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.
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AfterVideo Inspection in San Francisco, CA
Video inspection for air ducts in San Francisco typically costs between $95 and $250 when booked as a standalone service, and takes about 45 to 90 minutes depending on home size. It’s how we get an honest look inside your ductwork before recommending any cleaning or repair work. If you’ve been told you need duct cleaning but want to see the evidence first, call Linden Air Duct San Francisco at (951) 527-6259 and we’ll walk you through the process.
We’re an air duct specialist in San Francisco that puts a camera inside your ducts so you’re not taking anyone’s word for what’s in there. This page covers exactly what video inspection is, when it makes sense, how we do it, and what you should expect to pay. It also explains why we believe you should never pay for Air Duct Cleaning in San Francisco without seeing the inside of your system first.
Why Homeowners in San Francisco Ask for Video Inspection
San Francisco homes aren’t like houses in the suburbs. Our typical duct run snakes through a 1920s Edwardian or a 1950s Sunset District box, often with retrofits layered on top of retrofits. That means what’s inside the ducts is anyone’s guess until someone actually looks. Video inspection takes the guesswork out.
Most people call us for one of a few reasons. Sometimes they’ve been quoted for a full duct cleaning by another company and want a second look before spending what duct cleaning costs in San Francisco. Sometimes they smell something they can’t place when the furnace kicks on. Sometimes they just bought a house and want to know what’s living in the vents before their kids breathe it all winter.
Whatever brings you to this page, the point is the same: you deserve to see what we see. We don’t ask you to trust a summary. We show you footage.
When You Need Video Inspection
Not every duct problem requires a camera. But these situations almost always do:
- You smell musty or stale air when the heat or AC runs. In San Francisco’s fog belt (Richmond, Sunset, Parkside), duct interiors stay damp longer than anywhere else in the city, and mold loves that. A camera tells us if what you’re smelling is surface dust or something worse.
- You bought an older home and nobody can tell you the last time the ducts were touched. Victorians in the Mission, Noe Valley, and Pacific Heights often have original duct runs from the 1930s or earlier. We regularly find disconnected joints, dead rodents, and construction debris from renovations those walls have seen.
- You or a family member has unexplained allergy symptoms indoors. If symptoms ease when you leave the house and return when you’re home, the ducts are a reasonable place to look. Video shows us whether there’s a legitimate buildup of allergens, dust, or pet dander.
- You were quoted a high price for duct cleaning and want proof of need. A line item that says “heavy contamination” is easy to write and easy to charge for. We’d rather show you the footage and let you decide with your own eyes.
- You suspect a rodent or pest issue in the ducting. We see this in neighborhoods with older homes and mature trees, like Glen Park, West Portal, and the Richmond. Droppings, nesting material, and chewed flex duct are all visible on camera.
- You want before-and-after documentation. If you’re having ducts cleaned, a video record before the job and after gives you written and visual proof the work was actually done. We provide that on every cleaning where video inspection is part of the job.
Our Video Inspection Process
We keep the inspection methodical and the camera footage easy to understand. Here’s how it works when we arrive at your San Francisco home:
- We start by understanding what you’ve noticed. Before we open a single register, we want to know what you smell, hear, or suspect. That guides where we point the camera first.
- We find the main trunk line and key branch runs. In San Francisco homes, access often means working around basement or crawl space constraints. We cut a small access point only when no existing opening is available, and we seal it properly when we’re finished.
- We run a high-resolution inspection camera through the main ducts. This is a push camera with an LED light head, not a homeowner-grade borescope. It’s on a semi-rigid cable that lets us steer through elbows and drops to reach the full run.
- You watch the live feed with us. We don’t disappear into a utility closet and come back with a verdict. You see the footage in real time, on our screen, as the camera moves. If you can’t be there in person, we can record the full inspection and walk you through it over the phone.
- We flag what actually matters. Dust accumulation, mold growth, rust, debris, disconnected joints, pest evidence, blocked returns, collapsed flex duct. We separate what’s cosmetic from what’s costing you air quality or airflow.
- We give you a written summary and our recommendation. If cleaning is needed, you’ll know exactly why, and you’ll see the footage that justifies it. If cleaning isn’t needed, we’ll tell you that too, and you’ll owe us nothing beyond the inspection fee.
We use professional-grade camera equipment designed for duct work. The same care we apply to our Air Duct Cleaning work carries over to every inspection, from camera prep to post-inspection sealing.
Video Inspection Pricing in San Francisco
Here’s the straightforward picture on air duct cleaning cost. Standalone video inspection in San Francisco runs between $95 and $250 for most homes, depending on square footage, number of duct runs, and access difficulty.
| Inspection Scenario | Typical Price Range in San Francisco |
|---|---|
| Basic single-zone inspection (1 system, up to 1,800 sq ft) | $95 – $140 |
| Standard inspection (1 system, 1,800 – 3,000 sq ft, multiple trunk runs) | $140 – $190 |
| Larger or multi-story homes, complex duct layouts | $190 – $250 |
| Video inspection added to a full duct cleaning | $49 – $95 (added to cleaning price) |
What drives the range? The number of returns and supply runs we need to access, whether we’re working from a cramped basement or a tight crawl space, and how many access points already exist. Homes in the Richmond and Sunset with forced-air systems in a short crawl often need an extra access cut. Homes with a full basement in Noe Valley or Bernal Heights may take half the time.
One thing we never do: quote you a low inspection price and then manufacture a cleaning bill on the other side of it. Our inspection findings are yours to keep, whether or not you hire us for anything else.
If you book a duct cleaning with us and video inspection is part of that job, we include the footage at no added cost in many cases. Call (951) 527-6259 and tell us about your home. We’ll give you an exact number before we step through the door.
What We Look For (And What We Hope You Never See)
Video inspection reveals the plumbing of your indoor air. Here’s the straightforward list of what we document:
- Dust and debris accumulation. On a 0 to 4 scale we use internally, most San Francisco homes fall somewhere between a 1 and a 3. A 4 means the duct is effectively loading the air every time the blower runs.
- Mold or microbial growth. The fog belt creates real moisture conditions inside ducts. If we see growth that looks like mold, we’ll tell you plainly, and we’ll recommend an Air Duct Cleaning or targeted treatment before it spreads.
- Disconnected or sagging duct joints. In older homes with hard-pipe ducting, it’s common to find a joint that has separated over decades of settling and seismic shifts. Disconnected ducts mean heated air is pumping into your attic or crawl space instead of your living room.
- Pest evidence. Rodent droppings, nesting material, and sometimes the animals themselves. This is more common in San Francisco than people want to believe, especially in neighborhoods with heavy tree canopy.
- Construction debris. Drywall dust, plaster chunks, paint chips, even abandoned tools. If your home was renovated at any point before you owned it, there’s a real chance the ducts were never cleaned afterward.
- Rusted sections or pinholes. In coastal zones like the Outer Sunset, salt air accelerates metal corrosion. Video shows us exactly where the weak points are.
Why Linden Air Duct San Francisco Does This Differently
We’re not the only company in San Francisco with an inspection camera. But we run our inspections the way we run every other visit: with the Threshold Standard in place.
Here’s what that means for you, in concrete terms. Before our technician arrives, we send you their name and photo. When they knock on your door, they’re in a clean, marked uniform and they’ll show you a photo ID badge before they step inside. That’s the Threshold Standard, and it applies to every inspection, every cleaning, and every repair we do in San Francisco.
Marcus Veale, the owner at Linden Air Duct San Francisco, has been clear about this from day one: if we’re asking you to let a stranger into your home, the least we can do is prove who that stranger is. That’s why we background-check and identity-verify every technician before they’re cleared to enter a customer’s home.
What Happens After the Inspection
You’ll get a written summary of what we saw, plus a copy of the footage if you want it. If we recommend a cleaning, we’ll put the price in writing before any work begins. That’s a standing policy at Linden Air Duct San Francisco, not a negotiation.
If we recommend a repair, we’ll explain what needs fixing, what it costs, and how long the repair is covered. Every air duct repair we perform is backed by a written guarantee, and if a covered repair fails, we come back at no charge. That’s not a temporary offer. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it’s been part of how we work since Marcus Veale started this location within the Threshold Group family.
FAQs – Video Inspection
How much does video inspection cost in San Francisco?
Video inspection for air ducts in San Francisco typically costs $95 to $250 as a standalone service, with most homes falling between $140 and $190. The price is put in writing before we start, and you’ll never see a surprise line item at the end. Call (951) 527-6259 for an exact quote on your home.
Is video inspection worth it before paying for duct cleaning?
Yes, especially if you’ve received a cleaning quote that’s north of $400, or if you’ve been told you have “heavy contamination” without seeing evidence. The camera footage tells you whether cleaning is genuinely needed, where the worst buildup is, and what you should expect after the job. You’re hiring us with your eyes open, and we prefer it that way.
Can you come today for a video inspection in San Francisco?
In most cases, we can schedule an inspection within 24 to 48 hours, and often same-day if you call early. Our phone is answered by a live person 24/7, so you’ll speak to a real human when you call (951) 527-6259, and we’ll get you on the schedule as fast as our current routing allows.
Do I get to see the video footage myself?
Yes. You can watch the live feed as we inspect, or we can record the full run and review it with you afterward. The footage is yours, whether or not you book any further work with us. We don’t bury the evidence.
What if the inspection shows my ducts are fine?
Then you’ll hear exactly that from us, and you’ll pay only the inspection fee. We won’t invent a reason to clean your ducts, and we won’t push a service you don’t need. Our reputation in San Francisco depends on telling you the truth when your ducts are actually in good shape.
Call Linden Air Duct San Francisco for a Straight Answer
If you want to know what’s actually inside your ducts, we’ll show you. We serve the entire city, from the Outer Richmond to Bayview and everywhere between. Call (951) 527-6259 and you’ll reach a live person, any time of day or night. We’ll give you a straight answer on cost, explain what the inspection covers, and get you scheduled.
Written by Marcus Veale, Owner at Linden Air Duct San Francisco, serving San Francisco.