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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After
Before
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Before
AfterVent Cleaning in The Woodlands, TX
Our Dryer Vent Cleaning services in The Woodlands typically run $109 to $229, depending on vent length, number of elbows, and how long it has been since the last cleaning. Most jobs are quoted in writing before any work starts and completed the same visit. If your dryer is taking two cycles to dry a normal load, that is usually enough evidence to schedule a cleaning.
The specific service on this page is vent cleaning – the physical process of clearing the duct that carries hot, moist air from your dryer drum to the exterior cap on your roof, wall, or soffit. It is one part of the broader Dryer Vent Cleaning in The Woodlands work CleanRun performs, and it is where most of the lint, debris, and airflow restriction actually lives. A shop-vac from the back of a dryer does not reach it. Professional rotary brush equipment – we use Rotobrush and Nikro systems on these jobs – runs the full duct length from termination point to appliance connection, and a camera confirms what the brush pulled free before we photograph it.
CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning The Woodlands has been doing this since 2013. Tomas Reyes built the company on one operating principle: show the customer what you found before you tell them what you recommend. Every vent cleaning job includes a written price before the first panel comes off, a documented photo record of the duct interior before and after the cleaning, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If the airflow is not measurably better when we leave, we come back. That is Haven Standard, not a marketing line.
To schedule or get a written price before committing to anything, call (346) 248-1474. A live person answers every call – no voicemail trees, no callback queues.
When You Need Vent Cleaning
The Woodlands presents a specific set of conditions that accelerate lint buildup faster than many homeowners expect. Homes in Creekside Park, Sterling Ridge, and Indian Springs were largely built between 2003 and 2018, and many of those builds used longer vent runs with multiple elbows to route the dryer exhaust around finished utility rooms. More elbows mean more surfaces where lint can catch and compress. Add the high humidity that The Woodlands sees from April through October and the moisture in dryer exhaust binds lint into a denser, more adhesive layer than you would find in a dry-climate home. Annual cleaning is the right interval for most of these houses. Two years is pushing it. Three years is a fire risk.
These are the specific conditions that indicate your vent needs professional cleaning now:
- Drying time has doubled without a change in load size. A standard cotton load that used to finish in 45 minutes now takes 80 or more. Restricted airflow is almost always the cause. The heating element is working fine – the exhaust cannot leave fast enough to keep the drum humidity low enough to dry the clothes.
- The dryer exterior or laundry room feels noticeably hotter than normal. When exhaust cannot exit, heat backs up into the appliance and the surrounding space. In The Woodlands summers, a laundry room that was already warm at 95 degrees outside becomes genuinely uncomfortable to stand in.
- The exterior vent cap flap is not moving during operation. Step outside during a drying cycle and watch the termination cap. If the flap barely moves or does not open at all, the duct is blocked – either by lint compression or by a bird or pest nest. Both happen regularly in The Woodlands; we clear nests from vent caps several times a month in the spring.
- You can smell something musty or burning when the dryer runs. A musty smell usually means moisture is trapped in a partially blocked duct and mold has started forming. A burning smell means lint is making contact with heated surfaces. Either one warrants a same-day call.
- The lint trap fills faster than it used to. This sounds counterintuitive, but it is accurate: when the duct is restricted, the system cannot draw lint forward into the trap efficiently. Lint stays in the drum longer, sticks to the trap screen in thicker layers, and the overall system behavior changes. Technicians know this pattern.
- It has been 12 months or more since the last documented cleaning. If you do not have a photo record from a prior cleaning, you do not know when it was last done properly. Many homes CleanRun visits in The Woodlands have a vague memory of “someone cleaned it a few years ago” with no documentation to verify what was actually done.
Our Vent Cleaning Process
Every vent cleaning follows the same documented sequence. Nothing gets skipped to save time, and the customer receives a photo record of each stage. Here is exactly what happens from the moment the technician arrives.
- Written scope and price delivered before work starts. The technician identifies the vent termination point, measures the accessible duct run, notes the number of elbows, and photographs the exterior cap condition. Based on that assessment, a written price is produced and handed to you before any equipment comes off the truck. Haven Standard Clause 1: no work starts without a signed written price. If the price does not work for you, you owe nothing.
- Pre-cleaning camera inspection and baseline photography. We run a flexible camera through the duct from the exterior termination point toward the dryer connection. The camera records what is inside: lint accumulation depth, any compressed debris mats, moisture staining, or foreign material. This is the before photo. It is the baseline every piece of downstream work is measured against.
- Rotary brush extraction with negative-pressure collection. The rotary brush system – Rotobrush or Nikro depending on duct diameter and configuration – runs from the termination end while a negative-pressure collection unit holds suction at the dryer connection. Negative-pressure extraction means the dislodged lint is pulled toward the collection point rather than redistributed into the drum or laundry room. The brush works each elbow section individually. This is not a single pass.
- Exterior cap cleaning and flow verification. The vent termination cap is removed, cleared of any lint or debris lodged in the flap mechanism, and reinstalled. The dryer is then run for a full timed cycle while the technician measures airflow at the exterior cap. On a clean, properly configured vent run, you should feel a strong, consistent airflow. If airflow is weak after cleaning, there is a mechanical issue – a crushed duct section, a disconnected joint, or an undersized run – and we document it and explain it before recommending anything.
- Post-cleaning camera pass and after photography. The camera runs the duct a second time. The after photos are placed next to the before photos in the job record. If the duct interior does not look materially different, the job is not complete. The 365-Day Done Right Promise is backed by this photo record – not by a customer’s memory of what the technician said.
- Job record delivered to the customer. Before the truck leaves, the customer receives the written scope, the before and after photo record, and the written 365-Day Done Right Promise. That record is yours to keep, share with a future buyer, or use to hold us accountable if anything changes in the next year.
BeforeAfterVent Cleaning Pricing in The Woodlands
How Much Does Dryer Vent Cleaning Cost? (2026 Price Guide) - The Woodlands, TX: cleaning is priced by job, not by hour. The written price reflects the actual configuration of the vent run – length, number of elbows, termination type, and access conditions. The ranges below represent what CleanRun jobs in The Woodlands have actually cost. Your written price will fall in this range or lower; if it is higher, the technician will explain exactly why before you agree to anything.
| Vent Configuration | Typical Price Range |
|---|---|
| Standard run, 1-2 elbows, wall or low-roof termination | $109 – $149 |
| Longer run, 3-4 elbows, or partial routing through finished space | $150 – $189 |
| Complex run, roof termination, 5+ elbows, or significant debris load | $190 – $229 |
| Vent cap replacement (if flap is damaged or missing) | $35 – $65 added to cleaning price |
| Disconnect and reconnect of dryer (if flex hose is deteriorated) | $25 – $45 added to cleaning price |
A few things that affect where your job lands in these ranges: homes in Sterling Ridge and Creekside Park with two-story utility room configurations often have longer duct runs that route up through an interior wall before exiting at the roofline. Those jobs typically land in the $170 to $210 range. Homes in older sections of The Woodlands near Panther Creek and Grogan’s Mill sometimes have original vent runs using foil flex duct rather than rigid metal – if the flex duct is crushed or kinked, that affects both price and the recommendation for repair.
If you have a written estimate from a competitor, bring it. CleanRun will put its own written number next to it at no cost – that is the Free Second Opinion, available on every job, no conditions attached.
To get your written price before any work starts, call (346) 248-1474.
FAQs – Vent Cleaning
How often should dryer vent cleaning be done in The Woodlands?
Most households in The Woodlands should clean the dryer vent once every 12 months. Homes with longer duct runs – particularly those with 4 or more elbows or roof terminations common in Creekside Park and Indian Springs – benefit from every 9 to 10 months, especially if a gas dryer is in use or the household runs 7 or more loads per week. The combination of high local humidity and longer duct configurations means lint compacts faster here than in drier climates. If you are not sure when it was last done, a Dryer Vent Inspection will show you the current debris load and the technician can give you a written assessment on the spot. Call (346) 248-1474 to set that up – there is no charge to get a written price.
Is dryer vent cleaning actually a fire hazard if skipped?
Yes. The U.S. Fire Administration attributes roughly 2,900 residential dryer fires per year to failure to clean dryer vents, and lint is listed as the leading material ignited. When lint accumulates to the point where exhaust airflow is significantly restricted, the dryer’s heating element continues operating while the moisture-laden air cannot escape. Lint that has been compressing against the duct wall for two or more years becomes highly combustible dry material sitting next to a heat source. This is not a theoretical risk – it is a documented pattern. A properly cleaned vent with a verified airflow measurement at the exterior cap is the only way to confirm the risk has been removed. The before and after photos CleanRun provides are part of that documented confirmation.
What is the difference between cleaning the lint trap and cleaning the vent?
Cleaning the lint trap removes the surface layer of lint caught by the screen between loads. Cleaning the vent clears the duct that carries exhaust air from the back of the dryer to the exterior of the house. These are separate systems. The lint trap catches approximately 75 to 80 percent of lint generated in a drying cycle. The remaining 20 to 25 percent passes the trap and accumulates inside the duct run over time. A clean lint trap and a blocked vent can coexist in the same appliance – and often do. Trap cleaning takes 10 seconds. Vent cleaning requires rotary brush equipment, a negative-pressure collection system, and a camera verification pass. Call (346) 248-1474 to get a written price for both the inspection and the cleaning in a single visit.
Can I clean the dryer vent myself?
You can clean the first few feet of the duct from the dryer connection using a consumer brush kit, and for very short, straight runs with a single elbow, that may be adequate. For the duct configurations common in The Woodlands – runs of 15 to 35 feet with multiple elbows, often terminating at a roofline – consumer kits do not reach the full run, cannot negotiate elbows reliably, and have no mechanism for capturing dislodged debris rather than pushing it further into the duct. Partial cleaning can also dislodge a consolidated lint block and redeposit it at an elbow where it compresses even tighter. Roof-termination work also involves height and ladder access that carries its own safety risk. A professional cleaning includes camera verification that the full run is clear – something a consumer kit cannot provide. If you have already tried a DIY cleaning and airflow still feels restricted, call (346) 248-1474 for a camera inspection and written assessment.
Why CleanRun Does This Work Differently
Most of the vent cleaning companies operating in The Woodlands sell a visit. CleanRun sells a documented result. Those are different things, and the difference shows up in writing before the job starts and in photographs when it finishes.
Tomas Reyes has operated CleanRun under the Haven Standard since 2013 specifically because the duct cleaning industry has a long history of selling work that cannot be verified. A technician says the vent is clean. The customer has no way to confirm that. Twelve months later, drying times are still slow and nobody is accountable. The 365-Day Done Right Promise exists to close that accountability gap: if the work is not right, CleanRun makes it right, and the written guarantee travels with the job record.
The equipment matters too. Rotobrush rotary brush systems and Nikro negative-pressure collection units are trade-recognized tools that work differently from the extended shop-vac setups common at the budget end of the market. Customers can look both brands up independently before agreeing to a price. That is the point.
CleanRun is independently owned and operated, and has served more than 52,000 homes since 2013 – every one with a written price before work started and a photo record when the crew left. The same applies to the next job scheduled in The Woodlands.
This service sits within the broader scope of work detailed on the home page. Everything CleanRun does – air duct cleaning, dryer vent work, duct repair, sanitizing – follows the same documented process and the same written accountability.
To schedule vent cleaning in The Woodlands or get a written price before committing to anything, call (346) 248-1474. A live person will answer, take down the details of your vent configuration, and give you a price range before a technician even drives out. No estimate fees, no obligation until you sign the written scope.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning The Woodlands, serving The Woodlands since 2013.