Whole-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.
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AfterFast, Reliable Air Duct Cleaning Across Chicago
Air duct cleaning in Chicago typically runs $380-$720 for a full residential system, with bungalow and vintage flat retrofits landing at the higher end due to non-standard duct configurations. Our crews dispatch from the Chicago office and cover the full metro, from the bungalow belt to downtown high-rises. Call (708) 683-3974 for a written estimate before any work starts.
We’ve been in Chicago homes since 2013. The ductwork we encounter here isn’t like what you’ll find in Phoenix or Atlanta. Chicago’s housing stock - two-flats, greystones, and those 80,000 Chicago-style bungalows stretching from Bridgeport to Portage Park - was built for radiator heat and later retrofitted with forced-air systems, often in the 1950s and 1960s. That history lives inside your walls. Our Air Duct Cleaning team treats every job as a documentation project first: camera inspection, written scope, written price, then the work.
Why CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Chicago Is Chicago’s Preferred Air Duct Cleaning Company
CleanRun is independently owned and operated under the Haven Standard, not a franchise network. Since 2013, we’ve served 52,000+ homes with one non-negotiable rule: every job gets a written price before a single panel comes off. Haven Standard Clause 1.
Chicago customers come to us after the $79 coupon jobs leave them with a shop-vac run through the basement and a bill that tripled on arrival. We do the opposite. Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and identified by name before arrival - Haven Standard Clause 3: Verified Crews. The license number is published on this page, not buried in a footer.
Every visit concludes with a Documented Photo Record: the inside of every duct run, before and after, delivered as part of the standard job record. You see what we saw. The 365-Day Done Right Promise backs it in writing, not as a policy subject to manager approval.
All calls are answered by a live person, 24/7. Scheduling is coordinated from our Chicago office; crews serve Chicago locally.
Our Air Duct Cleaning Services in Chicago
Residential Duct Cleaning
Chicago’s residential ductwork is rarely straightforward. In a typical bungalow near Gage Park or Marquette Park, we’ll find supply runs crammed through closet chases, return paths built from panned floor joist bays, and flex duct hanging off the plenum that hasn’t been touched since the original conversion. Our residential cleans start with a Video Inspection - we run a camera through every accessible run to map what we’re actually dealing with before quoting. A standard Chicago residential full-system clean runs $380-$580 for a purpose-built home, $480-$720 for a retrofit bungalow or vintage flat with non-standard configurations.
Commercial Duct Cleaning
Chicago’s commercial stock - loft conversions in the West Loop, vintage office buildings on Michigan Avenue, restaurant spaces in River North - carries its own retrofit history. We clean supply and return systems for commercial tenants and building owners, working around operating hours and documenting every run. Commercial pricing starts around $850 for small retail or office spaces and scales with system complexity and access constraints.
Supply Duct Cleaning
Supply ducts push conditioned air to your registers. In Chicago’s climate - Lake Michigan humidity in July, sub-zero dry air in January - these runs work harder than in milder markets. We clean supply trunks and branches with negative-pressure extraction (a vacuum system that pulls debris out while containing it, rather than blowing it through your home) and rotary brush agitation from Rotobrush equipment. Supply-only cleaning runs $280-$420 in Chicago.
Return Duct Cleaning
Return ducts pull air back to the air handler, and in Chicago retrofit homes, they’re often the worst offenders. Panned joist bays collect debris for decades. Crushed flex runs create pressure drops that starve the system. Our Return Duct Cleaning service includes camera verification, negative-pressure extraction with HEPA filtration, and reconnection or sealing where we find disconnected runs. Returns-only: $320-$480. Full system with returns, supplies, and trunk lines: $380-$720.
Full System Cleaning
The complete package: every accessible supply run, every return path, trunk lines, plenum, and registers, with Video Inspection before and Documented Photo Record after. For Chicago bungalows and vintage flats, this is usually the right scope - anything less misses the retrofit-era problems that are actually causing the dust and the pressure issues. Full system: $380-$720.
Video Inspection
We run this on every Chicago job before quoting, not as an upsell. The camera shows crushed runs, disconnected flex, debris depth, and hazardous materials like pre-1980 asbestos-containing duct wrap. You see the footage. We write the scope based on what the camera found, not on a flat-rate menu. Video Inspection is included in our standard assessment.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
BeforeAfterTrusted Brands We Service in Chicago
Our equipment roster includes Rotobrush rotary brush systems, Nikro negative-pressure extractors, Honeywell air quality components, and Aprilaire filtration products. These are trade-recognized brands you can look up independently - we name them so you know what you’re paying for. We stock common fittings and replacement materials for Chicago’s dominant HVAC brands, including Chicago Lennox service parts, which means when we find a disconnected or crushed run during cleaning, we can often repair it same visit rather than scheduling a return trip.
Common Air Duct Cleaning Problems We See in Chicago Homes
- Crushed or disconnected retrofit runs. In bungalow-belt neighborhoods like Archer Heights and Bridgeport, we routinely find flex duct that has pulled off the plenum or been crushed by decades of storage in closet chases. The register moves no air, or rattles instead. Camera inspection finds it; reconnection and sealing fixes it.
- Pre-1980 asbestos-containing duct wrap or mastic. Chicago’s housing stock is old enough that pre-1980 retrofits carry real risk. We assess for hazardous materials before any agitation begins. If we find asbestos-containing material, we stop and advise on proper abatement - we don’t blast it loose with brushes.
- Panned floor joist bays used as return paths. A “panned joist” means the carpenter nailed a sheet of metal across the bottom of floor joists and called it a duct. These collect debris for 50+ years, leak pressure into wall cavities, and are never addressed by register vacuuming. We clean them properly or recommend replacement with actual ductwork.
- Moisture cycling from Lake Michigan climate. High summer humidity and deep winter heating push moisture through ductwork repeatedly. In tight building envelopes during cold snaps, indoor particulates concentrate faster than in milder climates. We find mold-friendly conditions in unconditioned attic kneewalls and basement drop-ceiling runs - the exact paths common in Chicago retrofits.
Pricing for Air Duct Cleaning in Chicago, IL
Here’s what air duct cleaning actually costs in Chicago’s market:
- Supply-only cleaning: $280-$420
- Return-only cleaning: $320-$480
- Full residential system (supplies, returns, trunks, plenum): $380-$720
- Bungalow/vintage flat retrofit with non-standard access: $480-$720
- Commercial small office/retail: $850-$1,400
- Video Inspection and assessment: included in standard scope
What moves you up or down: number of registers, accessibility (crawlspace vs. basement), whether we find disconnected runs needing reconnection, and hazardous materials assessment. We deliver one flat price per system, agreed in writing before work starts - Haven Standard Clause 1. No per-vent pricing. No “call for a quote.” Bring a competitor’s written estimate; we’ll put our number next to it for a Free Second Opinion.
We Also Serve Cities Near Chicago
Our crews work throughout the Chicago metro, including Air Duct Cleaning in Chicago proper and surrounding communities: Oak Lawn, Skokie, Evanston, and Hinsdale. Scheduling and dispatch are coordinated from our Chicago office.
Serving Chicago, IL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Chicago 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 - Air Duct Cleaning in Chicago
Chicago’s roughly 80,000 bungalows were built for radiator heat and retrofitted with forced-air ductwork decades later, so most runs were crammed into closet chases, kneewalls, and drop ceilings rather than engineered for airflow. Cleaning these systems requires camera inspection to find crushed or disconnected runs, and the work often includes Duct Repair & Sealing in Chicago - not just vacuuming. Call (708) 683-3974 for a written estimate on your specific configuration.
We assess for asbestos-containing duct wrap or mastic before touching anything with agitation tools. If we find it, we stop the job and advise on proper abatement by a licensed hazmat contractor. We do not disturb asbestos-containing material. This assessment is standard on every pre-1980 Chicago home we enter.
Yes. Lake Michigan drives high summer humidity and punishing temperature swings that cycle moisture through ductwork repeatedly. The long heating season (October through April) and tight building envelopes during deep cold concentrate indoor particulates faster than in milder climates. We find more moisture-related debris and mold-friendly conditions in Chicago retrofits than in comparable Sun Belt markets.
The camera shows crushed flex runs hanging off plenums, panned floor joist bays packed with decades of debris, disconnected returns that have never moved air, and hazardous materials like pre-1980 asbestos wrap. Our tech opened a return chase in a 1927 bungalow near Archer Heights and found the original “duct” was a panned floor joist bay with a crushed flex run - so we ran camera inspection first, pulled compacted debris under negative pressure with HEPA filtration, and sealed and reconnected the run at the air handler. The upstairs registers finally moved air instead of rattling.
Cleaning alone is rarely enough in Chicago’s retrofit housing stock. Disconnected runs need reconnection. Crushed flex needs replacement. Panned joist bays often need proper ductwork installed. We document what we find, write a scope that separates cleaning from repair, and price both before starting. The homeowner decides. No work happens without a written price - Haven Standard Clause 1.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Duct Repair & Cleaning, serving Chicago since 2013.