How to Vet a Duct Cleaning Company: A 10-Point Checklist

Duct cleaning has a scam problem — bad enough that the FTC issued a consumer alert about it and the EPA warns homeowners directly in its duct cleaning guidance. The good news: the scams are formulaic, which means they're detectable. Run any company — including ours — through these ten checks before you book.

The 10-point vetting checklist

1. NADCA membership. Verify it on the NADCA directory, not just a logo on a website. Members clean to the ACR Standard and keep an ASCS-certified specialist on staff.
2. They describe source removal, unprompted. Ask "how do you clean?" The answer should include negative pressure/vacuum collection plus mechanical agitation, on both supply and return sides. Vague answers = cosmetic cleaning.
3. Before and after photos, standard. Not on request — standard, on every job. Photo documentation is the only proof of work inside a system you can't see. If they don't offer it, ask why.
4. Proof of insurance. General liability at minimum. Real companies send a certificate without friction.
5. An itemized, parameter-based quote. Vent count, number of systems, add-ons priced as line items — with the exact number confirmed after inspection, before work starts. Walk away from "unlimited vents" flat coupons.
6. A physical local presence. A verifiable address and local reviews. Scam operations are frequently lead-gen fronts that dispatch whoever bought the lead.
7. Verifiable review history across platforms. Google, BBB, Yelp — look for volume, recency, and how the company answers criticism. A BBB profile with accreditation and a letter grade is a strong screen.
8. No fear-based selling. Instant "you have dangerous mold" claims — without lab sampling, without photos you keep — are the signature move of coupon-bait outfits. Real mold concerns come with documentation and a moisture-source conversation.
9. They'll tell you when you DON'T need cleaning. The strongest trust signal in the industry. If the inspection shows clean ducts, an honest company says so and charges you nothing but the truth.
10. Certifications that match the work. Dryer vents are their own discipline — look for CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician credentials if that's part of your job.

Three questions that end bad conversations fast

• "What's your NADCA membership number?" (Silence is an answer.)
• "Will the exact price be confirmed in writing before work starts?"
• "Can you send two recent jobs' before/after photos?"

Why we publish this

Every fraudulent $99 coupon job makes homeowners distrust the entire category — including the certified companies doing it right. We'd rather you walk into any quote conversation, with anyone, armed. When you're comparing us, the checklist maps to: NADCA certified, CSIA dryer exhaust certified, BBB A+ accredited, 25+ years in the tri-state, photos on every job, and free exact quotes after inspection.

Next up in your evaluation: understand what a fair quote is actually built from and how the cleaning methods differ — then get your own number from the instant estimate builder.