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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AfterFast, Reliable HVAC Cleaning Across Boulder
HVAC cleaning in Boulder typically runs $285-$560 for a full system cleaning, with evaporator coil cleaning priced separately at $180-$320. Most Boulder homes we service were built between 1960 and 1985, and their ductwork shows it. If your system ran during the December 2021 Marshall Fire, or if you live near open space where Chinook winds push dust into your returns, call us at (806) 606-6902. We’ll give you a written price before any panel comes off.
We know Boulder’s housing stock because we work in it every week: Table Mesa ranches with original sheet metal ducts, Martin Acres split-levels with degraded flex connections, University Hill rentals that haven’t seen a coil brush in a decade. This isn’t a generic cleaning job here. The altitude, the aridity, the fire seasons, the wind events, all of it changes how HVAC systems load up with debris.
Key Takeaways
- Full HVAC cleaning in Boulder runs $285-$560; evaporator coil cleaning runs $180-$320.
- You receive a written price before work starts, every time, under Haven Standard Clause 1.
- Every duct run is photographed before and after. You see the work, not just hear about it.
- We ask whether your system ran during the Marshall Fire. It matters more than most homeowners realize.
- The 365-Day Done Right Promise is in writing on every job.
Why CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Is Boulder’s Preferred HVAC Cleaning Company
Boulder homeowners tend to research before they call. We respect that. Since 2013, CleanRun has completed 52,000+ jobs, every single one with a written price agreed before work started and a documented photo record delivered when the crew left. That’s not a marketing line. It’s Haven Standard Clause 1, and it applies in Boulder exactly as it applies everywhere else we work.
Boulder customers ask sharper questions than most. They want to know what equipment we’re bringing, whether we’re background-checked, and what the inside of their ductwork actually looks like. We answer all three before we quote. Tomas Reyes, who leads our crews, insists on the pre-work camera pass: if we can’t show you the problem, we don’t ask you to pay for the fix. Our HVAC Cleaning in Boulder customers regularly tell us the photo record was the reason they chose us over a $79 coupon shop.
Dispatch and scheduling for Boulder are coordinated from the brand’s Denver office, but the crews working in your neighborhood live and work along the Front Range. They know that a North Boulder Victorian from 1932 has different duct realities than a 1978 Table Mesa ranch. That local knowledge changes what gets cleaned and how.
BeforeAfterOur HVAC Cleaning Services in Boulder
Evaporator Coil Cleaning
Boulder’s semi-arid climate means fine dust settles on evaporator coils and bakes on. A coil caked with particulate can’t transfer heat, so your AC works harder and cools less. In Boulder, evaporator coil cleaning typically runs $180-$320 depending on access. We clean the coil, photograph it before and after, and treat it with a coil treatment that slows re-soiling in high-dust environments. Homes near open space or unpaved roads in west Boulder need this more than most.
Blower Cleaning
The blower motor is where dust goes to die. In Boulder’s 1960s-1980s housing stock, we regularly find blower wheels with a quarter-inch of caked particulate, which throws the motor out of balance. Blower cleaning in Boulder runs $120-$220 as part of a full system clean. We pull the blower assembly, clean both sides of the wheel, and document it. A balanced blower runs quieter and moves more air.
Condenser Cleaning
Your outdoor condenser pulls in cottonwood fluff, grass clippings, and road dust. Boulder’s Chinook events drive particulate horizontally, and condenser coils catch a lot of it. Condenser cleaning runs $110-$190 in Boulder. We clean the coil fins, clear the surrounding area, and check refrigerant line insulation while we’re there. It’s straightforward work that most homeowners never think about until the AC quits in July.
Air Handler Cleaning
The air handler is the box that moves everything: blower, coil, filter slot. In Boulder homes where the air handler lives in an unconditioned crawlspace or attic, we see what fine dust does to electrical connections and drain pans. Air handler cleaning runs $160-$280 as a separate service or folds into a full HVAC cleaning. We clean the cabinet, drain pan, blower housing, and accessible electrical contacts, all documented with photos.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Boulder
We work on all major residential systems and stock common parts for Boulder call-outs, which means fewer return trips. Our crews operate Rotobrush negative-pressure extraction equipment and Nikro HEPA-filtered vacuums, the same professional-grade machines hospitals use for containment cleaning. We also use Guardsman antimicrobial treatments where a coil or drain pan shows organic growth. No off-brand knockoffs, and you can look up every piece of equipment we bring before you agree to the job.
Common HVAC Cleaning Problems We See in Boulder Homes
- Marshall Fire ash that never got cleaned: Fine ash and char particles settled into ducts miles from the burn perimeter. Homeowners without visible soot on registers assumed they were fine. They weren’t. We ask every Boulder customer whether their system ran during that event, because the answer changes the cleaning protocol.
- Chinook-driven dust infiltration through degraded flex: Boulder’s periodic Chinook winds create rapid pressure differentials that force outdoor air into return ducting through gaps and cracked flex connections. Most cleaners never inspect the flex runs, only the main trunks. We do both.
- University Hill rental buildup: Long-term student rentals near University Hill commonly go a decade without HVAC cleaning between tenants. The ducts accumulate layers of dust, skin cells, and pet dander that new occupants breathe from day one. If you just signed a lease in that zone, get the system checked before you unpack.
- Original 1960s sheet metal with no sealing: Table Mesa and Martin Acres homes often retain original ductwork. Joints were never sealed to modern standards. We find gaps pulling crawlspace air, insulation fibers, and fine dust into the supply side. Cleaning fixes the symptom; we also identify the gaps so you know what’s actually happening.
Pricing for HVAC Cleaning in Boulder, CO
A full HVAC cleaning in Boulder, including supply and return duct cleaning, blower cleaning, and air handler cleaning, typically runs $285-$560 depending on system size and the number of returns. Evaporator coil cleaning adds $180-$320. Condenser cleaning runs $110-$190. These are written ranges: you’ll receive an exact price before work starts, not after we’re in your driveway. No per-vent pricing, no coupon math, no “we found something extra.” Haven Standard Clause 1 is a written price delivered before any panel comes off. Call (806) 606-6902 and we’ll put a number in writing.
If another company has quoted you a lower number, bring it. The HVAC Cleaning team puts our price next to theirs in writing, free. That’s the Free Second Opinion, and it’s how every CleanRun customer should make their decision.
Pricing table:
| Service | Boulder Price Range |
|---|---|
| Full HVAC Cleaning | $285-$560 |
| Evaporator Coil Cleaning | $180-$320 |
| Blower Cleaning | $120-$220 |
| Condenser Cleaning | $110-$190 |
| Air Handler Cleaning | $160-$280 |
Boulder’s Wildfire Smoke Problem: Why Cleaning After Smoke Events Matters
The December 2021 Marshall Fire destroyed over 1,000 homes in Superior and Louisville, but Boulder itself was blanketed in smoke and ash for days. What most homeowners don’t realize is that smoke particulate infiltrated HVAC return systems across the entire western metro, including homes miles from any burn structure. Fine ash and char particles pulled into ductwork weeks after the initial event, carried by the same negative pressure your furnace creates every time it runs.
We now make a point of asking every Boulder customer, “Was your system running during the Marshall Fire?” If the answer is yes, or if the homeowner doesn’t know, we adjust the cleaning protocol: a deeper pass on the return side, a HEPA-filtered extraction on both supply and return trunks, and a coil inspection focused on baked-on smoke residue rather than ordinary dust. The contamination from a smoke event is chemically different from household dust. It adheres differently. It smells differently. And it doesn’t go away just because it’s out of sight.
In a Martin Acres ranch from the late 1960s, our crew performed a full HVAC cleaning after the homeowner reported a persistent fire smell months after the Marshall Fire. Using a Rotobrush system with HEPA filtration, we pulled fine ash from the supply and return ducts, then cleaned the evaporator coil and blower motor, restoring airflow and eliminating the odor. That’s not a hypothetical. That’s what this work looks like in Boulder.
Chinook Winds and Boulder’s Dust Problem
Boulder sits at 5,430 feet in a semi-arid climate with extremely low humidity. Fine dust doesn’t bind with moisture; it stays loose and resuspends every time the air handler cycles. Then the Chinook winds arrive, creating rapid pressure differentials that force outdoor air into return ducting. Homes with degraded flex connections leak like sieves during these wind events, pulling road dust, pollen, and whatever particulate is airborne directly into the system.
We see this pattern frequently in Table Mesa and Baseline neighborhoods: homeowners get a cleaning, airflow improves, and within three months the dust is back. The cleaning wasn’t the failure. The unsealed return runs were. Part of our cleaning process is inspecting flex connections and pointing out where the system is pulling in outside air. You deserve to know what’s actually causing the problem, not to pay for the same fix twice.
Trusted Brands We Service in Boulder
We stock common parts for Boulder call-outs and service all major residential brands. Our extraction equipment is Rotobrush and Nikro, professional-grade machines with HEPA filtration. For coil and drain pan treatment where organic growth is present, we use Guardsman antimicrobial products. You can verify all of this before we arrive. No mystery equipment, no proprietary “secret formula.” Just professional tools that do what they claim.
We Also Serve Cities Near Boulder
Beyond Boulder proper, we serve Boulder area homeowners in Lafayette, Broomfield, Westminster, and Thornton. If you’re on the edge of Boulder County or just over the line, the same written pricing, photo documentation, and 365-Day Done Right Promise apply. Call (806) 606-6902 and we’ll confirm coverage for your address.
Serving Boulder, CO - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Boulder area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - HVAC Cleaning in Boulder
Look at your return registers and the inside of the return boot: smoke residue presents as a fine gray-black film that smears rather than brushes away like ordinary household dust. If your system ran during the December 2021 event, or in the weeks following while smoke was still visible, assume contamination was pulled into the return side. The only way to verify is a camera pass inside the ductwork, which we include in every estimate. Call (806) 606-6902 and we’ll show you exactly what’s inside your ducts before quoting a price.
Because Boulder’s Chinook wind events push outdoor air into return ducting through gaps and degraded flex connections. The dust isn’t being generated inside your home; it’s being pulled in from outside every time the wind shifts. If your ducts were cleaned and the dust returned within a few months, the return side likely has unsealed joints. We inspect flex runs and main trunks as part of every cleaning, not just the interior surfaces, and we’ll document what we find with photos.
Not necessarily. The determining factors are how long the smoke event lasted, how close the smoke was to ground level, and whether your system ran during it. A single smoky afternoon with your HVAC off is very different from the Marshall Fire’s weeks-long smoldering with your furnace cycling normally. If you’re unsure, we’ll do a camera inspection and tell you honestly whether cleaning is warranted. If it’s not, we’ll say so. Call (806) 606-6902 to schedule an inspection.
Yes, and it’s common in that zone. Student turnover means HVAC cleaning rarely happens between tenants, and it’s not unusual for us to find a decade of accumulated dust, skin cells, and allergen particulate in University Hill ductwork. If you just moved in and the air feels heavy or smells stale, the ducts are the likely culprit. We clean rentals in Boulder regularly and provide the landlord with photo documentation of what was pulled out. Call (806) 606-6902 for a written quote.
Yes, and in Boulder’s low humidity the difference is measurable. A coil caked with fine dust and baked-on particulate can’t transfer heat efficiently, so the system runs longer to hit the same setpoint. Cleaning the coil reduces runtime, lowers energy use, and improves cooling capacity. In homes near open space or unpaved roads, we also apply a coil treatment that slows re-soiling. Expect coil cleaning in Boulder to run $180-$320 as a separate line item. Call (806) 606-6902 for an exact written price.
Contact CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning in Boulder
If your Boulder home has never had a documented HVAC cleaning, or if it ran during the Marshall Fire, or if dust returns a month after you clean, call us at (806) 606-6902. We’ll provide a written price before any work begins, photograph every duct run before and after, and back the entire job with the 365-Day Done Right Promise. No coupons, no bait pricing, no surprises. Just documented evidence of work actually completed.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning, serving Boulder and the Front Range since 2013.