Whole-home duct cleaning
Dryer vent cleaning
Camera inspection
Sanitizing & deodorizingWhole-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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AfterVideo Inspection in San Jose, CA
Video inspection is how we look inside your ductwork with a small, high-resolution camera before deciding whether cleaning is enough or something more serious is going on. Most San Jose homeowners call us for this when they suspect mold, rodent activity, a disconnected duct, or a blockage they can’t explain. If you’re noticing dust that comes right back after a cleaning, odd smells from certain vents, or rooms that never seem to heat or cool evenly, a camera look inside the ducts usually gives us the answer in under an hour. Call Kestrel Air Duct San Jose at (669) 220-7869 and we’ll walk you through what we’re seeing, on-site, in plain English.
This service is part of our full Air Duct Cleaning in San Jose work. Some companies treat video inspection as an add-on or an upsell. We treat it as a diagnostic step: you should know what’s in your ducts before anyone starts cleaning them. That’s the whole point of our broader Air Duct Cleaning approach, and it’s why we show you the camera feed live while we work.
When You Need Video Inspection
Not every home needs a camera pushed through every duct. But in San Jose, where summer fire season leaves fine ash in the air and winter brings rain that can push moisture into crawlspaces, certain symptoms are worth a closer look. Here are the situations where video inspection saves you money and guesswork:
- Dust returns within weeks of a cleaning. If a previous company cleaned your ducts and the dust came right back, there’s often a disconnected return duct pulling air from an attic or crawlspace. A camera finds that in minutes.
- You smell something you can’t place. Musty smells often mean moisture in the duct lining. A camera shows us exactly which section is affected so we don’t have to open walls or guess.
- You’ve had rodents or pests. San Jose neighborhoods with mature trees and older homes see rodent activity in crawlspaces and duct runs. Video shows us droppings, nesting material, and chewed duct sections so we know what needs cleaning versus replacement.
- One room is always too hot or too cold. A crushed or disconnected branch duct will do that. The camera locates the problem in the exact run, which means the repair is targeted instead of a full-system guess.
- You’re buying or selling a home. A pre-purchase duct inspection gives you real evidence of what’s inside the system before you negotiate. Sellers use it to prove the ducts were clean and intact at time of sale.
- After a remodel or construction. Drywall dust, sawdust, and debris settle in ducts fast. Before you pay for a full cleaning, a camera confirms how much material is in there and whether it’s settled or caked onto duct walls.
Our Video Inspection Process
We keep this straightforward. Here’s how a video inspection goes when you call Kestrel Air Duct San Jose:
- We open the system at the right point. Usually that’s a main supply plenum or a return box. The goal is to get the camera into the trunk line first, then each branch run.
- We run the camera through every accessible duct. The camera head is small enough to navigate turns and flex sections, and it transmits a live feed to a monitor we watch in real time. You’re welcome to watch with us.
- We mark what we find. Every issue gets noted by its location in the system: supply trunk, return drop, branch to a specific room. That way nothing is vague when we sit down to talk about it.
- We show you the footage. You see what we see. If there’s a buildup, a tear, a disconnected joint, or moisture staining, we point it out on screen and explain what it means.
- We give you a written recommendation. If the ducts just need cleaning, we quote exactly that. If there’s damage that needs a repair or a section that needs replacement, we tell you and we don’t pressure you to decide on the spot.
- You keep the video. We can provide still images or a copy of the footage so you have a record of what your ducts looked like on the day we inspected them.
If cleaning is what’s needed, our technicians use professional-grade equipment to do it right. A Nikro negative-pressure unit pulls loosened debris out of the ducts while we work, and Abatement Technologies HEPA filtration keeps the particles we dislodge from re-entering your living space. That’s the difference between a cleaning that lasts and one that just stirs things around.
Video Inspection Pricing in San Jose
Most video inspections in San Jose run between $150 and $350 when done as a standalone diagnostic. If the inspection is part of a full duct cleaning job, the cost typically drops to between $75 and $150 because we’re already on-site with equipment open and in place. Here’s what shapes the final number:
- Home size and duct count. A 2-bedroom condo with 6 to 8 duct runs takes less time than a 4-bedroom house with 14 to 16 runs and two return drops.
- Access difficulty. If your furnace is in a tight closet or a low-clearance crawlspace, setup takes longer. Homes with attic systems are usually faster to access.
- Condition of the system. If ducts are lined with years of caked debris, it takes longer to get a clear view of the duct walls. The camera still works, but we move more slowly to be thorough.
- What we find. If the inspection reveals a problem that needs deeper investigation, like moisture staining in an inaccessible section, we’ll quote the additional diagnostic work separately before any of it happens.
Every inspection comes with a written price before we start. That’s not a courtesy; it’s how we’ve operated under the Kingswell Guarantee since 2004. The number we quote is the number you pay. Call (669) 220-7869 and we’ll give you a range over the phone based on your home’s size and age, then confirm the exact figure in writing before the camera goes in.
What Video Inspection Can and Can’t Do
We want you to have realistic expectations, because honest answers serve you better than a camera that overpromises. A video inspection shows us the interior of your ducts: buildup levels, tears, disconnections, moisture stains, pest evidence, and blockages. What it cannot do is see through walls to inspect duct sections that are fully enclosed and inaccessible without cutting an access point. It also can’t measure airflow volume or pressure balance, which are separate diagnostic tests. For most San Jose homes, though, the camera answers the core question: what’s actually inside my ducts, and do they need cleaning or repair?
FAQs – Video Inspection
How much does a video duct inspection cost in San Jose?
A standalone video inspection in San Jose typically costs $150 to $350 depending on home size, duct count, and access difficulty. When bundled with a full duct cleaning, expect $75 to $150 for the inspection. Call (669) 220-7869 for a written quote before we schedule anything.
Can you do a video inspection the same day?
Yes, in most cases. We keep inspection appointments open for same-day and next-day scheduling across San Jose. If you’ve got a smell, a pest concern, or a room that won’t heat, call (669) 220-7869 and we’ll tell you the earliest window we can be there.
Is video inspection worth it before a duct cleaning?
For most homes, yes. If your ducts are relatively clean and well-sealed, the camera confirms it and you may not need a full cleaning at all. If there’s a problem, the video tells us exactly what it is before we quote the work, which means no surprise findings mid-job. You’re paying for certainty, and that’s usually cheaper than cleaning blind.
Do you show me the video during the inspection?
Yes, live. The camera feed displays on a monitor in real time, and we invite you to watch with us. If you can’t be in the room the whole time, we’ll walk you through the key findings immediately after and provide still images from the footage.
What happens if the video inspection finds a problem?
We explain what we found, where it is, and what it means in plain terms. Then we give you a written recommendation: clean, repair, or leave it alone. There’s no pressure to decide on the spot. If the issue is something our team can fix during a cleaning visit, we’ll quote that work separately and in writing.
Why San Jose Homeowners Call Kestrel for Video Inspections
Kestrel Air Duct San Jose is part of the Kingswell family of companies, founded in 2004 and built on a simple rule: the written price comes before work begins, the arrival window is honored, the job site is left cleaner than we found it, and the work carries a written guarantee. Our 365-Day Done Right Promise means exactly what it says: if something we did falls short within a year, we come back and make it right at no charge. That includes a free return visit if the work doesn’t hold up. Not a courtesy, not a judgment call. It’s in writing.
The Kingswell Way code governs every visit. Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and equipped with Rotobrush, Nikro, and Abatement Technologies gear, not box-store equipment. They say the price, show up in the window they gave, leave the place cleaner, put the guarantee in writing, and come back if it fails. For homeowners who want to maintain cleaner air between professional visits, we also offer Honeywell and Aprilaire filtration products. Call (669) 220-7869 any time, day or night. A live person answers, not a voicemail queue. We’ll answer your questions, give you a straight price range, and schedule a window we actually keep.
Written by Dale Whitmore, Owner at Kestrel Air Duct San Jose, serving San Jose.