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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFull System Cleaning in Katy, TX
Full system cleaning covers every component air passes through before it reaches your living space: supply and return duct runs, the main trunk lines, the air handler, the blower assembly, evaporator coil housing, and all accessible registers and grilles. In Katy, where homes run their HVAC systems nine months out of the year and the humidity rarely lets up, that full circuit collects debris faster than most homeowners expect. A single-point cleaning – shop-vac at the vents, nothing else – leaves the rest of the system untouched and typically redistributes what it doesn’t remove.
At CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Katy, a full system cleaning is exactly what the name says: every run photographed before we start, negative-pressure extraction applied to the entire duct network, and a documented photo record delivered when we leave. Tomas Reyes built the process around that standard in 2013, and it hasn’t changed since. If you’d like a written price before committing to anything, call (346) 666-7165 – a live person answers every call, and a quote is ready before any panel comes off. You can also read about everything included under our Air Duct Cleaning in Katy service page.
When You Need Full System Cleaning
Not every home is at the same point in the cycle. These are the situations where a partial cleaning won’t be enough and a full Air Duct Cleaning is the right call:
- You’ve never had the ducts cleaned since moving in. Katy’s new-construction boom left a lot of homes with drywall dust, insulation fibers, and construction debris locked inside duct runs from the day the HVAC was commissioned. If you bought between 2015 and 2023 and have no documentation of a prior cleaning, assume the system hasn’t been done.
- You’re seeing uneven airflow between rooms. When the master bedroom in a two-story Cinco Ranch home stays 4 to 6 degrees warmer than the downstairs common area, the duct runs – not just the thermostat setting – are usually part of the problem. Debris build-up at elbows and transitions restricts airflow and throws the whole distribution off balance.
- Your filters are loading up faster than the manufacturer’s schedule. A filter rated for 90 days that needs replacement at 30 is a signal that particulate load inside the system is higher than normal. Cleaning the source – not just swapping the filter – is what actually changes the interval.
- There’s been a water intrusion event or visible mold at a register. Katy’s combination of high humidity and active storm seasons (Memorial Day 2015 and Harvey in 2017 are still relevant reference points for a lot of local homes) created moisture conditions inside ductwork that don’t resolve on their own. Surface cleaning one register without addressing the full system leaves the contamination in place.
- A pet or rodent has accessed the ductwork. In older subdivisions west of Mason Road, animal intrusion through disconnected flex runs is more common than most homeowners realize. When this happens, the debris isn’t just dust – it includes dander, waste, and nesting material distributed across multiple runs.
- You’ve completed a renovation that involved cutting into walls or ceilings. Remodels in Grand Lakes, Cross Creek Ranch, and Falcon Point regularly send fine particulate – joint compound, insulation fragments, tile dust – directly into return air paths. The system pulls it in during the work and the residue stays until it’s mechanically extracted.
Our Full System Cleaning Process
The following sequence applies to every full system cleaning CleanRun performs in Katy. Steps don’t get skipped to save time, and nothing changes after the price is set.
- Pre-work inspection and documentation. Before a tool comes out of the truck, we photograph the interior of every accessible duct run and the condition of registers, grilles, and the air handler cabinet. These are the “before” images that become part of your documented photo record. We also note any visible disconnects, tears in flex duct, or signs of prior water damage – findings that affect scope and price. If anything changes the written price, we stop and discuss it before continuing. That’s Haven Standard Clause 1: written price before any work starts, no exceptions.
- System isolation and negative-pressure setup. We connect a commercial-grade negative-pressure unit – typically a Nikro or equivalent high-CFM extraction system – to the main trunk, creating a controlled vacuum across the entire duct network. Negative-pressure extraction means debris moves toward the collection equipment, not back into your living space. All registers are sealed during this phase so the pressure differential works where it’s needed.
- Mechanical agitation of each supply and return run. With the system under negative pressure, we work through each supply and return run individually using Rotobrush rotary brush tooling. The rotating brush breaks loose debris that’s adhered to duct walls – the type that a shop-vac pulling at an open register simply cannot dislodge. In Katy homes with long flex duct runs (common in single-story 2,500-plus square foot builds in Kelliwood and Nottingham Country), this step takes longer and requires careful tension management to avoid stretching the flex liner.
- Air handler, blower, and coil housing cleaning. The air handler compartment – blower wheel, motor housing, and evaporator coil face – is cleaned separately from the duct runs. The blower wheel in particular collects a sticky layer of fine particulate that reduces airflow efficiency over time. We clean to the accessible face of the evaporator coil; any coil cleaning that requires refrigerant-side work is noted in the job record and referred to a licensed HVAC contractor.
- Register and grille cleaning. Each supply and return register is removed, cleaned off-unit, and reinstalled. Registers in Katy homes near the Barker Reservoir area often show a fine oxidation layer from the combination of humidity and age – cleaning restores airflow geometry at the diffuser and gives a visible result the homeowner can check immediately.
- Post-work verification and photo record delivery. After the system is restored to normal operation, we re-photograph the interior of the same duct runs captured before work began. The before-and-after photo set is delivered to you as a standard job deliverable – not offered as an add-on, not withheld. This is the record that makes the 365-Day Done Right Promise meaningful: if a question comes up about what was done and when, the photos answer it.
BeforeAfterFull System Cleaning Pricing in Katy
Full system cleaning in Katy is priced based on the number of residential duct supply and return runs, the size of the air handler system, and the condition of the ductwork at the time of inspection. Homes under roughly 2,000 square feet with a single air handler typically fall at the lower end of the range; larger two-story homes in Firethorne or Cross Creek Ranch with two air handlers and 20-plus runs fall toward the upper end. We do not price by the square foot because square footage doesn’t tell you how many runs the system actually has.
| Scope | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Single-story, 1 air handler, up to 12 runs | $299 – $449 |
| Single-story, 1 air handler, 13-20 runs | $449 – $599 |
| Two-story, 2 air handlers, up to 20 runs per unit | $599 – $949 |
| Post-renovation or heavy contamination, any size | Add $75 – $200 depending on findings |
| Sanitizing treatment (optional, quoted separately) | $99 – $175 |
Every price above is a written number, not a starting point for negotiation after we’re already inside your home. If a technician finds something during the pre-work inspection that changes the scope – a disconnected run, heavy biological contamination, or a collapsed flex section – you get a revised written price before any additional work begins. If you have a competitor’s written estimate, we’ll put our number next to it in writing at no charge. That’s the Free Second Opinion, and it has no strings attached.
To get your written quote for a Katy home, call (346) 666-7165. Estimates are free, and you’ll have a written number before we schedule.
What the 365-Day Done Right Promise Covers
Every full system cleaning CleanRun performs in Katy is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the work isn’t right, we make it right. That’s in writing on the job record, not a verbal assurance that disappears after the truck pulls away. The promise covers the work performed – the duct runs cleaned, the air handler components addressed, the registers reinstalled. It does not cover new contamination events, mechanical failures unrelated to the cleaning, or damage caused by ductwork conditions that existed before the job started but were documented in the pre-work inspection photos.
The distinction matters. A company that offers a vague “satisfaction guarantee” with no documentation to support it is offering something that can’t be enforced. The photo record is what makes the 365-Day Promise enforceable: if you have a question six months after the job about what was done, we open the before-and-after record together and look at the same evidence.
Equipment Used on Full System Cleanings
CleanRun uses professional-grade extraction and agitation equipment on every full system cleaning. The Rotobrush rotary brush system is the industry standard for mechanical agitation of duct liner surfaces; it’s why the debris that’s adhered to duct walls actually gets removed instead of relocated. Nikro negative-pressure extraction units provide the CFM required to move debris through a full duct circuit without re-entraining it into living space air. Honeywell filtration products are referenced during post-cleaning filter upgrade consultations, when applicable, based on system compatibility.
We name the equipment because you can look it up. That’s the point. A company running a shop-vac and a leaf blower through your duct system won’t name its equipment, because the names wouldn’t mean anything.
Katy-Specific Conditions That Affect Full System Cleaning
Katy sits in a humid subtropical corridor where the HVAC system runs nearly continuously from April through October and well into November in warm years. That operating schedule – combined with the clay soil expansion and contraction that causes flex duct connections to shift over time in subdivisions built on Katy prairie land – creates conditions that accelerate debris accumulation and increase the likelihood of partial duct disconnects.
In the older sections of Katy near downtown and along Fry Road, homes built in the late 1980s and 1990s often have ductboard plenums (rigid fiberglass board used to fabricate the central supply plenum – the main distribution box the supply runs branch off from) rather than sheet metal. Ductboard absorbs moisture and can develop surface degradation that standard cleaning has to account for. If we find that condition during pre-work inspection, it’s in the photo record and the written scope before any work starts.
Newer construction in master-planned communities like Cinco Ranch, Firethorne, and Elyson tends to have longer flex duct runs to reach distant rooms from a centrally located air handler. Longer runs mean more surface area, more debris contact time, and more opportunities for debris to settle at low points in the duct path. These homes aren’t harder to clean, but they take longer – which is why run count matters more than square footage when we’re pricing the job.
Key Takeaways
- Full system cleaning addresses every component in the air path, not just the registers you can see from the floor.
- Every CleanRun job in Katy starts with a written price (Haven Standard Clause 1) and ends with before-and-after photos of each duct run – both are standard, not upgrades.
- Pricing in Katy typically runs $299-$949 depending on system size and run count, with any scope changes requiring a revised written price before work continues.
- The 365-Day Done Right Promise is backed by the photo record, not by a manager’s discretion.
- Katy’s climate, construction era, and ductwork materials (flex in newer builds, ductboard in older ones) all affect how a full system cleaning is scoped and priced.
- Equipment includes Rotobrush rotary brush tooling and Nikro negative-pressure extraction – both verifiable, both named before you agree to anything.
FAQs – Full System Cleaning in Katy
How is full system cleaning different from a standard duct cleaning?
Full system cleaning covers every component air passes through – supply runs, return runs, trunk lines, the air handler cabinet, blower assembly, and all registers – while a standard or basic duct cleaning often addresses only the accessible supply registers with a shop-vac or low-CFM extraction tool. The difference isn’t in the name; it’s in whether the air handler and negative-pressure extraction are part of the job. CleanRun’s full system cleaning always includes both, and the pre-work and post-work photos show exactly what was addressed. Call (346) 666-7165 for a written breakdown of exactly what’s included in your Katy home’s quote.
How much does full system cleaning cost in Katy?
Full system cleaning in Katy typically runs $299 to $949, depending on the number of duct runs and whether the home has one or two air handlers. Single-story homes under 2,000 square feet with one air handler and up to 12 runs generally fall in the $299-$449 range; larger two-story homes with two air handlers and 20-plus runs per unit sit closer to the upper end. Post-renovation jobs or systems with heavy contamination add $75-$200 to the base price, quoted in writing before work begins. Call (346) 666-7165 for a written price specific to your home – no estimates over the phone without an inspection, and no surprises after we arrive.
How long does a full system cleaning take in a typical Katy home?
Most single-story Katy homes with one air handler and 10 to 14 runs take 3 to 4 hours from pre-work inspection to final photo documentation. Two-story homes with dual systems typically run 5 to 7 hours. Homes with heavy contamination, disconnected flex runs found during inspection, or post-renovation debris loads take longer – and if the inspection reveals something that changes the timeline significantly, we discuss it before continuing. We don’t rush a job to fit a schedule, and we don’t leave before the photo record is complete.
Will full system cleaning fix my uneven airflow problem?
Full system cleaning resolves uneven airflow when debris build-up is the primary cause – and in Katy homes with longer flex runs, it often is. If cleaning restores proper airflow geometry through each run, balanced distribution follows. However, if the imbalance is caused by undersized duct runs, disconnected flex sections, or HVAC equipment that’s the wrong capacity for the home, cleaning won’t fix those issues on its own. Our pre-work inspection documents what’s in the ductwork, and if we find a mechanical or design issue that cleaning won’t resolve, we say so in writing before charging you for the job. Call (346) 666-7165 to schedule an inspection with a written price before any work begins.
Contact CleanRun for a Written Quote
If you’re ready to get a written price for a full system cleaning at your Katy home, call (346) 666-7165. A live person answers every call, and Tomas Reyes and the CleanRun team have documented more than 52,000 jobs since 2013 – every one with a written price before work started and a photo record when the crew left. There’s no quote by approximation, no price that changes after we’re inside, and no job closed without the before-and-after documentation in your hands. If you’d like to learn more about what CleanRun covers across the full range of duct services, visit our home page. We serve homeowners across Katy and the surrounding area with the same written standard on every job.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Katy, serving Katy.