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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Before
AfterVideo Inspection in Austin, TX
Duct video inspection in Austin typically runs $89-$175 as a standalone service, and the job is done the same day your technician arrives. A small camera travels the full length of each duct run – the individual sections of ductwork that carry conditioned air from your air handler to each register – and records what’s actually inside before any Air Duct Cleaning services or repair work is quoted.
That footage is the whole point. Most Austin homeowners who call CleanRun after a competitor visit tell us the same thing: the previous company described the problem but never showed them anything. At CleanRun, Tomas Reyes built the inspection process around one rule – the camera goes in first, the price comes second, and you see the footage before anyone picks up a tool. That’s not a sales pitch; it’s Haven Standard Clause 1, written into every job before we start.
If you’d like to schedule a video inspection or get a written price for your Austin home, call (737) 243-9544. A live person answers every call. You can also read about the broader Air Duct Cleaning in Austin service to understand how inspection fits into a full cleaning job.
When You Need Video Inspection
A visual check at the register grille tells you almost nothing about what’s happening 15 feet into the duct run. These are the situations where sending a camera in is the right call – and in Austin’s climate, several of them come up more than you’d expect.
- You’re buying or recently bought a home built before 2005. Older flex duct systems in Austin’s inner suburbs – Brentwood, Cherrywood, Crestview – commonly show liner collapse or disconnected sections that standard home inspectors miss. A camera run documents the actual condition before it becomes your problem to guess about.
- Your HVAC system is running longer cycles than it used to. When the system strains to reach setpoint, a collapsed or debris-blocked duct run is one of the first things to rule out. The camera shows whether airflow is being restricted and exactly where.
- You see or smell something at the registers. Musty odors, visible dark streaks on grille faces, or a dusty exhaust smell when the system kicks on are all signs that the interior of the duct run needs to be seen, not guessed at.
- Water got into the building – storm, plumbing, or roof. Austin’s periodic heavy rain events push moisture into crawl spaces and attic cavities where flex duct lives. Wet duct liner compresses, traps debris, and can host microbial growth. The camera documents whether the liner is still intact or needs to be replaced before a cleaning makes any sense.
- A previous cleaning company told you work was done but couldn’t show you anything. This happens. The inspection camera creates a timestamped before-and-after record. If work was done, you’ll see it. If it wasn’t, you’ll see that too.
- You’re planning a major HVAC upgrade or new system installation. Before you spend $6,000-$12,000 on new equipment, knowing the condition of your existing duct system is practical due diligence. We’ve found disconnected duct runs in Tarrytown homes that would have reduced a brand-new system’s efficiency by 30% or more if left unaddressed.
Our Video Inspection Process
The process is methodical and documented at every step. Here’s what happens from the time our technician arrives at your Austin home to the moment you receive your job record.
- Written scope and price before anything opens. Before a single panel comes off, your technician hands you a written price covering the full inspection scope – how many duct runs, which systems, any access limitations already visible. Haven Standard Clause 1 means there is no situation where we start work without a written price in your hand. The number you see is the number you pay.
- System mapping and access point identification. We trace your duct layout from the air handler (the indoor unit that moves air through the system) through the plenum (the central distribution box the duct runs branch off from) out to each register. In Austin homes with attic air handlers, this step includes a physical attic walk to confirm duct routing before the camera goes in.
- Camera insertion at each duct run. A flexible inspection camera – rated for the bend radius of residential flex duct – is fed from the register end toward the plenum. The camera records continuously and flags any obstruction, collapse point, disconnected joint, or debris accumulation the moment it appears on screen. You can watch the monitor in real time if you want to.
- Footage review and scope documentation. After the camera run, we review the footage with you on-site. Anything that warrants attention – a 2-inch debris build-up at a first elbow, a crushed liner section near a ceiling joist, a disconnected takeoff – is noted in plain language on the job record with the corresponding footage timestamp.
- Written findings and options. If the inspection reveals a need for cleaning, repair, or further work, you receive a written scope and price for that work before we do anything else. You’re never quoted over the phone based on what we found inside – the written scope comes from the actual camera footage.
- Documented photo record delivered to you. When the job closes, you receive a photo and footage record of every duct run inspected – before images, findings, and the written scope. This is a standard deliverable on every CleanRun job, not an add-on. It’s yours to keep, share with a second opinion, or file with your home records.
BeforeAfterVideo Inspection Pricing in Austin
Duct video inspection in Austin costs $89-$175 as a standalone service for a typical single-family home. The range exists because duct systems vary – number of runs, system configuration, and access complexity all affect how long the job takes. Here’s how it breaks down.
| Scope | Typical Price Range |
|---|---|
| Single system, up to 10 duct runs (1,200-1,800 sq ft home) | $89-$120 |
| Single system, 11-18 duct runs (1,800-2,800 sq ft home) | $120-$155 |
| Dual-system home or complex attic duct layout | $155-$175+ |
| Inspection bundled with full duct cleaning | Included – no separate charge |
A few things that affect where your job lands in that range: homes in Austin’s older neighborhoods like Hyde Park or South Congress often have mixed duct systems – part rigid sheet metal, part flex – that take longer to camera because of the different access points. Attic air handlers (common in newer construction in Pflugerville and Round Rock adjacent areas) add access time. Homes with two separate HVAC systems are quoted as two scopes.
When inspection is part of a full Air Duct Cleaning in Austin job, the camera work is included in the cleaning price – we don’t charge separately for something that’s part of how we verify the cleaning was done. The inspection footage is what produces the after photos that go into your job record.
If you’ve received a written estimate from another company, we’ll put our own number next to it in writing at no charge. That’s our Free Second Opinion, and it applies to duct inspection as much as any other service. Call (737) 243-9544 for a written price – it’s ready before anyone sets foot in your home.
What the price does not include
The inspection price covers camera access, footage review, on-site documentation, and your written photo record. If the camera finds something that warrants repair or cleaning, that work is quoted separately in writing before we touch anything. You’ll never receive a bill for work that wasn’t written on a scope you signed off on.
What the Camera Actually Finds in Austin Homes
Austin’s climate creates specific duct conditions that a camera catches before they become bigger problems. The combination of high summer humidity, frequent temperature cycling, and the prevalence of flex duct in homes built between 1990 and 2015 means the interior of a duct system here looks different from what you’d find in a drier market.
In Westlake Hills homes with attic air handlers, we regularly find liner compression at elbow points where flex duct was bent too sharply during installation – a condition that reduces airflow and goes undetected for years until the system starts short-cycling. In Rosedale and Travis Heights, older rigid duct systems show joint separation at the plenum takeoff (the point where each individual duct run connects to the central distribution box), sometimes leaving gaps of an inch or more that pull unconditioned attic air directly into the supply stream.
Debris accumulation patterns are also local. Austin’s cedar and oak pollen seasons leave visible deposits at the first elbow of supply runs in homes without a high-efficiency filtration system like an Aprilaire media filter. Construction dust from the volume of remodeling happening in East Austin neighborhoods shows up as layered pale gray deposits at return duct bends. Neither of those things is visible from the grille – you need the camera.
The footage doesn’t just diagnose problems. It also confirms when a duct system is in good shape. Some of the most useful inspection reports we deliver in Austin are the ones where the camera showed clean liner, intact joints, and no material build-up – and the customer got a written record saying so. That’s worth something when you’re weighing whether a Air Duct Cleaning Near Me in Austin, TX quote from a competitor makes sense.
How Video Inspection Connects to the Rest of a Duct Job
Inspection is the first step of any honest duct cleaning scope. Without it, a cleaning company is either guessing at what’s inside or selling a fixed service package regardless of what your specific system actually needs. CleanRun has used camera documentation as the starting point of every job since Tomas Reyes ran the first inspection in 2013 – across 52,000+ homes served, the process hasn’t changed because the logic hasn’t changed: document first, quote second, clean third.
After the camera run, if cleaning is warranted, the work uses negative-pressure extraction – a method where a high-powered vacuum unit creates a continuous draw through the duct system while agitation tools (Rotobrush rotary brushes and Nikro pneumatic tools, depending on duct type) break debris loose from the liner walls. The camera footage taken before cleaning determines which duct runs need full agitation and which are clear. That prevents unnecessary work and keeps your written price accurate.
If the inspection finds a disconnected joint or a collapsed liner section, that triggers a duct repair scope – quoted separately, in writing, before any repair work starts. The inspection footage is the evidence for that scope; there’s no ambiguity about what was found and where.
For homes where the inspection reveals air quality concerns – visible biological material in the duct liner or microbial residue at register faces – Abatement Technologies HEPA filtration equipment is part of the job setup for the cleaning phase, and that’s noted in the written scope before work begins.
FAQs – Video Inspection in Austin
How much does duct video inspection cost in Austin?
Duct video inspection in Austin costs $89-$175 for most single-family homes, depending on system size and access complexity. Dual-system homes or complex attic duct layouts sit at the higher end of that range. When inspection is part of a full duct cleaning job, there’s no separate inspection charge – it’s included. Call (737) 243-9544 for a written price specific to your home’s duct configuration.
Can you see the camera footage while the inspection is happening?
Yes. The monitor is visible to you in real time as the camera moves through each duct run. You don’t have to wait for a report or take anyone’s word for what’s inside – you see the same image the technician sees. A timestamped footage record and written findings summary are included in your job documentation at close.
What if the inspection finds something that needs repair or cleaning?
Any work beyond the inspection itself is quoted in a separate written scope before we do anything. The inspection footage is the evidence for that quote – you can see exactly what was found and where. You’re under no obligation to book additional work with CleanRun, and you’re welcome to use our inspection footage and written findings to get a second opinion elsewhere. Our own Free Second Opinion applies in reverse: bring a competitor’s written quote and we’ll put our number next to it.
Is duct video inspection worth it if the house is newer construction?
Often, yes – and the reason is specific to Austin. New construction in Austin and its northern suburbs frequently uses flex duct installed by subcontractors working fast. Installation shortcuts – excess liner compression at bends, unsecured joints at plenum takeoffs, insufficient support spacing – don’t show up on a standard home inspection but they do show up on camera. We’ve found disconnected duct runs in homes less than three years old in Steiner Ranch and Mueller. The inspection price is a fraction of what a missed disconnected run costs in wasted energy over a year. Call (737) 243-9544 to schedule.
Key Takeaways
- Video inspection in Austin runs $89-$175 standalone; included at no extra charge with a full duct cleaning job.
- The camera goes in before any price for additional work is quoted – that sequence is non-negotiable under Haven Standard Clause 1.
- You watch the footage in real time and receive a written photo record as a standard deliverable.
- Austin’s climate and construction patterns produce specific duct conditions – liner compression, joint separation, pollen accumulation – that only a camera confirms.
- If the inspection finds nothing that needs work, you get a written record saying so. That’s useful information too.
- Every job is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the work isn’t right, CleanRun makes it right, in writing.
Schedule Your Duct Video Inspection in Austin
If you want to know what’s actually inside your duct system – not a description, not an estimate based on home age, but footage – call (737) 243-9544. A live person will answer, take your address, and give you a written price before your appointment is confirmed. We serve homeowners across Austin and its inner suburbs, from Brentwood and Tarrytown to Mueller and Westlake Hills. The home page has the full picture of what CleanRun does and how every job is structured.
The inspection takes one visit. The written record it produces is yours to keep.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Austin, serving Austin since 2013.