Upstairs laundry? Where your dryer vent goes, and what cleaning it costs
$179
Dryer vent cleaning (roof or second-floor exit)
When the laundry room is upstairs, the dryer duct has to travel a long way to reach the outside, and where it exits decides the price. A roof or second-floor exit is $179. A first-floor wall exit is $129. This page shows the layouts we see, how to find your exit in five minutes, and what to check yourself before you book anything.
Written by Steve · Reviewed October 20, 2026
- Before-and-after camera proof on every job
- No on-site upsells, no add-on commissions
- 90-day guarantee
What's included for $179
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Finding the exit and confirming the price
The technician traces where the duct leaves the house, then confirms the price before any work starts. If it is a wall exit at ground level, you pay the lower price.
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The full run, brushed from both ends
On a long upstairs run, working from the dryer and from the exit gives a better result than working from inside alone.
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Lint trap cavity and transition hose
The housing under the lint screen is vacuumed, and the flexible hose behind the dryer is checked for crushing, kinks and foil material.
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Airflow test, before and after
Measured at the exit, so the change is a number rather than a feeling.
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Exit and flapper check
The cap or hood is cleared, the flapper is freed, and any nesting material is photographed before it is removed.
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Camera proof
Before-and-after footage and the readings are sent to your phone before the technician leaves.
Signs you need this
- The laundry room is upstairs and the dryer takes more than one cycle to dry a load.
- The laundry room or the hallway outside it gets warm and humid while the dryer runs.
- You have never found a vent hood on an outside wall near the laundry room.
- A small hooded cap sits on the roof above the laundry room, or on an upper wall near it.
- Nobody knows when the duct was last cleaned, and the house has had more than one owner.
When you don't need this
If your laundry room is on the ground floor and you can see a vent hood on an outside wall, you do not need this page. Book the standard cleaning at $129 instead. If your vent was professionally cleaned within the last year and your dryer still finishes a load in one cycle, wait. If you are not sure which layout you have, a camera inspection and airflow test is $89, and it tells you whether a cleaning is worth buying before you pay for one.
Three layouts, three prices
An upstairs laundry room does not decide the price. The exit does.
Up through the attic to a roof cap. The duct runs up from the dryer, along or through the attic, and ends in a small hooded cap on the roof. This is the most common layout in newer Valley homes with an upstairs laundry room. It takes roof access, so it is $179. The page on roof dryer vents covers the roof side in detail.
Out through an upper exterior wall. The duct leaves through a hood high on a wall of the house. It needs a ladder rather than a roof climb, and it is still a second-floor exit, so it is $179.
Down to a ground-level wall. In some homes the duct runs down inside a wall or floor cavity to a hood near the ground. That is a longer, harder-to-see run, but the exit is at ground level. Tell us what you see, and the technician confirms the price at the door.
If you are not sure which one you have, you do not have to guess. The technician traces it before any work starts, and if the price is lower than you were quoted, you pay the lower price.
Five minutes to find your exit
- Stand at the dryer and look at where the duct goes into the wall or ceiling.
- Walk outside and look at the wall near the laundry room, upper and lower, for a vent hood with a flap.
- Look at the roof above the laundry room for a small hooded cap.
- Start a load and go outside. If you find the hood or cap, you should feel a steady push of warm air and see the flap held open.
That last check comes from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which says to check the outside vent while the dryer runs to make sure exhaust air is coming out. The dryer fire prevention checklist lists the rest.
What you can do yourself, and where to stop
The lint filter, the area behind the dryer and the hose are all yours to check. The DIY dryer vent cleaning guide walks through them. Past the wall, an upstairs run is long and hidden, and the exit may be on a roof. That is where measured airflow and camera footage make the difference, because you cannot see inside the duct from the outside.
If you only want to know whether you have a problem, a camera inspection and airflow test is $89. If your dryer already shows the signs of a clogged vent, go straight to the cleaning.
What the price covers
$179 covers the full run, the exit, the flapper, the lint trap cavity and the transition hose, with an airflow reading before and after and camera proof on your phone before we leave. A standard first-floor wall exit is $129. For what a fair price looks like, see the dryer vent cost guide.
What it costs in the Phoenix metro
| Service | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Dryer vent cleaning (roof or second-floor exit) | $179 | per job |
| Dryer vent cleaningWall exit, first floor, up to 25 ft. Lint trap cavity, transition hose check, airflow test, camera proof. | $129 | per job |
| Dryer vent camera inspection + airflow test | $89 | per job |
Add-ons, only with your approval
Nothing here gets added to your job unless you approve it by text first. Techs earn no commission on add-ons.
| Service | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Bird nest removal + guard install | +$49 | per job |
| Transition hose replacement (semi-rigid metal) | +$29 | per job |
How the visit works
- Trace the exit Roof cap, upper wall, or a long run down to a ground-level wall. The exit type is confirmed with you before any work starts.
- Protect the laundry area Drop cloth behind the dryer and floor protection on the walk path.
- Baseline airflow reading Taken at the exit, so there is a starting number.
- Clean the run from both ends Brush and vacuum driven from the dryer connection and from the exit, which matters most on a long run with several elbows.
- Clear the exit and the flapper Anything blocking the cap or hood is removed and photographed.
- Reconnect and re-test Hose clamped, dryer returned to position, second airflow reading taken.
- Send the proof Footage, both readings and photos go to your phone before the technician leaves.
Photos from real jobs
Real photos from our jobs, resized but not retouched. Each one is labeled with the city and month it was taken.
What makes this different in the Phoenix metro
Upstairs laundry is common in newer two-story homes
Many two-story homes in the Valley put the laundry room upstairs. The duct then runs through the attic or a wall cavity to reach the outside, and that run is longer than a first-floor wall exit.
Three layouts we see
The duct goes up through the attic to a roof cap, out through an upper exterior wall, or down through the wall and floor to a ground-level exit. The exit, not the room, sets the price.
Hot attics shape the schedule
From roughly May through September, attic and roof work is booked in the morning. Afternoon attic temperatures are unsafe and hard on materials.
Birds like warm exits
A roof cap or high wall hood is warm, sheltered and the right size. Nesting material blocks the flapper and packs the last stretch of the run.
Long runs hide buildup
You can feel weak airflow at the exit, but you cannot see what is inside the run. That is why we measure airflow and photograph the duct.
Our standards and the guarantee
The work is done by vetted, insured independent technicians. You hire Proof Vent & Duct, you pay Proof Vent & Duct, and you hold Proof Vent & Duct accountable. Technicians are paid after they upload proof of the work, not before.
Every job produces a before-and-after record: photos, video where it helps, and measured readings. It goes to your phone and stays attached to the job.
The guarantee runs 90 days. If the result is not what we documented, we come back and make it right, or you do not pay for it.
Know the price before we show up. See the proof before we leave.
How we vet technicians How a visit works Read the full guarantee See photos from real jobs
Where we work across the Phoenix metro
We cover the Phoenix metro, from the West Valley through Phoenix and Scottsdale out to the southeast Valley. Flat pricing is the same in every city we serve.
Related services
Questions we get from Phoenix customers
- How do I find out where my dryer vent goes?
- Start at the dryer and follow the duct. Then walk the outside of the house near the laundry room and look for a vent hood on the wall, upper or lower. Look at the roof above the laundry room for a small hooded cap. If you find neither, the duct likely exits somewhere you cannot see, and the technician confirms it at the door.
- Which price applies to an upstairs laundry room?
- It depends on the exit, not the room. A roof or second-floor exit is $179. A first-floor wall exit is $129, even if the laundry room is upstairs. The technician confirms the exit before work starts, and you pay the price for what is actually there.
- Why is an upstairs vent more work?
- The run is longer, it usually has more elbows, and the exit is often on the roof or high on a wall. That means longer setup, ladder or roof access and more of the duct to clear. The cleaning itself is the same.
- How can I tell if my vent is blocked?
- Clothes that need a second cycle are the main sign. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also says to check the outside vent while the dryer runs, to make sure exhaust air is coming out. If it is not, the vent or the exhaust duct may be blocked.
- Can I clean an upstairs dryer vent myself?
- You can do the lint filter, the hose behind the dryer and the outdoor flap check. A long run through an attic or up to a roof is hard to clean and harder to verify, and roof work is a fall risk. Our DIY guide explains where to stop.
- Do you work on tile roofs?
- Only where it is safe. Concrete tile cracks under careless footing, so the technician works from proper access points. If the roof cannot be reached safely, we stop and tell you rather than risk damage.
- What if there is a bird nest in the cap?
- Nest removal is $49 with a guard, added to the cleaning. If we find eggs or live chicks, we stop and reschedule rather than clear an active nest.
- What is the guarantee?
- 90 days. If airflow at the exit is not measurably better after we clean, we come back and make it right, or you do not pay for the cleaning.
Guides worth reading first
- Signs your dryer vent is cloggedThe clearest signs of a clogged dryer vent are clothes that need two cycles to dry, a laundry room that gets hot while the dryer runs, a burning or musty smell, no air moving at the outside vent, and the dryer shutting itself off mid-load.
- DIY dryer vent cleaning: the parts worth doing yourselfMost of a dryer vent check is free and takes about five minutes: clean the lint filter, look behind the dryer, and watch the outdoor flap while a load runs.
- Dryer fire prevention: the checklist federal safety agencies publishTwo federal agencies publish the same short list for preventing a clothes dryer fire: clean the lint filter every load, keep the vent and exhaust duct clear, check that the outdoor flap opens, and use rigid or semi-rigid metal duct.
- What dryer vent cleaning costs in PhoenixIn the Phoenix metro we charge $129 for a standard first-floor wall exit and $179 where the dryer vents through the roof or from a second floor.
Ready when you are
Published price. Camera proof. No on-site upsells.