How Much Does Dryer Vent Cleaning Cost?

The dryer is an underappreciated appliance in just about every household. Instead of waiting around for hours for your clothes to dry, your dryer can get them ready for storage relatively quickly. You always need a functioning dryer in your household and the vent attached to it must be in good shape too.

Regularly cleaning that vent is important if you want access to your dryer throughout the year. Neglecting that form of maintenance will lead to the dryer clogging and it may even sustain some damage. If your schedule is already packed, you can entrust the task of dryer vent cleaning to the professionals.

Homeowners can expect to pay an average of $250 for professional dryer vent cleaning. The exact amount you’ll have to pay will change based on the kind of cleaning needed and the company you’re hiring. You can also purchase a DIY cleaning kit and work on the dryer yourself. A DIY dryer vent cleaning kit costs an average of $50.

Going without a dryer even for a short while can be very inconvenient. That’s why cleaning your dryer vent should become a regular part of your home maintenance routine. Learn how much cleaning your dryer vent will cost by continuing with the rest of this article.

If you’ve been using your dryer more often recently, it may get loaded up with lint and other debris faster. You may suspect that your dryer vent is clogged, but you’re not completely sure. In that case, you can pay $45 for a professional dryer vent inspection.

Some companies will waive the inspection if you’re also getting the dryer vent cleaned. Feel free to take advantage of that offer if it’s presented to you.

During the inspection, the professionals will be checking two things. First, they will check the dirt buildup inside the vent and determine if cleaning is necessary. Dryer vents will not perform well if they’re already loaded with dirt and debris.

They will also check if the dryer vent remains safe to use or if it must be replaced after sustaining serious damage. Using a damaged vent is too risky so replace it if necessary.

Regular inspections are crucial to maintaining your dryer and the vent attached to it. At a minimum, the dryer vent must be inspected once per year. Bump that up to two times per year if you use the dryer often.

Paying for professional dryer vent cleaning is a good choice if you don’t have a lot of time to spare. It also ensures that your dryer vent will not be damaged while cleaning. On average, you’ll have to pay $250 if you want your dryer vent cleaned by the professionals.

The cost of cleaning the dryer vent can change significantly based on what the professionals have to remove. Professionals won’t charge much if you’re just asking them to remove lint and debris.

The accumulation of lint and debris may have caused a blockage inside the dryer vent. The professionals will remove the blockage so the vent can start dumping the air outside again. The job is fairly straightforward at that point so the professionals won’t charge extra.

Adding wet lint to the mix will affect your labor costs. Wet lint is messy and it can also be troublesome to remove properly. You can expect the professionals to charge you more if you have a significant amount of lint buildup in your dryer buildup.

The highest charges are reserved for those times when there are unexpected items inside the dryer vent. Examples of unexpected items we’re talking about here may include bits and pieces of animal nests.

Sometimes, the cleaners may even find living animals still residing in dryer vents. Understandably, cleaning the dryer vent becomes more complicated in that scenario. You’ll have to pay more to fairly compensate the workers.

Numerous companies throughout the country can handle the dryer vent cleaning for you. How much you’ll have to pay for that service will depend in large part on which company you decided to hire.

AdvantaClean offers their services for a relatively low price. They charge an average of $160 for dryer vent cleaning so they work as a budget option.

Dryer Vent Wizard is one of the better-known companies in this field. The average cost of dryer vent cleaning if you’re hiring them is $170. You can also hire the aforementioned company if your dryer vent needs to be repaired.

You can also hire cleaners from Sears if you want to properly maintain your dryer vent. They charge $180 for their cleaning services. If you don’t have a lot of cleaning services in your area, Sears may be your best bet.

Last up is COIT Services and they charge an average of $250 for dryer vent cleaning. They tend to charge more because they use the newest pieces of cleaning equipment.

Most of the time, where you live will affect how you’ll have to pay for professional services. That’s still the case for dryer vent cleaning.

The cost of living in your area should clue you in to how much you’ll have to pay for dryer vent cleaning. Generally, folks who live in places with a higher than average cost of living will have to pay more for cleaning services.

Competition is also going to affect your final bill. Hopefully, there are plenty of cleaning services in your area so the prices are more competitive.

What kind of dryer vent you have installed? Your answer to that question will matter when it comes time for you to pay for professional cleaning.

The professionals often charge more if you have a long dryer vent. That’s because they will have to work longer to remove all the debris inside that vent.

Some types of dryer vents are also harder to clean. The workers will have to be more careful while cleaning them to prevent damage. They will also charge more to perform that kind of service.

Maintaining your dryer vent is important not just for the sake of keeping the dryer in working order. You should also do it because it could reduce your maintenance costs.

By failing to clean your dryer vent regularly, you’re leaving a bigger mess in there for the professionals. They will charge you more because they will have to work longer to clean the dryer vent thoroughly.

Furthermore, cleaning the dryer vent regularly also protects it from potential damage. Instead of paying for expensive repair bills, you can just clean the dryer vent regularly and keep costs down.

Hiring professional cleaners to work on your dryer vent is the most convenient option, but it’s also costly. If you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on dryer vent cleaning, you can handle the job yourself. You’ll need a DIY dryer vent cleaning kit to tackle this project and that costs an average of $50.

There are DIY dryer vent cleaning kits that are sold for just $20, but they may lack important components. You may not be able to use them unless you have certain tools already.

To get a fully stocked cleaning kit with sturdy pieces, you’ll have to spend $75. Paying extra is worth it to make this project easier.

Most of the DIY cleaning kits available today include a long brush line. You’ll be using that to gently clean the walls of the dryer vent. Special vacuum hose attachments may also be included so you can dislodge the debris.

Check out the length of the cleaning items included in the kit. Make sure that they are long enough to reach through the vent.

Unfortunately, many of those DIY kits are not suitable for cleaning vents with curves. You’ll have to enlist the help of a professional to clean out those vents.

Dryer vents are far from delicate items, but they are still susceptible to damage. Handle a dryer vent improperly or use the wrong techniques while cleaning it and it may no longer be usable. You’ll have to get a replacement dryer vent in that case and doing so will cost you $130.

To break down the costs further, $30 of the $130 you’re spending will go toward purchasing the replacement vent. $30 is the standard price for a replacement dryer vent.

An additional $20 will go toward the purchase of a vent kit. That vent kit contains the pieces needed to complete the installation.

If you’re handling the job yourself, you’ll only have to spend $50 total on the vent and the vent kit. Hiring a professional to install the replacement dryer vent will cost you an additional $80.

Related Questions

How Often Should a Dryer Vent Be Cleaned?

At a minimum, you should get your dryer vent cleaned at least once per year. That’s enough to keep your cleaning and utility bills low. Cleaning the dryer vent two times per year is better if you have a large family.

How Do You Get Lint Out of Your Exterior Dryer Vent?

Use a lint-trapping cover if you want to easily remove lint from your exterior dryer vent. The cover will capture the lint as the vent pushes it out. You can then remove the cover and pick the lint out of it.

Can You Paint Over Dryer Vents?

Painting a dryer vent is possible, but you have to select the right type of paint. To be more specific, you need to apply high-heat paint if you want it to last. Other types of paint may just melt due to how hot the dryer vent tends to get.