Air Duct Cleaning Costs in Milwaukee and what to expect.

Air duct cleaning is a sub-service or add-on service in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) business. Often overlooked by homeowners, air duct cleaning is an essential service that should be added to your list of home services. Having your home’s HVAC ventilation system cleaned out is necessary for your family’s health and continued furnace efficiency.

Cost of Air Duct Cleaning in Milwaukee

The cost to get your residential air ducts cleaned in Milwaukee ranges from $350-$1500 on average. 

The cost is based on:

• House Square Footage
• Number of Vents
• Contamination Level
• Number of Furnaces
• Accessibility

Pricing can increase if your ductwork contains mold, asbestos, pests, or venting that is damaged and needs repairs.

Before hiring a cleaning company, you should understand the costs associated with air duct cleaning in the Milwaukee area. There are two popular pricing methods that vent cleaning companies use around Milwaukee to determine your cost.

Cost Per Vent

One of the more popular methods to determine the price of your HVAC duct cleaning is to charge based on the amount of supply and return vents your home has. Be prepared to give this information when you are inquiring about having your air ducts cleaned. Simply go around your home and count every vent opening. 

The furnace duct cleaning company will then multiply the number of vents by their set price to determine the final cost.

The cost per vent in Milwaukee ranges from: $15 per vent to $25 per vent.

The cost per vent pricing estimate can get confusing when companies charge a different price for supply vents and a different price for return vents. There are some duct cleaning companies that make this very confusing. Make sure they provide you with a written estimate and an accurate count of the vents before they start the job.

Cost Per Square Foot

A much easier way to calculate the cost of an air duct cleaning in Milwaukee is to charge by the square footage of your home. This is a much simpler approach for both the customer and the cleaning company to determine how much it is going to cost. Not only is it simpler, but it is fairer than the per-vent method.

All you need to provide to the AC duct cleaning company is the size of your home. They will then multiply your home’s square footage by a set dollar amount.

Cost per square foot in Milwaukee ranges from: $0.15 – $0.30 per square foot

Oftentimes when a company charges by the square foot it is an all inclusive price that may take into account multiple furnaces, zones and furnace accessibility issues.

Additional Factors That Could Increase The Cost of Vent Cleaning in Milwaukee

Most air duct cleaning companies around Milwaukee will charge a base price by the number of vents in your home or by the square footage. Since not all homes are created equal, companies will have to add certain fees that make the job longer and more challenging. These aren’t technically fees but they have added costs to the base price.

Number of Furnaces & Zones

Homes that have had additions put on or are larger than 3000 square feet typically have two or more furnaces to heat and cool the home properly. More furnaces create a lot of extra work and labor for duct cleaners. Don’t be surprised if the price goes up because each furnace has additional zones to clean.

Average Additional Cost Per Extra Furnace: $150-$350

Accessibility of Furnace & Ductwork

When your furnace is hard to gain access to then you may see an increased cost to have your furnace ductwork cleaned. For example, some homes around Milwaukee are built on slab foundations which means the furnace is in a crawl space or an attic. These locations are extremely hard to maneuver equipment and have technicians work in. This makes the job painstakingly difficult.

Average Additional Costs for Furnaces Located in Attics or Crawl Spaces: $150-$250

Contamination Level

The level of contamination generally can’t be decided until the air duct cleaning technician visits your home and does an inspection before the cleaning. There is typically high levels of dust contamination in ductwork when:

• It’s an older home
• It’s never been cleaned
• A smaller home with return vents in high traffic areas
• Lot’s of pets in the home

The more contamination in the vents will require more time for the technician to clean. Often times, they have to clean out their HEPA vacuums multiple times during a job. The cost is very reasonable when high amounts of contaminants are found it becomes worth the price. Just be sure to get good before and after photos of your ducts so you know you aren’t getting ripped off.

High Levels of Air Duct Contamination Cost: $50-$100

Pest Removal

Pest likes mice, birds, bats, squirrels, and insects sometimes like to find their way into your air ducts and often times die. This tends to create an awful smell that get’s worse when your furnace kicks on. Depending on the level of infestation a duct cleaner can get rid of the dead rodents in your vents by sucking them up in their vacuums. You may first want to contact a pest control company to remedy the issue so rodents don’t find their way back into your home.

Removing Pests from Your Ductwork Cost: $100-$200

Mold & Mildew

If you suspect you have mold or mildew in your ductwork it is best to contact a mold remediation company to inspect the mold first. You do not want a duct cleaning company to come in and disturb the mold spores and cause further damage.

Asbestos

If you know you have asbestos in your ventilation system, then it is best to first have it checked out by an asbestos abatement company. Asbestos is found in a lot of ducting around Milwaukee and needs to be professionally removed before you can have your air ducts cleaned.

Ductwork Repairs

Ducting in your home does get damaged over time. Especially, if you run a humidifier in your house to keep the humidity at healthy levels in the cold dry winters in Milwaukee. The venting will deteriorate over time with rust and holes will form. This creates a pressure air loss and the holes will have to be sealed for a proper cleaning. 

Average Air Duct Sealing & Repair Costs: $100-$300

Tips to avoid bad air bad duct cleaners in Milwaukee

Milwaukee is ripe with a lot of bad air duct cleaning companies and scams. Make sure you are learning a little bit about air duct cleaning before blindly hiring a company. Many of them use poor equipment, have hidden fees, bad reviews, and use bait & switch tactics. Air duct cleaning is a very labor-intensive and expensive service.

Hidden Fees & Lots of Upsells

Air duct cleaning companies around Milwaukee will offer you a price over the phone and then upsell you and charge you hidden fee’s once they get to your home. Make sure you are asking all the right questions before you hire a professional. A common upsell is sanitizing your ductwork to remove odors. Don’t fall for this one. It doesn’t work!

Check the Bad Reviews

Check reviews online from places like Google, Yelp, and Facebook. There are lots of false reviews placed online to earn your trust and business. You must thoroughly look at each review and determine if they are a good air duct cleaning company to work with.

Bait & Switch with Cheap Costs

If it is too good to be true, it ALWAYS is in the air duct cleaning business. You cannot get your air ducts cleaned for $99. This is a huge red flag if you see this offer on Facebook marketplace, Groupon, and Nextdoor. Air duct cleaning is labor intensive and the equipment is expensive to maintain. Anything under $350 should raise red flags.

Final Thoughts on Vent Cleaning Costs in Milwaukee

By now you should understand that the real cost of air duct cleaning in Milwaukee ranges from $400 – $1,500. It is a labor-intensive job that takes time to do properly. The bigger your home is the more expensive the cost will be to have your HVAC ducting cleaned out. There is only a handful of good air duct cleaning companies in Milwaukee that truly do a good job and will charge you an honest price. 

If you have any questions about air duct cleaning costs, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to walk you through the process and answer any questions.