We clean dryer vents along the whole path, from the outlet behind the dryer through the wall or crawlspace to the cap outside, and we swap out crushed or foil ducts. We're serving Bethany, Cedar Mill, Beaverton and nearby neighborhoods. A Portland-area vent cleaning usually costs $103-$188, about $143 typical, labour only, going by November 2026 market data . A long run, a roof cap or a duct that needs replacing costs more; see our price list. To book, text two pictures: one behind the dryer, one of the vent cap outside.
What does dryer vent cleaning include?
We start at the lint screen housing, then the short transition hose behind the dryer, then the run inside the wall, floor or crawlspace, and finish at the cap outside and its flap. A brush on flexible rods works from one end, a vacuum pulls from the other, and then we run the dryer to watch the flap open.
With the machine away from the wall, we check what the air passes through: a kinked hose, a vinyl or foil one, a joint that slipped apart, a cap with a screen over it. We tell you what we find .
This isn't air-duct or furnace cleaning; we don't do HVAC work. We also don't disconnect or reconnect gas lines, and we don't repair dryers. Here's what we leave to other trades.
How much does dryer vent cleaning or rerouting cost?
These are Portland-area market figures, since Slava hasn't set ours yet. Both rows are labour only, so duct, foil tape and a new cap come on top .
| Job | Range (Portland market) | Typical | Hours | Unit | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dryer vent cleaning | $103-$188 | $143 | 1.5 | per job | labour only |
| Replace a crushed or long duct, or reroute it | $250-$900 | $450 | 3.5 | per job | labour only |
What moves the price is how far the air travels and how many bends it takes. A dryer backed up to an outside wall is the cheap case. A run under the floor through a crawlspace, or one that climbs to the roof, takes longer . So do stacked units, closet installs and upstairs laundries.
How often do dryer vents need a cleaning?
Most advice says once a year. Large families, long runs and daily drying all shorten that. In between, empty the lint screen every load.
The habit matters. In U.S. Fire Administration figures on home clothes dryer fires for 2018-2020, skipped cleaning came out as the top contributing factor, behind 31 % of those fires. Around here, from October to April almost nobody hangs washing outside, and the machine carries every load all winter.
How can you tell a dryer vent is clogged?
- Clothes are still damp after a normal cycle.
- The laundry room gets hot and sticky while the dryer runs.
- You smell something scorched.
- The flap outside barely lifts, or stays shut, with the dryer on.
- Lint collects on the siding or the ground under the cap.
- The dryer shuts itself off mid-cycle; many models cut out when they overheat.
If the vent turns out clear and the clothes still won't dry, the dryer itself needs an appliance repair shop. With a gas dryer, a blocked vent can push exhaust back into the house, so a CO alarm near the laundry is worth having.
Can you clean a dryer vent yourself?
Often, yes. The usual kit is a rotary brush on flexible rods turned by a drill, plus a shop vac; some people blow the line out with a leaf blower from inside.
DIY makes sense when the dryer sits on an outside wall and the duct goes a few feet straight through it. It gets harder when the run crosses a crawlspace or attic, ends on the roof, or hides behind a stacked or closet unit.
When is a dryer duct past cleaning and due for replacement?
White vinyl hose and thin foil accordion hose trap lint in their ridges and fold flat when the dryer gets pushed back. Inside the wall, screws through the joints poke into the airflow and snag lint, and a screened cap or a sticking flap keeps choking the line.
What goes in instead is semi-rigid or rigid metal duct, joints sealed with foil tape, and a cap whose flap closes on its own. A dryer tight to the wall gets a periscope duct or a recessed vent box. Every extra foot and elbow slows the air, and slow air drops lint. The dryer's installation manual lists the longest run and the number of elbows that model allows .
A reroute gives the air a shorter, straighter way out, which sometimes needs a new hole through the wall . If the old opening inside gets closed, we can patch the old hole inside.
Where should a dryer vent go?
A vented dryer always goes outside. Most condensing and heat-pump dryers are ventless and need no duct. Ending one in the crawlspace, attic or garage dumps warm, wet air and lint where a house least wants them.
A lot of 1960s-80s houses on the west side sit over a crawlspace, and a dryer line under the floor can come apart at a joint and blow into it unseen .
Outside, the cap needs room for the flap to swing and no shrubs pressed against it. Years of damp exhaust on one patch of siding can soften the wood. Catch soft siding around the cap early.
How long does a visit take, and what should you do beforehand?
A cleaning usually takes well under half a day; a duct replacement or reroute takes longer .
Clear the space around the washer and dryer so the dryer can come out, and leave the side gate open with pets inside. For a quote, send a picture behind the dryer and one of the cap, plus where the laundry is (main floor, upstairs or garage), gas or electric, and whether the vent exits through a wall or the roof. Hooking a new dryer up to existing laundry boxes is hookup work, priced on its own.