How to Choose an Air Duct Cleaning Company (Without Getting Scammed)

The air duct cleaning industry has a scam problem, and honest companies pay the price for it. Here's exactly how to hire right — including the red flags that should send you running.

Red flag #1: The impossibly low price

The "$99 whole-house special" is the industry's oldest trick. The company arrives, "discovers" mold or extra charges, and pressures you into a bill of $500–$1,000+. A legitimate cleaning takes hours and real equipment — no one does that for $99.

Red flag #2: No license

In Florida, air conditioning work requires a state license. Ask for the license number and verify it. (Ours is CAC1824294 — we'd insist you check.) Unlicensed operators can't pull permits, carry proper insurance, or be held accountable.

Red flag #3: No before-and-after photos

Every reputable company photographs your actual ducts before and after. If a company won't show you proof of what they did, assume nothing meaningful was done.

7 questions to ask before you book

1. What is the total price in writing before you start?
2. What equipment do you use? (Truck-mounted or high-powered portable — not a shop vac.)
3. How long will the job take? (A real cleaning takes 2–4 hours, not 30 minutes.)
4. Do you provide before-and-after photos of my ducts?
5. What is your Florida license number?
6. Is antimicrobial treatment included or extra?
7. What guarantee do you offer on the work?

The reviews test

Read the actual reviews — not just the star count. Look for mentions of technicians by name, specific details about the work, and photos customers posted themselves. Hundreds of detailed 5-star reviews are hard to fake; a dozen generic ones are easy.

Trust your gut on pressure tactics

High-pressure upsells, "today only" pricing, scare tactics about your family's health — these are sales techniques, not service. A good company explains, documents, and lets you decide.