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
AfterAir Duct Cleaning Before & After in Herndon, VA
We’ve been cleaning ducts in Herndon since 2013. Every job ends with a photo record of every duct run, before and after. These aren’t marketing shots - they’re the standard deliverable every customer receives. What follows are representative jobs from homes around Herndon, Vienna, and Reston, showing what negative-pressure extraction actually removes from ductwork in this area.
Recent Transformations
Heavy Debris Build-Up in 1980s Split-Level, Oak Hill Area
The camera showed a 3-inch debris build-up at the first elbow of the main supply trunk in a home off Franklin Farm Road. The homeowners had lived there twelve years with no prior duct cleaning; their HVAC tech had flagged restricted airflow at the second-floor registers. We set up negative-pressure extraction (a large vacuum hooked to the trunk line, pulling debris backward through the system rather than blowing it forward into rooms) and ran a Rotobrush through each duct run (the individual branch lines feeding each room). The photo record showed bare metal at the end of every pass. Static pressure at the air handler dropped from 0.82 to 0.51 inches WC. The written scope and before/after photos were delivered before we packed the van.
Post-Renovation Dust Load, McNair Farms
A family in McNair Farms called three months after a kitchen and basement renovation. The camera showed drywall compound dust caked to the flex duct (the ribbed plastic tubing common in newer Herndon construction) in the basement return. Their contractor had run the HVAC during finishing work, pulling particulate through the entire system. We sealed the registers, pressurized the trunk, and extracted in sections so nothing migrated to clean runs. The photo record for this job ran 34 images - every duct run, the plenum (the sheet-metal box where the air handler meets the ductwork), and the coil compartment. Haven Standard Clause 1 applied: the written price of $485 for the whole system was agreed before any panel came off.
Pet Hair Accumulation in Townhouse, Woodland Park
Three large dogs, six years, one previous “duct cleaning” that the homeowner suspected was just a shop vac at the registers. The camera showed matted hair bridging across the return duct in the master bedroom run, restricting flow to roughly 60% of design. We used a combination of reverse-skipper balls (rubber balls blown through the line to knock debris loose) and direct-contact brushing on the return side, where pet hair tends to accumulate because that’s the suction side of the system. The photo record showed a clean duct run with visible joints and seams - the kind of image that lets a homeowner verify the work independently. The 365-Day Done Right Promise was included in writing with the job packet.
Mold-Prone Flex Duct in Dranesville Area Ranch
A ranch home near the intersection of Dranesville and Leesburg Pike had flex duct (flexible ducting) running through a crawl space with seasonal moisture intrusion. The camera showed spotting consistent with organic growth on the interior surface of two supply runs. We do not treat mold without first removing the physical contamination - surface growth lives on debris, and debris must go first. Negative-pressure extraction with contact agitation removed the load, followed by an EPA-registered sanitizing agent applied as a fog at the air handler, drawn through the system by the fan. The photo record documented bare duct before treatment and treated duct after, with timestamps. The homeowner received the written scope, the photo record, and a maintenance note recommending a dehumidifier for the crawl space - no secondary sale, just a sentence in the job summary.
Failed DIY Attempt, Franklin Farm
A homeowner in Franklin Farm had spent a Saturday with a household vacuum and a brush kit from a hardware store. The camera showed disturbed debris - previously settled, now airborne and redeposited - plus a detached register boot (the metal fitting connecting the duct to the floor vent) in the living room run. We recovered the boot, sealed it properly, and extracted the mobilized debris with contained negative pressure. The photo record for this job included an image of the boot reattached and sealed with mastic (a brush-applied sealant, not tape, because tape degrades in duct temperature cycles). The written price was $340 for recovery and full-system cleaning. The homeowner’s prior “savings” had cost them a Saturday and a proper cleaning.
New Construction Debris, Dulles Tech Corridor Rental
A property manager for a new rental near the Dulles corridor called before first tenant move-in. The camera showed wood scraps, drywall chunks, and a fast-food wrapper in the basement return - standard for new construction in the Herndon area, where trades use duct openings as convenient disposal during build. We extracted the debris, brushed the trunk lines, and photographed every run. The photo record served as the property’s baseline documentation for future maintenance and tenant deposit disputes. Written price: $395 for the whole system, agreed by email before the crew left the shop. Haven Standard Clause 3 - Verified Crews - applied: the technician’s name and background-check verification were provided when the appointment was confirmed.
What Every CleanRun Customer Receives
These aren’t exceptional jobs. This is how every visit works:
- Written price before work starts - Haven Standard Clause 1. No exceptions, no “call for a quote.”
- Documented Photo Record of every duct run - before and after, delivered as part of the standard job record. You see what we saw.
- 365-Day Done Right Promise - in writing on every job, not a policy subject to manager approval.
- Free Second Opinion - bring any competitor’s written estimate; we’ll put our number next to it.
- Trade-recognized equipment - Rotobrush, Nikro, Abatement Technologies, Honeywell, Aprilaire, Guardsman - named here so you can verify before agreeing to a price.
BeforeAfterWant Results Like These?
We’ve cleaned ducts in over 52,000 homes since 2013, every one with a written price before work started and a documented photo record when the crew left. If your vents haven’t been opened in years, or if a previous cleaning left you unsure whether anything actually happened, call (571) 520-6317. We’ll put a written number in your hand before any panel comes off, and you’ll see the inside of every duct run before we pack up. Tomas Reyes answers the phone personally when he’s not on a job site, and every call is answered by a live person.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Herndon, serving Herndon, Vienna, Reston, and surrounding communities since 2013.