Duct cleaning and duct work are different jobs on paper
Houston's mechanical inspections page lists duct alterations among the work that needs a mechanical permit and inspection. Austin's exempt list covers replacing supply and return duct runs.
Duct cleaning prices in Texas, as an estimate
For this job in Texas, our estimate is $330 to $680 per job. That's a model, not a quote, built from national published cost ranges and adjusted by the Texas wage ratio to the US (0.91).
Our estimate is $330 to $680 per job, and it is an estimate, not a quote. Ask whether the price covers every vent or a set number.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $330 to $680 per job | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Texas HVAC technician wage ratio (0.91). Three Texas 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 Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Technician wage, Texas mean | $28.43 an hour | Texas HVAC technicians' average hourly pay, BLS May 2025; a cleaning crew's price is set per job. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. We have no counted Texas 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takes two published national ranges for this job (cost guides from third-party sites that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies them by Texas's HVAC technician mean wage ratio to the US (0.91, BLS OEWS May 2025, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and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 23, 2026.
Who is allowed to clean ducts
TDLR's definition of the work, in the Occupations Code's 2018 wording, lists designing, installing, constructing, repairing, maintaining, servicing or modifying equipment in an environmental air conditioning system. TDLR's line is (512) 463-6599.
What to get in writing from the company
Ask the company to put what it promises, the vents it will clean and the price on paper.
Duct and air problems that can't wait
- Your carbon monoxide alarm sounds: head outside and call 911.
- Gas smell in the house: leave, and call 911 once you are outside.
- Dust collects at the vents and nothing else seems wrong.
Before you book a cleaning
- Ask the company whether it will alter or replace any duct, which is where the permit rules begin.
- Ask what it promises and get that in writing.
- Ask for a license number if it also touches the air handler, and search it on TDLR's page.
Permits and duct work
Houston requires a permit for duct alterations and Austin exempts replacing duct runs. If the company also plans to change ducts, call your city's permit office.
Before any work starts, get the license number and check it with your state's licensing board; our state pages link the lookup.
Questions people ask
Does a Texas duct cleaner need a TDLR license?
TDLR is the one to ask: its license covers servicing and modifying equipment in an air conditioning system. Call TDLR at (512) 463-6599 and ask whether cleaning is covered.
Does duct work need a permit in Texas cities?
In Houston, alterations do; in Austin, replacing duct runs doesn't. The rule is set city by city. Call your permit office before work that changes ducts.
Is duct cleaning eligible for a rebate?
Brownsville's utility board pays a duct flow performance rebate of 25 percent of costs up to $500, as of Oct 16, 2026, and that's a different service from cleaning. Ask the utility what qualifies before you pay.
- BLS Public Data API v1, OEWS Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Houston Permitting Center: Mechanical Inspections Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Austin: Work exempt from building permits Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Texas Occupations Code ch. 1302 (Wayback 2018-03-06) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDLR: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Read Oct 23, 2026.
- BPUB: Go Green Rebates Read Oct 23, 2026.
- HVACMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDLR: License Search Read Oct 23, 2026.