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
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Before
AfterVideo Inspection in Katy, TX
Duct video inspection is a diagnostic service where a camera-equipped probe travels the length of each duct run and records what is actually inside – debris accumulation, mold growth, disconnected joints, collapsed liner, or a clean bill of health. Most homeowners in Katy request it because they want to know whether a cleaning quote is justified before agreeing to one, or because a previous company made claims they could not document. At CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Katy, every video inspection produces a written scope with timestamped photos before a price for any Air Duct Cleaning services is discussed – that is Haven Standard Clause 1, and it is non-negotiable.
If you have questions or want to schedule an inspection, call us at (346) 666-7165. A live person answers every call. You can also read more about what happens after the camera work on our Air Duct Cleaning in Katy page.
When You Need Video Inspection
A video inspection is not something every home needs every year. It is the right call in specific situations – and knowing which ones saves you money on services you do not need yet.
- You bought a home built before 2000. Katy’s older subdivisions in areas like Old Katy and parts of Cinco Ranch that were developed in the late 1990s frequently have flex duct that has sagged, kinked, or partially separated at the joints over 20-plus years. The camera shows whether the liner is intact or whether you are conditioning air that never reaches the room.
- You have had recurring allergy or respiratory symptoms indoors. When a household member’s symptoms improve outside but return at home, the duct system is one of the first places to look. The camera documents whether biological growth or heavy debris is present – or rules it out entirely, which is equally useful.
- A previous cleaning company could not show you before photos. If a technician ran a shop vac through your registers and handed you a receipt with no images, you have no record of what was removed or whether the job reached past the first elbow. An inspection establishes the current baseline in writing.
- Your energy bills climbed without a change in usage. Katy summers push central AC systems hard from May through October. When cooling costs jump 15 to 20 percent year over year without a change in thermostat habits, a disconnected duct run or collapsed section that forces the system to work harder is a common cause the camera will either confirm or eliminate.
- Post-renovation dust and debris. Remodels in Katy homes – especially kitchen and bathroom updates that open walls – push drywall dust and construction particulate into the return air plenum and through the supply runs. The camera shows how far the debris traveled and whether a full cleaning or a targeted extraction at specific registers is the right response.
- You smell something you cannot locate. Musty odors, burning smells on first startup, or a persistent damp smell that survives multiple air fresheners often trace back to the duct system. The inspection camera reaches the areas a flashlight at a register cannot – behind the first elbow, inside the plenum, at the transitions near the air handler.
Our Video Inspection Process
We run the same documented process on every home in Katy, whether the house is 1,200 square feet in Kelliwood or 4,000 square feet in Firethorne. The steps do not change because the evidence standard does not change.
- Written price before anything opens. Before a panel comes off or a camera goes into a register, you receive a written price for the inspection itself. Haven Standard Clause 1 covers this without exception. If the inspection reveals conditions that warrant additional work, that work gets its own written price – separate, itemized, and delivered before any labor begins.
- System map and register count. The technician walks the home and maps the duct layout – supply registers, return air grilles, the air handler location, and any accessible attic or crawlspace runs. Katy homes built in the 2000s and 2010s typically have duct systems routed through attic space, where summer heat above 130 degrees Fahrenheit accelerates flex duct degradation. Knowing the layout before the camera goes in means we cover every branch, not just the accessible ones.
- Camera probe deployment at each run. We use a Rotobrush inspection system with a flexible camera line that transmits live video and captures still images at intervals. The probe travels from the register opening toward the main trunk line, recording debris depth, liner condition, joint integrity, and any visible biological growth. Each run gets its own image set – not a single photo of the dirtiest register presented as representative of the whole system.
- Plenum and air handler compartment inspection. The plenum – the central distribution box that connects the air handler to the supply and return trunks – collects debris faster than individual runs because all airflow passes through it. We document the plenum separately, including the evaporator coil compartment if it is accessible, because biological growth on a wet coil surface spreads through the entire system on every cycle.
- Written findings delivered on site. When the camera work is done, you receive a written summary of what was found in each run – debris depth at the first elbow, liner condition at mid-run, joint status at the trunk connection, and any areas flagged for concern. The photo record is included as a standard deliverable, not an upsell. If no cleaning is needed, that is what the report says. We have handed homeowners in Katy a clean inspection report and left without selling a single additional service, because the evidence did not support one.
- Scope and quote for any recommended work. If the camera findings support a cleaning, repair, or sanitizing recommendation, you receive a written scope describing what will be done, what equipment will be used, and what the job costs – before you decide. There is no pressure and no time limit on the quote. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies to any work that follows: if it is not done right, we make it right, in writing.
BeforeAfterVideo Inspection Pricing in Katy
Duct video inspection in Katy typically runs between $95 and $195 for a standard residential system. The range exists because three factors affect the scope of work: system size, accessibility, and whether the inspection is standalone or bundled with a Air Duct Cleaning Near Me in Katy, TX service.
- Small homes (under 1,500 sq ft, 8-12 registers): $95 – $120
- Mid-size homes (1,500 – 2,800 sq ft, 13-20 registers): $120 – $160
- Larger homes (2,800 sq ft and up, 21+ registers): $160 – $195
- Inspection bundled with a full duct cleaning: Inspection cost is typically absorbed into the cleaning price – the written quote will state this explicitly.
A few things that can push a job toward the higher end of the range: attic access that requires additional safety setup, older systems with multiple disconnected flex duct segments that require repositioning the probe, or homes with a second air handler serving an upper floor or bonus room addition – which is common in larger Katy homes in neighborhoods like Cross Creek Ranch and Cane Island.
What does not affect our price: the age of your system, the brand of your equipment, or whether we think a cleaning will follow. The inspection price is the inspection price. Haven Standard Clause 1 means the number you see in writing before we start is the number on the invoice when we leave.
Call (346) 666-7165 to get a written inspection quote for your Katy home. If you already have a written estimate from another company, bring it – we offer a free second opinion on any written estimate, and we will put our own number next to it in writing so you can compare them directly.
What the Camera Actually Finds in Katy Homes
We have been documenting duct systems in Katy since 2013, and the findings are not random. Certain conditions show up in predictable patterns based on the neighborhood’s construction era, builder, and HVAC design.
Homes in the older Katy sections near FM 1463 and Mason Road that were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s frequently have rigid metal ductwork with fiberglass liner that has deteriorated at seams. The camera shows frayed liner material inside the duct – particles of degraded fiberglass that the system circulates on every run. That is a different repair from a debris cleaning, and a technician who skips the camera step has no way to know which problem they are actually solving.
Newer construction in Katy – particularly the high-volume subdivisions built between 2010 and 2020 in areas like Elyson and Jordan Ranch – tends to use flex duct installed through tight attic spaces. The camera frequently shows sections where the flex liner compressed during installation or sagged between support straps over time. A compressed or kinked flex duct reduces airflow by 30 to 50 percent through that run regardless of how clean it is – another finding the camera catches that a shop vac visit would miss entirely.
Debris accumulation patterns in Katy also reflect the local construction environment. With ongoing residential development throughout the area, homes near active build sites in western Katy consistently show higher particulate loads in their return air systems within two to three years of occupancy. The camera quantifies this – not as a feeling, but as a measured depth at the first elbow and a documented condition at the main return trunk.
The Documentation You Receive
The photo record is not a courtesy. It is a standard deliverable on every CleanRun job, established as a practice on the first job Tomas Reyes ran in 2013 and maintained on every one of the 52,000-plus homes served since. The record contains:
- Timestamped still images from inside each duct run, captured at the register opening, mid-run, and at the trunk connection
- Plenum and air handler compartment images, labeled by location
- Written findings for each run – debris condition, liner integrity, joint status
- A written summary of any recommended next steps, with the written price for each attached
If no follow-on work is needed, you still receive the full inspection record. It is yours – a dated, documented baseline for the current condition of your duct system that you can reference if another company makes claims in the future, or if you sell the home and want to show a buyer the system’s documented history.
That kind of record did not exist in the Katy duct cleaning market before CleanRun built it into the standard job. The companies running $79 coupon specials do not produce one because a documented record makes it obvious when nothing was actually done, unlike Commercial Duct Cleaning standards.
FAQs – Video Inspection in Katy
How much does duct video inspection cost in Katy, TX?
Duct video inspection in Katy costs between $95 and $195 for most residential systems, depending on home size and system accessibility. Homes under 1,500 square feet typically fall between $95 and $120; larger homes above 2,800 square feet run $160 to $195. When inspection is bundled with a full cleaning, the cost is absorbed into the How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost? (2026 Price Guide) - Katy, TX and noted explicitly in the written quote. Call (346) 666-7165 and we will give you a written number before we schedule anything.
Can a duct inspection tell me whether I actually need a cleaning?
Yes – that is its primary function. The camera documents debris depth, liner condition, and joint integrity in each run. If the findings do not support a cleaning, the report says so and we do not sell you one. If the camera finds a 3-inch debris buildup at the return plenum or collapsed flex duct in an attic run, the photos go into your written record alongside the recommendation. You make the call based on what the camera showed, not on what a technician told you without evidence.
How long does a video inspection take for a typical Katy home?
A standard Katy home with 14 to 18 registers takes roughly 90 minutes to two hours from setup to written report delivery. Larger homes with 20-plus registers or second-floor air handlers typically run two and a half to three hours. The time includes the system map walk, camera work at every run, plenum inspection, and the on-site written findings summary. We do not skip runs to save time – every branch gets documented or the inspection is not complete.
Is the inspection camera the same equipment used for cleaning?
No. The inspection probe is a dedicated camera system – we use a Rotobrush inspection line for this step specifically. The cleaning equipment (negative-pressure extraction units and agitation tools from Nikro and Rotobrush) comes out after the inspection findings are reviewed and a written cleaning price has been accepted. Running a camera through a dirty duct before cleaning and after cleaning produces the before-and-after photo record that is included in every CleanRun job as a standard deliverable – not an add-on.
Katy’s Duct Systems Have Specific Needs – The Camera Finds Them
Katy’s growth over the past 25 years means the housing stock is remarkably varied within a relatively compact geography. A street in Cinco Ranch might have homes from three different decades side by side, each with a different duct material, a different layout, and a different failure pattern. The camera is the only tool that documents what is actually happening inside a specific system in a specific home – not what typically happens in homes of that era, and not what the technician estimated from a register-end visual check.
CleanRun serves Katy homeowners under the same written-price, documented-results standard that Tomas Reyes set up when the company started in 2013. The home page covers the full scope of what that standard means across every service we offer. For everything that follows a video inspection – cleaning, repair, or sealing – the Air Duct Cleaning in Katy page describes the process, the equipment, and the pricing in the same detail you will find here.
If you want to know what is actually inside your ducts before agreeing to any service, call (346) 666-7165. You will get a written inspection price, a live person on the phone, and a scheduled visit from a background-checked, uniformed technician who will show you the camera footage and hand you the written findings before a single recommendation is made. That is not a sales pitch – it is the standard.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Katy, serving Katy.