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
AfterVideo Inspection in Alpharetta, GA
Duct video inspection is a diagnostic service where a small camera is fed through your duct system to photograph and record conditions inside every run – debris accumulation, liner tears, disconnected joints, mold colonies, pest intrusion, and construction-era debris that a vacuum alone would never reveal. In Alpharetta, where a large share of homes were built between 1994 and 2008 using flex-duct layouts that are prone to sagging and separation, a camera is often the only way to know whether a cleaning is actually needed or whether a repair belongs on the scope first. CleanRun Duct Repair & Cleaning has been running cameras through Alpharetta ductwork since 2013, and every inspection concludes with a written price for any Air Duct Cleaning services or repairs recommended and a documented photo record you keep – not a verbal summary you have to take on faith.
If you’d like to schedule an inspection or ask a specific question before committing to anything, call us directly at (678) 679-7540 – a live person answers every call, any time of day. For broader context on what a full cleaning involves and how it connects to this inspection step, see our Air Duct Cleaning in Alpharetta page.
When You Need Video Inspection
A visual inspection through the register opening tells you what’s within two or three feet of the grille. A camera tells you what’s at the first elbow, the second elbow, the plenum junction, and every straight run in between. There are specific situations where skipping the camera creates real risk – either of paying for cleaning work that doesn’t fix the underlying problem, or of missing a condition that affects air quality and equipment efficiency.
- You’re buying or have recently bought a home in Alpharetta. Homes in Johns Creek, Windward, and the older sections of North Alpharetta frequently have original flex-duct systems that have never been inspected. A camera run before the first cleaning gives you a documented baseline – what was there before anyone touched it.
- Your HVAC system is losing efficiency and the cause isn’t obvious. If energy bills are climbing but the equipment checks out, the duct system is the next logical place to look. A collapsed flex-duct section or a disconnected trunk line in the crawl space can cut airflow to a room by 30 to 40 percent without triggering any system alert.
- You smell something musty from one or more registers. In Alpharetta’s humid summers, condensation inside improperly insulated duct runs creates the moisture conditions mold needs. The camera locates the specific run and documents what’s present before any remediation scope is written.
- A contractor recently did work in your attic or crawl space. HVAC trade literature consistently documents how renovation debris – insulation fragments, drywall dust, wood shavings – ends up inside duct runs during other trades’ work. A camera confirms whether it happened and how far material traveled.
- You’ve seen evidence of pests in or near the ductwork. Rodent intrusion is not uncommon in older Alpharetta homes with crawl-space duct systems. The camera documents entry points and the extent of contamination before any cleaning or sealing quote is produced.
- A previous cleaning company claimed the work was done but you have no documentation. CleanRun offers a free second opinion on any written estimate. If a competitor left no photo record, a camera run through your system tells you exactly what was – or wasn’t – cleaned.
Our Video Inspection Process
Every camera run CleanRun performs in Alpharetta follows the same documented sequence. Nothing is verbal-only; the record travels with you when we leave.
- Written scope and price before the camera comes out of the case. Under Haven Standard Clause 1, you receive a written price for the inspection before any equipment is set up. The phrase “call for a quote” does not appear in our process at any point. You know the number; you approve it; then we start.
- System map and access-point confirmation. The technician traces your duct layout from the air handler outward – supply trunk, branch runs, returns – and marks the number of runs, register locations, and any access points in the crawl space or attic. In Alpharetta homes with two-story layouts and split systems, this step often reveals duct sections that weren’t on the original building plan.
- Camera insertion at each register and return opening. We use a flexible inspection camera with LED lighting and on-board video recording, fed through each register opening and, where accessible, directly into the plenum and main trunk. The camera captures still frames at every notable finding – debris deposits, liner wrinkles, joint separations, moisture staining, or biological growth.
- Real-time review with the homeowner. You watch the feed as it runs. We stop at every significant finding, name what’s visible in plain language, and explain what it means for cleaning or repair scope. The camera showed a 2-inch debris layer at the first elbow is the kind of sentence we use. “Your ducts are really dirty” is not.
- Documented photo record compiled and delivered. Every still frame captured during the inspection is compiled into a dated photo record – organized by run – and delivered to you as a standard job deliverable before the technician leaves the property. This is the same documentation standard CleanRun has held since its first job in 2013, on every one of the 52,000-plus homes we’ve served.
- Written recommendations with itemized pricing. If the inspection finds conditions that warrant cleaning, repair, or further assessment, you receive a written recommendation with a line-item price for each item. No bundled totals, no “starting at” language. If you want to compare it to a competitor’s written estimate, our free second opinion process puts both numbers on paper side by side.
Before
AfterWhat the Camera Typically Finds in Alpharetta Homes
Alpharetta’s housing stock skews toward subdivisions built between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s, when flex-duct systems were the standard install for two-story homes on slab or with shallow crawl spaces. That combination produces specific, predictable findings.
Flex-duct sagging is the most common finding in homes built in this era. When a flex-duct run loses its support strapping – or was never strapped correctly to begin with – the inner liner collapses into a low point that collects debris and restricts airflow. The camera shows the collapse location precisely. Without a camera, the only symptom is a weak register in one room, which most homeowners assume is a damper issue.
In homes near Wills Road and the older parts of Windward that have crawl-space duct systems, the camera frequently finds joint separations where a flex-duct collar has pulled off a sheet-metal boot. Conditioned air is being delivered directly into the crawl space rather than into the living area. That finding has both comfort and moisture implications.
Construction-era debris is also common in homes that haven’t had a documented cleaning since the original build. Drywall dust and insulation fibers from the original construction are compacted against the first elbow of each supply run. Abatement Technologies extraction equipment, which CleanRun uses on Commercial Duct Cleaning and residential jobs, removes this debris under negative pressure – but only after the camera confirms its location and volume.
Video Inspection Pricing in Alpharetta
Duct video inspection in Alpharetta is quoted as a flat written price before the job starts, consistent with Haven Standard Clause 1. The ranges below reflect CleanRun’s current Alpharetta-market pricing; your written quote will be specific to your home’s duct layout and access conditions.
- Standard inspection (single-system home, up to 12 runs): $149 – $229
- Two-system home or home with more than 12 runs: $229 – $349
- Inspection bundled with a same-day Air Duct Cleaning: Inspection fee is credited toward the cleaning scope when both are completed on the same visit, reducing the total written price accordingly.
- Crawl-space or attic access required (beyond standard reach): Add $40 – $80 depending on access conditions and run count in non-standard areas.
What affects the final number: the number of individual duct runs, whether your system has a crawl space or attic duct section that requires physical access, and whether the inspection is being done as a standalone diagnostic or as the first step of a cleaning job already on the schedule. All of that is visible in your written quote before anything is approved.
There is no “call for a quote” step at CleanRun. Call (678) 679-7540 and ask for a written price – we’ll give you a real number for your specific home, not a range that expands when the truck arrives.
The Documentation You Receive
The deliverable isn’t the camera run – it’s the record the camera run produces. Every Alpharetta inspection CleanRun completes generates a dated photo set organized by duct run, with findings noted in plain language next to the relevant frames. If the inspection finds nothing of concern, that’s what the record says. If it finds a collapsed liner in the second-floor return, a disconnected collar at the air handler, and debris accumulation at three supply elbows, each of those findings appears in the record with a photograph and a written description.
That record travels with you. If you use it to get a second opinion from another company, you’re holding documented evidence of your duct system’s actual condition rather than someone else’s verbal characterization of it. That’s the point.
CleanRun backs every job – including inspection jobs – under the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If something we documented or recommended turns out to have been assessed incorrectly, we make it right. In writing, not subject to manager approval.
How Video Inspection Connects to the Rest of Your Duct System Service
Video inspection is the diagnostic layer that makes everything downstream accurate. A cleaning scope written without a camera is an estimate based on probability, not on what’s actually inside your specific system. A repair quote written without a camera is a guess about where the problem is and how far it extends.
CleanRun’s home page gives a full picture of the services we offer and how they fit together across the duct system. The inspection step feeds directly into cleaning scope, repair scope, and – where findings warrant it – indoor air quality assessment. Every one of those steps follows the same documented process: written price first, photo record at the end, 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing before the truck leaves.
For homeowners who are specifically evaluating whether their full duct system needs cleaning alongside the inspection, the full scope of that service is covered on our Air Duct Cleaning in Alpharetta page, including what the cleaning process involves, what the Rotobrush and Nikro equipment does during a job, and how the before-and-after photo record is structured.
FAQs – Video Inspection in Alpharetta
How much does duct video inspection cost in Alpharetta?
Duct video inspection in Alpharetta typically costs $149 to $349 depending on system size, number of duct runs, and whether crawl-space or attic access is needed, which affects How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost? (2026 Price Guide) - Alpharetta, GA overall. CleanRun delivers a written price specific to your home before any work starts – no estimate that expands at the job site. Call (678) 679-7540 for a written quote before you commit to anything.
Can the camera tell me whether my ducts actually need cleaning?
Yes – that’s the primary reason to run a camera before writing a cleaning scope. The footage and still frames show the actual debris volume, location, and type inside each run. If the camera shows a system that doesn’t warrant full cleaning, we say so in the written record and don’t sell you an Air Duct Cleaning Near Me in Alpharetta, GA job you don’t need. If it shows debris accumulation, liner damage, or biological growth that cleaning would address, that finding appears in the photo record with a written recommendation and a line-item price.
How long does a video inspection take in a typical Alpharetta home?
A standard single-system home in Alpharetta with up to 12 runs typically takes 75 to 120 minutes from equipment setup through photo record delivery. Two-system homes or those with crawl-space duct sections take longer – usually 2 to 3 hours. You’ll know the estimated time when you receive your written quote, so the day isn’t open-ended.
What happens if the camera finds something serious – like mold or a disconnected duct?
The finding is documented in the photo record with a still frame and a plain-language description, and a written repair or remediation recommendation with a line-item price is prepared before the technician leaves. Nothing is done without your approval of the written scope. If you want a second opinion, CleanRun will put its written price next to any competitor’s written estimate at no charge – that’s our standard free second opinion process. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies to any repair work you approve and have completed.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Alpharetta, serving Alpharetta since 2013.