The Truth About Air Duct Cleaning Scams And What To Avoid

If you live anywhere from Montgomery to The Woodlands to Katy, you already know the ads. “Whole house for $79.” “Same day. Cash only.” We get messages every week asking if that is a deal or an air duct cleaning scam. Here is our honest answer. The work has value when it is done right. The problem is how easy it is for an air duct scam to look real online.

We are going to show you how the tricks work in Texas, what a proper job includes, how to check a license in about a minute, and what proof to request so you never pay for dust that never left your ducts.

How The Scam Usually Starts In Texas

This will sound familiar. A post pops up in a local group. The photo looks like a stock image. The price sounds like a birthday coupon. You call, and someone promises the world for less than the cost of two air filters. That path often ends in one of these air duct cleaning scams:

• Bait and switch. The crew arrives and says your system is worse than expected. The new number is five to eight times higher.
• Mould scare. The tech waves a phone near a vent and says he sees “toxic mold” that needs fogging. No clear photos. No lab test.
• Invisible work. You get a loud machine for thirty minutes and a quick goodbye. No before and after photos. No cleaned blower cabinet.
• No paper trail. The estimate has no license number and no business address. Payment needs to be cash or a payment app.

If the pitch checks those boxes, step away. This is not affordable air duct cleaning. It is a sales script.

What A Real Air Duct Cleaning Looks Like

A proper job is not mysterious. It is a repeatable air duct cleaning process that leaves your system cleaner and your home tidy.

Here is what we do in plain steps:

1. Protect floors and corners, then set controlled negative pressure at the air handler.
2. Open the blower cabinet and clean accessible components.
3. Agitate and vacuum each supply and each return with the right tools so dust goes into capture, not into your living room.
4. Wash and reinstall registers.
5. Cut and seal access panels correctly where needed.
6. Share proof. Same-vent photos before and after. Clear shots of the blower area. A quick walkthrough of what changed.

If a team cannot explain those steps or refuses to provide proof, you are looking at sales, not air duct cleaning solutions.

For a neutral baseline on when cleaning is actually recommended, it focuses on real triggers like visible mould, vermin, or heavy debris blowing into rooms.

Is Air Duct Cleaning A Scam?

The work itself is not a scam. The air duct cleaning scam happens when a crew sells a “whole-house special” and never cleans the parts that matter. A complete system clean takes time, trained techs, and the right equipment. That is why rock-bottom prices do not line up with real labour.

If air duct cleaning is a scam, ask for the process in writing, ask for photos at the end, and ask who is licensed to touch your HVAC system. The answers will tell you everything.

The One Texas Check Almost Nobody Uses

Texas makes vetting painless. Before you book any air duct cleaning Texas visit, take sixty seconds and use the Texas license lookup. Search the company and the person. A legitimate contractor shows up with a current Air Conditioning and Refrigeration license and a real business address. If the name they gave you does not match the license record, do not let them touch your system.

We also list our service areas clearly. We work in Montgomery, Conroe, The Woodlands, Spring, Tomball, Magnolia, Katy, Kingwood, Humble, Willis, and League City. If a company cannot tell you where they actually operate, that is a clue.

Time And Price Reality For Texas Homes

A real cleaning of a single residential system usually takes a few hours and costs a few hundred dollars, depending on access, home size, and how dirty the returns and trunks are. Two techs, proper capture, and careful cleanup take time. A “twenty minutes and done” visit is not a system clean. It is a quick pass that leaves debris in the places you cannot see.

We are not trying to make it expensive. We are trying to make it honest.

How To Read Reviews Without Getting Fooled

Search air duct cleaning reviews with a technician’s eye. Look for patterns like:

• Proof photos at the same registers
• Clean blower cabinet shots
• Access panels cut and sealed correctly
• Floors and furniture were protected during the job
• Dust complaints are dropping after the visit

Skip five stars that say “great guys” and nothing about the actual cleaning. Reviews that mention those details help you decide which company cleans air ducts in a way that truly helps your home.

Red Flags That Mean Walk Away

Keep this list on your phone the next time a Texas air duct cleaning ad pops up.

• The price is so low that it would not pay one tech for one hour
• No license number on the estimate
• No negative pressure or capture is described in the plan
• “We do not cut access panels” for trunk lines that clearly need them
• “We only take cash.”
• “We found mold,” with no clear photos or lab work

If you hear even two of those in the same call, you are staring at an air duct cleaning scam.

What To Ask On The First Call

Call three companies. Then ask each one the same questions. The best team will not rush you.

• Please walk me through your air duct cleaning process for a two-story Texas home.
• How long will two techs be on site?
• What will you clean besides registers?
• What do your proof photos include?
• What is not included in this quote?
• Can I see your license record and a current insurance certificate?

A clear conversation gives you air duct cleaning Texas confidence without feeling like you need to be a mechanic.

A Short Note On Chemicals

Sometimes a light disinfectant makes sense after pests, smoke, or water events. It should be named, explained, and used only when needed. If any crew fogs every house the same way, that is upsell, not care.

How We Work, Neighbor To Neighbor

We arrive on time. We protect your home. We clean the system you actually own. We share proof before we pack up. That is our promise to families across our service area. When you want a calm, thorough visit from a local team, we are here to help with Texas air duct cleaning that you can trust.

Ready To Book With A Local Team You Can Reach

If you want a straight plan and clean results, schedule with Mighty Ducts of Texas. We will give you a clear scope, a fair number, and photos you can save for your records.