Whole-home duct cleaning
Dryer vent cleaning
Camera inspection
Sanitizing & deodorizingWhole-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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AfterVideo Inspection in Austin, TX
Video inspection for air ducts in Austin typically costs $99 to $250 when booked as a standalone service, and it’s often folded into a full cleaning at a reduced rate or no extra charge. The inspection itself takes 45 to 90 minutes depending on home size, and you receive footage you can watch yourself, not just a technician’s verbal summary. At Kestrel Air Duct Austin, we run a high-resolution camera through your ductwork so you can see exactly what’s in there before anyone touches a brush or a vacuum. Call (254) 848-6913 and we’ll schedule a time that works, with the written price in your hands before we arrive.
Video inspection sits inside our broader Air Duct Cleaning service, and it’s the step that turns guesswork into a plan. For a deeper look at how cleaning itself works in this market, see our Air Duct Cleaning in Austin page. The short version: a camera on a flexible line goes into the duct, and you see what we see. No mystery, no upselling from a photo you never get to look at.
When You Need Video Inspection
Most Austin homeowners call us for one of these reasons. If any of these sound familiar, a camera run through the ducts will answer the question in under an hour.
- You moved into an older home and don’t know what’s in the ducts. Austin has thousands of houses built before 1980, and ductwork from that era can hide decades of dust, construction debris, or worse. A video inspection tells you what you’re dealing with before you spend money on cleaning or replacement.
- Dust returns to your furniture within days of wiping it down. That dust is coming from somewhere, and the ducts are the usual suspect. The camera shows whether the buildup is light surface dust or packed debris that needs aggressive extraction.
- You smell something musty when the AC kicks on but can’t find the source. Central Texas humidity pushes moisture into ductwork, and moisture breeds problems. Video inspection locates damp spots, microbial growth, or standing water pockets that a visual check of the registers would miss.
- You had a rodent or pest problem in the attic or crawlspace. Austin’s roof rats and squirrels get into duct runs more often than people expect. If you’ve heard scratching overhead and the pest issue is resolved, a camera checks for droppings, nesting material, or chewed flex duct before you recirculate that air through the house.
- You’re buying or selling a home and want the HVAC system documented. A video inspection gives you a dated visual record of duct condition, which is far more useful in a real estate transaction than a verbal “looks fine to me.”
- A previous cleaning left you wondering if anything was actually done. We hear this a lot in Austin. The camera shows the after-state, not just the before-state, so there’s no question about what you paid for.
Our Video Inspection Process
Here’s how it works when Kestrel Air Duct Austin shows up at your door. The whole process follows the Kingswell Way, which is our written code for every visit: say the price, show up in the window we gave you, leave the place cleaner than we found it, put the guarantee in writing, and come back if anything falls short.
- We walk the system with you first. Before the camera goes in, we look at your registers, returns, air handler, and accessible duct runs. We’re checking for obvious kinks, disconnected sections, and collapsed flex that would change the inspection plan. This takes about 15 minutes.
- We run a high-resolution camera through every accessible trunk line and branch. The camera head is on a flexible push rod with LED lighting. It reaches runs that a phone camera or borescope from the hardware store can’t. You can watch the screen live or we can record the whole run for you to review.
- We stop at anything that doesn’t look right and mark the location. If we find a hole, a disconnected joint, water staining, pest debris, or a filter bypass, we note it and show you the exact spot on the footage. You see it, you decide what matters.
- We give you an honest read on what the footage means. Some findings are cosmetic. Some need the full Air Duct Cleaning treatment with negative-air extraction and rotary brush agitation. Some are HVAC repair work that we’ll tell you straight-up is outside our scope. We’re not going to sell you a cleaning you don’t need.
- You get the footage and the written recommendation. If we’re doing the inspection as a standalone visit, you receive the video file or a link, plus a written summary of what we found and what we’d do about it. If the inspection shows cleaning is warranted, we give you the written price for that work before anyone touches a tool.
Video Inspection Pricing in Austin
Most standalone video inspections in Austin run between $99 and $250. The main variables are home size, number of systems, and whether the ductwork is accessible from a single point or requires multiple entry points to reach every branch.
| Service | Typical Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone video inspection (single HVAC system) | $99 – $150 | Includes recorded footage and written findings |
| Standalone video inspection (two systems or larger home) | $175 – $250 | Homes over 3,000 sq ft or with zoned systems |
| Video inspection added to full air duct cleaning | $0 – $99 | Often included or heavily reduced with a cleaning |
If the inspection turns into a full cleaning on the same visit, we apply the inspection fee toward the cleaning price. That’s in writing before you decide. Every Kestrel job runs under the Kingswell Guarantee: a written price before work begins, a defined arrival window, a clean job site, and a written 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the work falls short within the guarantee period, we return and make it right at no charge. That’s not a courtesy. It’s the standing rule.
For a free estimate on video inspection or a full cleaning, call (254) 848-6913. You’ll talk to a live person, not a voicemail tree.
FAQs – Video Inspection
How much does video inspection cost in Austin?
Video inspection in Austin typically costs $99 to $150 for a single-system home, and $175 to $250 for larger or two-system homes, with the fee often credited toward a full cleaning if you proceed the same day. Call (254) 848-6913 and we’ll give you a written number before we schedule anything.
Is video inspection worth it before air duct cleaning?
Yes, video inspection is worth it before air duct cleaning because it shows you exactly what’s in the ducts, which means you pay for the cleaning you actually need rather than a generic package. If the ducts are clean but you have an HVAC issue, you’ll know that before anyone runs a brush through the system.
Can you inspect ducts without cutting holes in the wall or ceiling?
In most Austin homes, yes, we can inspect ducts without cutting holes by entering through existing registers, returns, or the air handler cabinet. When access is severely limited, we’ll tell you before the inspection starts and walk through the options with the written price for any additional access point.
What’s the difference between video inspection and just looking with a flashlight?
The difference between video inspection and a flashlight check is reach and evidence. A flashlight shows you the first few feet of duct you can see through a register; a camera on a flexible line travels the full trunk and branch runs, records what it passes, and gives you viewable proof of anything found. That footage matters when you’re deciding whether to clean, repair, or leave the system alone.
Written by Dale Whitmore, Owner at Kestrel Air Duct Austin, serving Austin.