Planning
How to Vet a Commercial Duct Cleaning Contractor
Ten questions. The answers tell you more than any quote comparison will.
3 min read · Reviewed by Gabriel M.
Marietta Toyota dealership — Hurricane Group van on-site for after-hours HVAC service
Ask these before you compare price
A quote is only comparable if the scope is. Most of the spread between commercial duct cleaning bids comes from what the low bid quietly left out.
- ✓ Which certifications do the technicians on my job hold?
- ✓ Does the scope include the air handler, coil, blower and drain pan?
- ✓ How will negative pressure be established and the section isolated?
- ✓ How are access panels cut and permanently sealed?
- ✓ What is your commercial general liability and workers' comp coverage?
- ✓ Who is on site supervising, and are crews employees or subcontractors?
- ✓ What documentation do I receive, and does it include before-and-after photos per unit?
- ✓ How will you protect occupied space and work around our hours?
- ✓ What happens if you find damaged liner, mold or a failed pan?
- ✓ Can you provide references from facilities like mine in Metro Atlanta?
Red flags
Per-vent pricing quoted over the phone without seeing the building. Quotes that exclude the air handler. Antimicrobial fogging offered as the main service. Reluctance to name the isolation method. No photographic documentation. Pressure to sign on the spot.
Common questions
- Is the cheapest bid ever right?
- Only when its scope genuinely matches the others. Line the scopes up side by side before comparing totals.
- Should the contractor be insured for occupied work?
- Yes, and you should see the certificate naming your building, especially for lift and overhead work.
- Does certification matter?
- It signals training in source removal, containment and standards — which is exactly where bad jobs go wrong.
Keep reading
Talk to a commercial crew, not a call center
Commercial Air Care services commercial facilities across Metro Atlanta with IICRC-certified crews and per-unit photo documentation on every job.