Cleaning a duct and changing one are different jobs on paper
Section 489.105 describes Class A air-conditioning contractors as covering central air-conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilating systems, including duct work in connection with a complete system. Cleaning isn't in that wording. Miami's no-permit list names duct repair that fixes ducts without replacing the system, and Port St. Lucie asks for a duct layout and plan review when ducts are replaced.
Miami Gardens lists new or modified ductwork at $300, and Coral Springs lists ductwork at $230.
Florida duct cleaning: the estimate and the duct permit fees
For this job in Florida, our estimate is $320 to $660 per job. That's a model, not a quote, built from national published cost ranges and adjusted by the Florida wage ratio to the US (0.88).
Duct cleaning is estimated at $320 to $660 per job, an estimate and not a quote with no counted Florida company price behind it. Ductwork changes carry the fees in the rows below.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $320 to $660 per job | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Florida HVAC technician wage ratio (0.88). Seven Florida HVAC companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Technician wage, Florida mean | $27.55 an hour | May 2025 BLS pay for Florida HVAC technicians; a cleaning price is set by the company. |
| Mechanical permit for ductwork, Coral Springs | $230 | From the city's building fees page, which prints no effective date. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. We have no counted Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Our national estimate takes two published national ranges for this job (cost guides from third-party sites that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies them by Florida's HVAC technician mean wage ratio to the US (0.88, BLS OEWS May 2025, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers). The wage and permit rows below are what HVAC technicians are paid and what a city charges, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
Whether cleaning ducts takes a contractor license
Section 489.105 doesn't say whether cleaning alone takes a contractor's license, so ask the company which license it holds. No one may act or advertise as a contractor without being certified or registered (489.127), and the duct repair or replacement a cleaning company may also offer is contractor work. Run any number it gives through DBPR's lookup.
What the duct quote should say
Ask what the price covers: the supply and return runs, the air handler and the coil. OUC's rebates page lists duct repair or replacement at up to $100 for its customers, and Gainesville Regional Utilities lists residential duct testing.
Duct and airflow problems that can't wait
- Smoke or a burning smell from a vent: leave the house and call 911.
- A gas smell in the house: go outside and call 911.
- Dust or a musty smell comes from the vents, and no one feels ill.
Before you book
- Ask what the price covers and whether the company also repairs ducts.
- Search any contractor number it gives on myfloridalicense.com.
- Get the scope and the price on one page before work starts.
Duct changes and permits in Florida
Miami's no-permit list covers duct repair without system replacement. Lee County's mechanical guide includes ductwork in the equipment that needs a mechanical permit. Port St. Lucie's 'Duct Only' line carries the same fee figures as an A/C changeout: $86 building fee under its 2022 schedule, labeled reference only. Ask the permit office where cleaning ends and repair begins.
Florida licenses air-conditioning contractors through DBPR, so before any work starts, get the license number and look it up on DBPR's license search at myfloridalicense.com.
Questions people ask
Does duct cleaning need a contractor license in Florida?
Ask the company which license it works under. Class A covers duct work in connection with a complete system, so a company that also repairs or replaces ducts should show a DBPR license number.
Is there a Florida rebate for duct work?
OUC lists up to $100 for duct repair or replacement, and GRU lists duct testing. The OUC amount applies to OUC customers, and GRU's page prints no rebate amount. See the rebate finder for other programs.
Do I need a permit for duct work?
Cities treat new and changed ducts as permit work and some list repair as exempt. Miami exempts duct repair that doesn't replace the system, and Port St. Lucie asks for a layout and plan review when ducts are replaced. Call the office for your address.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Coral Springs: Building Fees Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes s.489.105 Definitions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes s.489.127 Prohibitions; penalties Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR: License Search Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Miami: Work Exempt from Permit Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Port St. Lucie: Checklist for Mechanical Permits (Updated 10-2-25) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Port St. Lucie: Residential Permit Fee Schedule (PDF) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Miami Gardens: Building Fee Schedule FY 2026-2027 (PDF) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Lee County: Mechanical Application and Permitting Guide Read Oct 24, 2026.
- OUC: Heat Pump A/C Rebate; Rebates Read Oct 24, 2026.
- GRU: Save Energy Read Oct 24, 2026.
- HVACMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.