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.
Styles & brands we work with
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFull System Cleaning in Atlanta, GA
Full system cleaning means we clean every part of your HVAC air-distribution network: supply ducts, return ducts, the trunk lines, branch runs, the blower compartment, the evaporator coil, and the plenum. Most Atlanta homes run between $450 and $900 for a complete full system cleaning, depending on home size, the number of vents, and how long it’s been since the last professional service. If you’ve never had your ducts cleaned and your home is more than five years old, call us at (470) 378-1006 for a free estimate with a written price before any work begins.
This is the service we recommend for most homeowners. It’s broader than a basic vent wipe-down, because it treats the whole airway, not just the registers you can see from the living room. You can learn more about how this fits into our broader Air Duct Cleaning service, but if you already know your system needs the full treatment, this page tells you what happens, what it costs, and what you should expect from a company that actually stands behind its work.
When You Need Full System Cleaning
Most people don’t open their ducts to inspect them, and that’s fine. You don’t need to. The signs show up elsewhere in the house. Here are the most common situations we walk into in Atlanta:
- Dust returns within 48 hours of cleaning the house. If you dust the furniture on Saturday and by Monday there’s a fresh film on the coffee table, your ducts are recirculating particulate every time the blower kicks on. The coil and blower cabinet are often the hidden source, and a basic register cleaning won’t touch them.
- One or two rooms stay musty no matter what you do. Atlanta’s summer humidity gets into duct runs that pass through unconditioned attic space. When a branch run develops condensation or organic growth inside, the smell follows the air into that room only. A full cleaning addresses the entire run, not just the vent opening.
- You just bought the house and don’t know the duct history. Previous owners may have had pets, done drywall work, smoked, or simply never cleaned the system in 20 years. We regularly pull construction debris and drywall dust out of ducts in houses that were ‘renovated’ before sale.
- Your energy bills climb in the summer while airflow drops. A layer of debris on the evaporator coil and blower wheel reduces the system’s ability to move air, so the AC runs longer to hit the same temperature. Full system cleaning removes that load. In Atlanta, where the AC runs from May through late September, that inefficiency compounds fast.
- Anyone in the home has allergies, asthma, or breathing sensitivities. Dust mites, pollen, and mold spores collect in ductwork and get redistributed every cycle. A full cleaning with HEPA-filtered equipment means the particles get captured and removed from the home, not just stirred around inside it.
- The system is 5+ years old and has never been serviced. Even in a clean house, the blower wheel collects a fine gray coating over time. Air passing over it picks up microscopic debris. Five years is a reasonable interval for most Atlanta homes. Homes with pets or smokers should consider it sooner.
None of these conditions require you to replace your ductwork. They require the system to be properly opened, agitated, extracted, and sealed again. That’s the job.
Our Full System Cleaning Process
Here’s exactly what we do, in order, on a full system cleaning. We tell you this upfront because you should know what you’re paying for before the technician arrives.
- Walkthrough and written confirmation. The technician walks the home with you, checks the system type, counts the vents, inspects accessible duct runs, and confirms the written price before any tool comes off the truck. If the price needs to change for any reason, it changes on paper, with your signature, before the work proceeds. That’s the Kingswell Guarantee, and it’s been the standard since 2004.
- System protection and containment. We seal off supply registers and lay floor protection at every work point. This isn’t optional or ceremonial. It keeps the dust we’re about to loosen from landing on your sofa, your floors, or your kitchen counters.
- Brush agitation of supply and return ducts. We run a Rotobrush rotary brush system through every main trunk and branch line. The rotating bristles mechanically dislodge debris that’s adhered to the duct walls, the kind of stubborn buildup that air pressure alone won’t move.
- Negative-air extraction. While the brush works, a Nikro negative-pressure unit pulls a vacuum on the system. Negative-air extraction means the air inside the ducts is drawn outward under continuous suction, so loosened debris is carried out of the duct and into the unit’s containment, not pushed into your living space. We use Abatement Technologies HEPA filtration on the exhaust side so the air returning to the room is cleaner than what we started with.
- Component cleaning: blower, coil, and plenum. The blower motor and wheel are removed and hand-cleaned. The evaporator coil is cleaned with a non-corrosive coil cleaner. The plenum box is vacuumed and wiped. Many companies skip this step because it’s more labor, but this is where a substantial share of the debris lives. Skipping it means you haven’t done a full system cleaning.
- Final walkthrough and written guarantee. We show you the collection canisters, the coil before and after if it’s accessible, and any debris we pulled that’s worth seeing. Then we hand you the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If the cleaning falls short within a year, we return and re-clean the affected section at no charge. Not as a courtesy. As a written commitment.
Full System Cleaning Pricing in Atlanta
Here’s what full system cleaning actually costs in the Atlanta market, based on the homes we service throughout the metro area.
- Single-story home (up to 1,500 sq ft, 8-12 vents): $450 – $600
- Two-story home (1,500-2,800 sq ft, 12-18 vents): $550 – $750
- Larger home (2,800-4,000+ sq ft, 18-30 vents): $700 – $900+
- Heavy contamination surcharge (drywall dust, construction debris, long-term smoking): $100 – $250, confirmed in the written estimate before work begins
- Blower motor and coil deep-clean (included in all full system cleanings): Included. This is the difference between a full system cleaning and a basic vent job.
What moves the price is mostly home size, the number of vents, accessibility of the air handler, and contamination level. A two-bedroom condo with six vents isn’t the same job as a 3,300-square-foot home with two systems and 22 vents. The estimate accounts for that. You’ll see it in writing before we start.
We don’t do bait pricing. The number you’re quoted is the number on the invoice. That’s been the rule since Dale Whitmore started running Atlanta under the Kingswell Guarantee. If the technician discovers something that changes the scope, you approve the revised written price first or we don’t do the additional work. Simple.
Call (470) 378-1006 for a free estimate. The price goes in your hands in writing, with no obligation.
FAQs – Full System Cleaning
How much does full system cleaning cost in Atlanta?
Full system cleaning in Atlanta typically runs between $450 and $900, with most homes in the $550 to $750 range. The price depends on square footage, vent count, system accessibility, and how heavily contaminated the ducts are. Every Kestrel estimate is free and delivered in writing before work begins, so you’ll know your exact number before you commit. Call (470) 378-1006 for a firm quote.
How long does a full system cleaning take?
A full system cleaning on a typical Atlanta home takes between 3 and 6 hours. Single-story homes with one system are usually on the shorter end. Larger two-story homes, homes with two HVAC systems, or systems with heavy debris buildup take longer. We give you a defined arrival window before the visit and the technician works until the job is done right, not until the clock says it’s time to pack up.
Is full system cleaning better than just cleaning the vents?
Yes. Full system cleaning includes the vents, but it also opens and cleans the trunk lines, branch runs, blower compartment, evaporator coil, and plenum, which is where most of the real debris accumulates. A vent-only cleaning addresses the visible openings but leaves the internal airway untouched, so dust and allergens return quickly. If you’re going to pay for residential duct cleaning, do the whole system once rather than half the system twice. Call (470) 378-1006 and we’ll explain exactly what’s included in your written estimate.
Can you do a full system cleaning in one visit?
In almost every case, yes. Our technicians arrive with the full equipment load, Rotobrush, Nikro, Abatement Technologies HEPA filtration, and floor protection, and complete the job in a single visit. The only exceptions are homes with inaccessible air handlers or systems requiring repair before cleaning can proceed safely, in which case we’ll tell you exactly what’s needed and when we can return.
For a detailed look at what separates a real cleaning from a surface-level job, read our overview of Air Duct Cleaning in Atlanta. Or come back to the home page to see everything Kestrel Air Duct Atlanta does.
If your ducts haven’t been cleaned in years, or you’re noticing dust that won’t stay gone, call us. We answer the phone with a live person, 24/7. You’ll get a straight answer, a written price, and a guarantee you can hold us to. That’s the Kingswell Way. It’s how we’ve operated since 2004, and it’s what Dale Whitmore expects from every technician who wears a Kestrel uniform in Atlanta.
Call (470) 378-1006 for a free full system cleaning estimate. No pressure, no door-step price changes, and no surprises. Just a written number before we touch a single vent.
Written by Dale Whitmore, Owner at Kestrel Air Duct Atlanta, serving Atlanta.