What does an air duct inspection include?
A visual and camera inspection of the accessible duct system and HVAC equipment, covering duct material and its condition, contamination levels, insulation condition, connections and disconnections, the air handler interior, coil and blower condition, drain pan status, and exhaust terminations. The result is photographic documentation of what was found and a plain explanation of which findings need action and which do not. It is the step that tells you whether you need cleaning, sealing, restoration or nothing at all.
Why we lead with this
Duct cleaning is an industry with a serious quoting problem. Prices given over the phone before anyone has seen the system are guesses, and they create the conditions for the bait-and-switch pattern that gives this trade its reputation. We inspect first because you cannot scope a system you have not looked at, and because you deserve to see the same evidence we are working from.
Our five-point inspection
On residential systems we work through the five areas that determine what a system actually needs.
- Duct interior and material — what the ductwork is made of and what condition its interior surface is in
- Air handler and blower — cabinet interior, blower wheel loading, cleanliness of accessible surfaces
- Coil and drain pan — coil face restriction, standing water, condensate drainage
- Insulation and connections — wet or missing insulation, disconnected runs, crushed flex, boot condition
- Terminations and exhaust — dryer and bathroom exhaust routing, dampers, and where they actually discharge
What you get
Photographs of what we found, an explanation of what each finding means, and a recommendation that may well be that your system does not need the work you called about. That last outcome happens, and we would rather deliver it than sell around it.
At a glance
- Method
- Visual and camera inspection with photographic documentation
- Covers
- Duct interior, material and condition, air handler, coil, blower, drain pan, insulation, terminations
- Residential structure
- Five-point inspection process
- Deliverable
- Photo documentation and a written recommendation
- Purpose
- Establish actual need before any work is quoted
What the service covers
- Camera inspection of accessible duct runs
- Duct material and condition assessment
- Air handler interior inspection
- Coil, blower and drain pan condition
- Insulation and connection check
- Dryer and bathroom exhaust termination check
- Photographic documentation
Common questions
Do you charge for the inspection?
Inspection terms are confirmed when you book, so you know before we arrive. What we will not do is give you a price for cleaning a system nobody has looked at.
What if the inspection shows I do not need cleaning?
Then that is what the report says. Systems in newer homes, or systems cleaned within the last few years, often do not need it. Telling you so is the point of inspecting.
Can you inspect a system before I buy a house?
Yes, and it is a sensible thing to do. A pre-purchase inspection of the ductwork and HVAC can surface duct condition problems that a general home inspection does not cover in detail.
