Standard dryer vent cleaning in Boston is $99 for an accessible, routine vent. It is worth doing because lint is flammable, and a clogged vent makes your dryer work harder. Long routes, crushed ducts, or a nest in the exit change the scope and are quoted in writing before work starts.
What the $99 covers
The $99 price is for the common case: a dryer on an outside wall, or a short, fairly straight duct run you can reach. The visit clears lint from the vent line between the dryer and the outdoors.
- Disconnecting the dryer from the duct.
- Brushing and vacuuming lint out of the duct.
- Clearing the exterior hood or flap.
- Reconnecting the dryer and checking that air flows out the exit.
Cleaning does not repair a duct that is crushed, torn, or disconnected inside a wall. It also does not fix a dryer that has a mechanical problem. If the technician sees damage, the visit ends with a written quote for the next step, not a surprise charge. You can read how the service works on our dryer vent cleaning page.
Why lint is a fire problem
A dryer is a heater with a fan. It blows hot, moist air through a duct. Lint rides along with that air, and some of it sticks to the inside of the vent. Over time the layer thickens and restricts airflow. Dry lint ignites easily, and a hot, blocked vent is a common place for a house fire to start.
A clogged vent also hurts you in smaller ways. Clothes take longer to dry. The dryer runs hotter. Your utility bill creeps up. Humid air can leak into the walls or basement rather than outside.
If you ever smell something burning when the dryer runs, stop it, unplug it, and call 911 if you see smoke or flames. Get everyone out of the house first.
Signs your vent needs cleaning
- Towels and jeans stay damp after a full cycle.
- The top of the dryer or the laundry room is hot.
- You find lint behind the dryer or around the vent hood outside.
- The flap on the outside hood does not open when the dryer runs.
- A musty smell lingers after drying.
- The vent has never been cleaned, or you moved in and have no idea when it last was.
Do not rely on the lint screen alone. It catches a portion of the lint. The rest travels down the duct, where you cannot see it.
A yearly cleaning is a reasonable habit for most households. A home with pets, a big family, or heavy laundry loads may want it more often.
Why Boston homes can have tricky dryer routes
In a newer suburban house, the dryer sits against an outside wall and the vent is a few feet. In older Boston housing, it is often different.
Condos and apartments
A unit on the third floor may have a vent that runs through ceilings or along a shared wall to a distant exit. The longer the run, the more lint it holds and the more time cleaning takes.
Triple-deckers and rowhouses
Laundry sometimes sits in a basement or a back hallway, with duct that bends around pipes and joists. Each bend gives lint a place to settle.
Rooftop exits
Some vents exit through the roof. Those are harder to reach and are a different scope from a wall vent.
If your setup is any of these, tell us when you book. We confirm the scope in writing so you know the price before the work.
What pushes the price above $99
Several things move a job out of the standard category. None of them is a way to inflate a quote. They are real changes to the amount of work.
- Long or hidden runs. More duct to clean and harder access.
- Rooftop terminations. They need extra setup.
- Bird or animal nests. These need to be removed from the exit, which can be priced like other wildlife work. Animal removal is $299 to $900 in our price list.
- Damaged duct. Crushed or disconnected sections need to be repaired or replaced, and that is quoted separately.
- Unsafe access. If the dryer cannot be moved or the space cannot be reached safely, the visit may be rescheduled.
If your house has a chimney too, you can compare with our chimney sweep pricing, which is a different service with its own scope.
Duct material and the outside hood
What the vent is made of affects both safety and how fast lint builds up, so it is worth a quick look even if you do not clean it yourself.
- Rigid metal duct has a smooth inside and holds up well. Lint slides along it.
- Flexible foil duct has ridges that catch lint, and it can sag into low spots where lint piles up.
- Flexible plastic duct is the weakest choice. It can tear, and it does not stand up well to dryer heat.
Outside, the hood should open freely when air flows and close when the dryer stops. A screen over the exit can clog quickly with lint, so many technicians prefer a flap without one. If the hood is cracked, rusted, or stuck shut, tell us. Replacing a damaged hood or section of duct is a repair, and it is quoted separately after the cleaning visit.
Gas and electric dryers
Both types need a clear vent. A gas dryer also exhausts combustion gases through that duct, so a blockage matters even more. If your gas dryer smells of gas, leave the house and call the gas utility or 911.
Doing it yourself versus calling a pro
Lint-brush kits from the hardware store do a fair job on a short, straight vent. If you own one and your vent is easy to reach, you can try it. A few cautions apply.
- Unplug the dryer, and for gas dryers shut the gas valve first. Never disturb a gas line.
- Do not push a brush so hard that it separates a duct joint behind a wall.
- If the brush meets resistance or comes back with a nest, stop.
- Check the outside hood, since a stuck flap defeats everything else.
Many homeowners hire it out because the long runs are where lint hides, and because a tech can tell you if the duct itself is damaged. The cost of a professional visit is $99. That is a small amount next to the cost of dryer replacement or fire damage.
How to prepare for the appointment
A little preparation keeps the visit short.
- Clear the space around the dryer and washer so the technician can pull the dryer out.
- Empty the drum and the lint screen.
- Know where the vent exits outside, if you can.
- Tell us about anything unusual, like a loud dryer, a burning smell, or slow drying.
- Be ready for a 3-hour arrival window. We call ahead before we come.
After the cleaning, the technician shows you what was found and takes photos of what the technician finds along the way. If a repair is needed, you get a written price before anything else is done.
To book, use our contact page or call (617) 404-9587 for the $99 dryer vent cleaning.
Questions homeowners ask
How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
Once a year is a common rule of thumb. Households with heavy laundry or pets may want it sooner. If clothes take more than one cycle to dry, do not wait.
Does cleaning the lint trap count as cleaning the vent?
No. The lint trap is only the first stop. The duct behind the dryer and out to the exterior hood collects lint you cannot see. That is the part a cleaning reaches.
Can I use a plastic or foil accordion duct?
Flexible plastic and thin foil ducts trap lint easily and can sag or tear. Ask the technician about the duct material in your home. Replacement is quoted in writing.
What if the vent exit is blocked by a bird nest?
Stop using the dryer until it is cleared. Animal and nest removal is quoted as a separate scope, with a range of $299 to $900, based on what is found.
Is dryer vent cleaning part of a chimney sweep?
No. They are separate services on separate systems. A chimney sweep with inspection is $299, and the dryer vent cleaning is $99. Each is priced on its own.