a torn collar in a crawlspace should not wait two weeks for another contractor. We fix it while we are already there.
Residential Air Duct Cleaning in East Palo Alto
Residential Air Duct Cleaning in East Palo Alto means cleaning the entire system, including supply ducts, return ducts, the air handler, and any crawlspace or attic trunk runs. We do not just shine the registers and call it done. For a single-system home in East Palo Alto, expect to pay $390 – $690. Homes with two or three separate systems run $690 – $1,150. The price reflects the number of systems, the length of the runs, and what we find inside. We always inspect first and give you a firm number before work starts.
Full System Cleaning vs. Surface Work
Some companies in the East Palo Alto area will clean only the supply side and skip the return entirely. That is a problem. The return side is what pulls crawlspace air into the living space, and in East Palo Alto, that air often carries rodent debris or mold spores. We clean both sides, every run, every floor, every system.
Video Inspection Before and After
You cannot see inside your ducts, so we show you. Before we start, we run a camera through the system. After we finish, we run it again. You get the footage. If a section of duct is disconnected, crushed, or torn, you will see it on the video and we will tell you what it takes to fix it. Our Air Duct Cleaning techs carry repair materials on the truck for exactly this reason.
Commercial Air Duct Cleaning in East Palo Alto
Commercial Air Duct Cleaning in East Palo Alto covers light-commercial properties: small offices, clinics, churches, daycare centers, and the retail spaces along University Avenue and Bay Road. We use the same Rotobrush and Nikro systems we run on houses, scaled to longer trunk lines and larger air handlers. Commercial jobs in East Palo Alto generally run $700 – $1,800, depending on square footage, number of rooftop units, and duct configuration. Property managers like that we can schedule around business hours because dusty ducts during operating hours are not acceptable for their tenants.
Clinics and Daycares
Buildings that serve vulnerable populations need cleaner air than a warehouse. We have cleaned systems in East Palo Alto medical and childcare facilities where indoor air quality directly affects patients and children. The documentation matters here too. Building owners receive inspection reports with before-and-after video, which is useful for compliance records and tenant communication.
Multi-Tenant Spaces
When one rooftop unit serves multiple suites, a clogged return can starve every tenant on that line. We map the system, identify which branches serve which spaces, and make sure the entire run gets cleaned, not just the section nearest the unit. This is a real issue in older East Palo Alto commercial buildings that have been re-partitioned over the years.
Trusted Brands We Service in East Palo Alto
We work with and around the equipment brands East Palo Alto homeowners already know, including East Palo Alto Carrier service. If your home has a Honeywell media cabinet, an Aprilaire filter housing, or a whole-home air quality system from Abatement Technologies, we understand how those components integrate with your ductwork. We do not push products, but if you have been considering upgraded filtration, we can tell you what works with your system and what will fight against the airflow limits of older ductwork. The team at Duct Cleaning Union City is built for this work, and our focus is narrow on purpose: air duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, and air duct repair.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Air Duct Cleaning Problems We See in East Palo Alto Homes
- Starved returns on undersized 1950s – 1970s ductwork. The original returns on East Palo Alto tract homes were often smaller than what modern filters need. When a homeowner installs a high-MERV filter, the system pulls harder and sucks air through every leak, including leaks in crawlspace runs and attic collars.
- Rodent nests in crawlspace trunk lines. Failed vapor barriers in low-lying areas near the bay let moisture and rodents into crawlspaces. We regularly find nests inside the duct serving the rear bedrooms on Pulgas and Weeks Street homes.
- Disconnected flex runs in shallow attics. The shallow attic space on old ranch houses means flex duct gets crimped, torn, or pulled off collars during roof work or pest intrusion. A disconnected return collar means the system recirculates attic air into the house.
- Decades of settled dust in rental units. East Palo Alto has a high share of rental homes, and many have never had ducts cleaned since construction. Tenants with allergies or asthma often are the first to notice, but the property owner may not have documentation of when the system was last serviced.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning in East Palo Alto, CA
Here is what we charge in East Palo Alto, and we are direct about these numbers. A single-system home runs $390 – $690. A home with two or three separate systems, which is common in East Palo Alto’s larger ranch houses and adjoined additions, runs $690 – $1,150. Commercial jobs range from $700 – $1,800. Every job gets a camera inspection and a firm price before any work begins. The quote is per system, so you know exactly what is included. If a second air handler is not on the quote, it is not being cleaned. Call (877) 824-3121 for a free estimate. We will walk the property, check the systems, and give you a number you can hold us to.
We Also Serve Cities Near East Palo Alto
We work throughout the south Peninsula. That includes East Palo Alto and the surrounding communities of Stanford, Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City. If you are managing properties across San Mateo County, one call to (877) 824-3121 can schedule multiple addresses. We are familiar with the housing stock in each of these cities, and the inspection and pricing process is the same.
Serving East Palo Alto, CA – Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the East 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 in East Palo Alto
Yes. Duct cleaning in East Palo Alto is priced per system, not per vent and not as a vague “whole house” bundle. A home with two air handlers and a separate attic unit will be quoted for each system individually. Beware any company that quotes one low flat price for a house with multiple systems. That usually means the second and third air handlers never get touched, and the dust stays exactly where it was. We inspect every system, document every run, and clean all of them. Call (877) 824-3121 for a per-system quote that actually covers all your equipment.
Because the original vapor barriers under many 94303 homes failed years ago, and East Palo Alto’s low-lying blocks near the bay hold moisture in the crawlspace during the winter rains. That damp, protected space attracts rodents, and once they get under the house, they find their way into open or torn duct trunks. The same moisture that supports the nest creates conditions for mold on the inside of the duct insulation. We find this on Pulgas, Weeks, and the streets west of Highway 101 with surprising regularity. The fix is cleaning the contaminated runs, repairing the duct, and in severe cases replacing the vapor barrier. Call us for an inspection.
Yes. Every job includes before-and-after video inspection of the inside of the ducts. You get the documentation. We also photograph the air handler, any repair work we do, and any contamination we removed. That footage is yours to keep. If a company cannot show you the inside of your ducts, ask why. Call (877) 824-3121 and we will show you exactly what we found and what we did.
In some cases, yes. East Palo Alto has a large share of rental housing, and some property owners work with county or nonprofit housing programs that fund air quality remediation for tenants with health conditions. Duct cleaning in East Palo Alto is frequently a health-driven service rather than a luxury upgrade. If you are a tenant, talk to your property owner or a housing advocate about what programs may apply. If you are a property owner, we provide the documentation programs typically require: before-and-after video, a written summary of the work, and confirmation of what was removed. Call (877) 824-3121 and we can walk you through the documentation.
Yes. We clean light-commercial systems in East Palo Alto, including offices, clinics, daycare centers, and the retail spaces along University Avenue and Bay Road. Commercial duct cleaning in East Palo Alto runs $700 – $1,800 depending on the building. We schedule around your operating hours and provide the same camera documentation we provide for residential jobs. If you manage a multi-tenant building and one rooftop unit is wheezing, call (877) 824-3121. We will inspect the system and give you a number.
Documentation That Matters When You Cannot See the Work
Here is the core problem with duct cleaning: the work happens inside your walls, under your house, and above your ceiling. You cannot watch it happen. You are trusting a company to honestly report what they did. In East Palo Alto, where the original ductwork in 94303 tract homes is sixty to seventy years old, that trust has real stakes. Ducts that were never cleaned since the Eisenhower administration are common here. The only way to know the work was actually done is documentation: before-and-after video of every run, a per-system report, and photos of anything we removed or repaired. We provide all of it. No other way to do business.
On a ranch house off Weeks Street, our crew found the return-side flex run disconnected at a collar in the shallow attic and a rodent nest sitting in the crawlspace trunk serving the rear bedrooms. We set up negative pressure with HEPA filtration, ran agitation tools through both supply and return ducts, and pulled the nest and decades of settled dust back to the source before reconnecting and sealing the collar. The homeowner had been chasing spring pollen allergies for years. The system was recirculating crawlspace air the whole time. That is what happens when ducts get old, vapor barriers fail, and no one looks. We looked, and we have the video to prove it.
Written by Nelson Abreu, Owner at Duct Cleaning Union City, serving East Palo Alto and the south Peninsula.