Commercial dryer vent cleaning is priced per unit, and for most multifamily properties the number lands between $18 and $35 per unit. That is a wide band, and the spread is not arbitrary — it reflects real differences in how long each vent takes and what equipment reaches it. Here is exactly what moves the price.
The Per-Unit Model
Unlike residential work, which is priced per job, commercial multifamily is priced per unit. A 240-unit community at $24 per unit is a $5,760 project. This model makes budgeting straightforward: you know your unit count, so you know your cost, and you can compare the number year over year and property to property.
Anyone quoting a lump sum without reference to unit count and termination type is either padding or guessing.
What Pushes Price Up or Down
| Factor | Effect on Per-Unit Price |
|---|---|
| Ground-level wall terminations | Lowest cost — fast access, no equipment |
| Second and third floor wall caps | Modest increase — ladder work |
| Roof terminations, low-rise | Higher — roof access, fall protection |
| High-rise vertical risers | Highest — rooftop access, long-run equipment, longer per unit |
| Long horizontal duct runs | Higher — more brush length, more time per vent |
| Underground / crawlspace runs | Higher — access and specialist equipment |
| Never cleaned / heavy loading | Higher on first clean, drops on subsequent cycles |
| Portfolio commitment | Lower — multi-property rates |
Typical Real-World Ranges
- Garden-style, ground and second floor wall caps: $18–24 per unit
- Three-storey garden, mixed wall and roof: $22–28 per unit
- Mid-rise with longer runs: $26–32 per unit
- High-rise with rooftop risers: $30–35+ per unit
- Portfolio rates (multiple properties): typically 10–15% below single-property pricing
What Should Be Included at That Price
A quote at the ranges above should include: full-length cleaning of the entire duct run (not just the accessible ends), exterior termination cleaning, airflow verification at every unit, before and after photos of every vent, a deficiency report, resident notice coordination and a completion certificate. If a cheaper quote excludes photo documentation, you are not buying the same product — you are buying cleaning without proof, which serves the vent but not your compliance file.
The First Clean Costs More Than the Second
A property whose vents have never been cleaned carries years of compacted lint. The first clean takes longer per unit and turns up more deficiencies — crushed ducts, disconnected transitions, failed dampers — which need documenting and often repairing. Budget the first cycle at the top of your band. Subsequent annual cycles run faster and cheaper.
Comparing Quotes Fairly
Ask every bidder the same four questions. Do you clean the full duct run or only the accessible ends? Do you photograph every unit before and after? Do you verify airflow at every unit? What is your process for units you cannot access? The answers separate a $22 quote that does the job from a $16 quote that does not.
Get a firm per-unit quote for your property — satellite assessment, response within 24 hours.