What do dryer vent cleaners charge?
A standard dryer vent cleaning, where the technician pulls the dryer, cleans the transition duct and the full run to the exterior with a rotary brush and vacuum, then tests airflow, is priced as a flat rate of about $100 to $200 in most markets, with roof terminations and blockages pushing a job to $300 or more.
The published cost guides land in two clusters. Fixr’s dryer vent cleaning cost guide reports $100 to $200 with a national average of $150 for a moderately clogged first-floor vent, a low of $80 for a duct of 15 feet or less, and up to $350 to inspect, clear a blockage and clean a roof vent. Bob Vila, citing Angi and HomeAdvisor, gives $102 to $179 with a $139 average. Thumbtack’s dryer vent cleaning page runs higher: a typical range of $186 to $510, most people paying about $307, with a low of $94 and a high of $1,074. Thumbtack’s data comes from quotes on its platform, where many pros bundle inspections, parts and repairs into the number.
| Job | Fixr reported range | Bob Vila reported range |
|---|---|---|
| Basement or first-floor vent | $100 to $175 | $80 to $150 |
| Second-floor vent | $125 to $200 | $110 to $185 |
| Roof termination | $150 to $300 | about $130 on average |
| Clogged vent | $100 to $200 | $100 to $200 |
| Wet lint | $100 to $300 | $100 to $300 |
| Bird nest removal | $150 to $400 | $150 to $400 |
| Bird guard or cover installed | n/a | $30 to $100 |
| Reroute or new vent | n/a | $200 to $500 |
The two sets of numbers agree on the shape: a cheap, fast standard job, and a surcharge ladder for access and problems. Your price list should look the same.
Should you charge a flat rate or by the hour?
Charge a flat rate for the standard job and flat surcharges for the known complications. Dryer vent work is short, repeatable and easy to describe, which is exactly where hourly pricing hurts you: a fast technician earns less, and a customer who hears “$120 an hour” for a 40-minute job feels overcharged.
Fixr notes that most of the market already prices this way, as a flat fee based on where the vent is and whether there are additional problems, and that technicians who do charge hourly bill $90 to $160 per hour, covering about 15 feet of duct per hour. That works out to $6 to $11 per foot, which is a useful internal check for long runs even if you never show a per-foot price to the customer.
Build the flat rate from your time
Time ten jobs. A standard first-floor vent, including pulling and reconnecting the dryer, usually fits in 45 to 60 minutes on site. Then do the math once:
- Loaded technician cost per hour (wage plus payroll taxes and workers’ comp).
- On-site minutes plus average drive minutes between jobs.
- Vehicle, fuel, brush wear, vacuum filters and the odd roll of foil tape, averaged per job.
- Direct cost ÷ (1 − overhead share − profit share) = price. Round up to the nearest $5.
The dryer vent cleaning business guide walks through that calculation with a 60-minute job, a $25 per hour tech and $15 of supplies, and lands at about $101 before add-ons. The same guide covers equipment, certification and where the repeat work comes from; this page stays on the price list.
What moves dryer vent cleaning prices: the five surcharges
Roof terminations, long or multi-story runs, nests, wet lint blockages and replacement parts are the five things that reliably add time or risk. List each one with a price so the customer agrees before you start, and so your technicians never have to negotiate at the dryer.
1. Roof terminations
Fixr prices roof vents at $150 to $300 per vent, because of the location, and notes they clog more often and are more exposed to the elements. For you, a roof vent means a ladder, fall protection and twice the setup. Charge a flat roof surcharge, and if the roof is steep or two stories up, quote it after a look rather than from a phone call.
2. Long runs and extra stories
Many residential runs are short; once a run gets long, brush sections, time and the chance of a hidden crushed spot all rise. Fixr’s $6 to $11 per foot figure is a fair internal guide: a 40-foot run on a second-floor laundry is a different job from a 10-foot run through the rim joist. State your included length (say, up to 25 feet) and the per-section or per-story add-on.
3. Bird and rodent nests
Nest removal is the most time-variable task on the list. The cost guides put it at $150 to $400. Price it as a flat surcharge with a pest guard offered as a part (Bob Vila lists $30 to $100 to install a bird cover). Check your state and local rules before removing an active nest; some birds are protected and a nest with eggs or chicks may have to wait.
4. Wet lint and compacted blockages
Wet lint means condensation, which usually means a long, uninsulated or sagging run. Fixr and Bob Vila both show $100 to $300 for this job. Charge a blockage surcharge and write down what you found: a customer who sees “45 feet of flex with two low spots” understands the reroute you are about to recommend.
5. Parts
Metal transition ducts, exterior hoods, bird guards, clamps and tape are cost plus markup, always quoted before installation. If the dryer has a plastic or foil transition duct, say so on the invoice even if the customer declines the replacement. Rerouting a vent is often work for a licensed mechanical contractor, with a permit, depending on where you work; Bob Vila lists $200 to $500 for a reroute or new vent, and you should only sell it if you are qualified and allowed to.
How should you price dryer vents bundled with duct cleaning?
Bundle at a discount of roughly a third to a half off your standalone rate, because the drive, the setup and the vacuum are already paid for by the duct job. Keep the roof and nest surcharges at full price, because they cost the same whether or not the ducts are being cleaned. The same discount works for a vent added to a chimney sweep; our guide to chimney sweep prices covers that side of the visit.
The cost guides show what customers expect. Thumbtack’s duct cleaning page lists an example of $65 for a dryer vent added to a duct job in Denver, while quoting a standalone average of $283 on the same page. The gap is the setup you are not repeating.
| Scenario (hypothetical price list) | Standalone | Added to a duct or chimney job |
|---|---|---|
| Standard vent, up to 25 feet, ground or first floor | $149 | $89 |
| Second-story laundry | $179 | $119 |
| Roof termination surcharge | +$95 | +$95 |
| Nest removal surcharge | +$75 | +$75 |
| Each additional dryer at the same address | $79 | $59 |
The same logic applies to apartment buildings and townhome rows: quote per unit with a volume rate (say 20 or more units on one visit), since each dryer is a few steps from the last. Those contracts are where the dryer vent business guide says the steady volume lives, and the commercial cleaning prices page shows how to present a per-unit bid to a property manager.
A dryer vent cleaning price list you can publish
Publish one base price, three or four surcharges and a yearly plan price. Keep the list short enough to fit on a door hanger, and make the base job description specific so the $69 coupon companies cannot claim to sell the same thing.
Sample price list (hypothetical numbers)
| Service | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard dryer vent cleaning | $149 | Pull and reconnect dryer, clean transition duct and full run up to 25 feet, clean exterior hood, airflow test before and after, photos |
| Second-story or run over 25 feet | +$30 | Extra brush sections and time |
| Roof termination | +$95 | Ladder and fall protection setup, roof cap cleaned |
| Nest or blockage removal | +$75 | Clearing, bagging and disposal; pest guard quoted separately |
| Metal transition duct installed | $45 | Semi-rigid metal duct, clamps, foil tape |
| Bird guard installed | $39 to $69 | Part plus fitting, depending on hood type |
| Yearly plan | $129 per year | Standard cleaning each year, reminder sent, surcharges still apply |
The yearly plan is the line that builds the business. The U.S. Fire Administration’s basement and garage fire safety page tells homeowners to clean lint filters every load and to clean the dryer vent ductwork every year. That is a government recommendation you can print on the invoice, and a reason to send a reminder twelve months after every job. The dryer vent business guide has the federal fire statistics behind it.
A worked dryer vent quote (hypothetical numbers)
A two-story colonial with the laundry on the second floor, a 32-foot run to a roof cap, a dryer that takes two cycles to dry towels, and an owner who has never had it cleaned. Built from the sample price list above.
| Line | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard dryer vent cleaning | $149 |
| Second story and run over 25 feet | $30 |
| Roof termination | $95 |
| Replace foil transition duct with semi-rigid metal | $45 |
| If a nest is found at the cap (quoted now, charged only if needed) | $75 |
| Total without the conditional line | $319 |
That is inside Thumbtack’s typical range and just under Fixr’s $350 high end for a roof vent with a blockage, which is where a job like this should sit. Expect about 90 minutes on site with the roof work. On the quote, include the airflow readings you will take before and after, so the customer gets proof instead of a promise.
How to present it
- Lead with the safety reason in one line, with the USFA recommendation, and stop there. Fear-selling reads like the coupon companies.
- Show the conditional nest line as conditional. Customers accept a surprise they were warned about.
- Offer the yearly plan on the same quote at the standard price, with the surcharge for the roof noted as recurring.
- Mention your credential if you have one. CSIA calls its Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician (CDET) the only nationally recognized credential for dryer vent cleaning, offers it through a three-day workshop or a one-day review plus exam, and lists a $100 fee for renewing online. Add the cost to overhead and the badge to the quote.
The cleaning estimate template has a layout for this, and the cleaning quote software page describes how Broombook sends the quote, books the job and schedules the twelve-month reminder. For the homeowner-facing version of the job, see how to clean a dryer vent: knowing what a customer has already tried tells you which surcharges to expect.