Air Duct Cleaning Cost 2026: $300–$700 Typical US Range

Cleaning one single-family HVAC system — the supply ducts, the returns, and the registers, the labor in one price — often clusters around $300–$700. That is the typical air duct cleaning cost. How much does air duct cleaning cost in that scope? It is that one system, not a dryer vent and not a new furnace. Duct cleaning cost, when the labor is in the price, is the same band. HVAC duct cleaning cost, when the ducts serve the heating and the cooling, is the same band. Duct cleaning price, read on the same system, is the same band. Average air duct cleaning cost, read as this planning range, is the same band. It is not a survey mean. Dryer vent cleaning cost, for one basement or first-floor vent, is $80–$150. Two systems are $650–$1,000. Three or more systems are $1,000–$1,500. The wider national spread, about $80–$1,500, covers that basement dryer at the low end and three or more systems at the high end. A failed air conditioner, with the ducts kept, is the central air guide. A failed furnace is the furnace guide. Both in one visit is the AC and furnace guide. These are typical planning ranges, not a survey and not a quote.

This page is a duct cleaning on a single-family house. A bid may call it air duct cleaning, the cost of air duct cleaning, duct cleaning prices, or HVAC duct cleaning. The truck and the labor are in the price. It is not a new condenser and coil, which is the central air guide. It is not a new gas furnace, which is the furnace guide. It is not a matched pair in one visit, which is the AC and furnace guide. A brush from a shelf is a smaller product. This page does not price it as the typical band.

The price of the job is the system count and the house the crew cleans. The system count is the first cut. The size of the house is the second. A per-vent rate is a way to read one cleaning. It is not a second bill. Price the system the technician names. A dryer vent, a one-system cleaning, and a two-system cleaning are ways to buy one job. The second system replaces the one-system price. It is not a second cleaning under a one-system price.

The rows below are ways to read one job. They are not added together. The cleaning table is one visit at a house the crew can reach. The typical band is one complete cleaning of one HVAC system: that row in full. A basement dryer replaces that rate from $80 to $150, and the whole row sits under the typical band. About 1,000 square feet replaces it and sits under the typical band. Two systems replace it. Three or more systems replace it. Use an add-on row only for a line the cleaning row does not include. A dryer vent the proposal already cleans is not a second dryer vent.

Cleaning	Typical cost
Dryer vent, basement or first floor	$80–$150
About 1,000 square feet	$140–$250
One HVAC system	$300–$700
Two HVAC systems	$650–$1,000
Three or more HVAC systems	$1,000–$1,500

Add-on	Typical planning range
Dryer vent, when the bid leaves it out	$100
Video inspection, when the bid leaves it out	$70–$130
Duct repair, when the bid leaves it out	$200–$800

The cleaning rows replace one another. Do not add a 1,000 square foot price on top of a one-system price for the same ducts. The add-on row is a line the cleaning row left out. A dryer vent the cleaning price already includes is not the dryer row on top.

A basement or first-floor dryer vent — one vent, labor in — is typically $80–$150. Eighty dollars is the floor of the row and the floor of the wider spread. One hundred fifty is the top of the row and $150 under the typical floor of $300. The whole row sits under the typical band. It is not a one-system duct cleaning with a discount. Eighty dollars can be this basement vent at its floor. It is not the one-system row. A house whose duct price already includes the dryer does not get this row on top.

About 1,000 square feet — one cleaning, labor in — is typically $140–$250. The overlap with the typical band is none. One hundred forty is $60 above the wider floor and the floor of this row. Two hundred fifty is the top of the row and $50 under the typical floor. The whole row sits under the typical band. It is not the one-system row counted small. One hundred forty can be this size row at its floor or a basement dryer inside $80–$150. Two hundred fifty can be this size row at its top or a roof dryer at its top, which is the same $250. Ask which one the bid is. Do not add the one-system row under a 1,000 square foot price for the same ducts.

A one-system cleaning — supply ducts, returns, and registers, labor in — is typically $300–$700. The floor of the row is the typical floor. The top of the row is the typical top. The whole row is the typical band. A single-system house can also be read at $450–$650. The whole of that span sits inside the typical band. Four hundred fifty is $150 above the typical floor. Six hundred fifty is $50 under the typical top. A per-system price of $400–$650 sits inside the typical band on the same terms. Four hundred is $100 above the typical floor. Six hundred fifty is the same $50 under the typical top. Three hundred can be this one-system row at its floor, a 2,000 square foot cleaning at its floor, or twelve vents at their floor. Seven hundred can be this row at its top or a two-system job inside $650–$1,000. Ask which reading the bid is.

Two HVAC systems — one visit, both systems, labor in — are typically $650–$1,000. The overlap with the typical band is $650–$700. Six hundred fifty is $350 above the typical floor and the floor of this row. Seven hundred is the typical top and inside this row. From $650–$700 the job is inside the typical band and inside this row. From $700–$1,000 the job has left the typical band and stays inside the wider spread. One thousand is $300 past the typical top, the top of this row, and the floor of three or more systems. Six hundred fifty can be two systems at their floor or a one-system cleaning inside the typical band. One thousand can be this row at its top or three systems at their floor. Ask which count the bid priced. Do not add the one-system row under a two-system price for the same house.

Three or more HVAC systems are typically $1,000–$1,500. The overlap with the typical band is none. One thousand is $300 past the typical top and the floor of this row. Fifteen hundred is $800 past the typical top and the top of the wider spread. The whole row has left the typical band and stays inside the wider spread. One thousand can be this floor or the two-system top, which is the same $1,000. Ask which count the bid is. Do not add the one-system row under a three-system price.

Air duct cleaning cost

Air duct cleaning cost is this page when the cleaning is on the house and the labor is in the price. How much does air duct cleaning cost, for that visit, is the same price. A bid that says air duct cleaning cost and a bid that says duct cleaning price are the same dollars when the system, the house, and the labor match. The typical band, $300–$700, is one complete cleaning of one HVAC system. It is not a second product stacked on a cleaning row you already have.

About 1,500 square feet is typically $225–$450. The overlap with the typical band is $300–$450. Two hundred twenty-five is $75 under the typical floor and $85 above the 1,000 square foot floor. Four hundred fifty is $250 under the typical top and inside this span. From $225–$300 the job sits under the typical band. From $300–$450 the job is inside the typical band. Four hundred fifty is $200 above the 1,000 square foot top of $250. Two hundred twenty-five can be this size row at its floor or a 1,000 square foot cleaning inside its row. Ask which size the bid is.

About 2,000 square feet is typically $300–$600. The floor of the row is the typical floor. The top of the row is $100 under the typical top. The whole row sits inside the typical band. It is not a cheaper one-system cleaning. It is a size reading of one cleaning. Three hundred can be this row at its floor or the one-system row at its floor. Six hundred is inside the one-system row and $100 under its top. The square feet are a way to read one system. They are not a second bill on a price that was already the whole system.

About 3,000 square feet is typically $450–$900. The overlap with the typical band is $450–$700. Four hundred fifty is $150 above the typical floor and the floor of this span. Seven hundred is the typical top and inside this span. From $700–$900 the job has left the typical band and stays inside the wider spread. Nine hundred is $200 past the typical top, $100 under the two-system top, and $100 under the three-system floor. Four hundred fifty can be this size floor, a single-system reading at its floor of $450, or a one-system cleaning inside the typical band. Ask which reading the bid is.

How much does air duct cleaning cost

How much air duct cleaning costs is the visit price, not the price of a brush on a shelf. For one complete cleaning of one HVAC system, that cost is $300–$700. A bid that prices the truck and a bid that prices a homeowner vacuum are not the same number. Keep the labor in the number when a duct crew is who cleans the house.

A dryer vent the bid leaves out is typically $100. Three hundred plus $100 is $400, inside the typical band. Seven hundred plus $100 is $800, which is $100 past the typical top, inside the two-system row, $200 under that row’s $1,000 top, and $200 under the three-system floor. A house whose cleaning price already includes the dryer does not get this row. A standalone dryer at $100–$170 is the dryer section below. It is not this $100 line added a second time.

A video inspection the bid leaves out is typically $70–$130. Seventy dollars is $10 under the wider floor. It is an inspection, not a basement dryer at $80. One hundred thirty is $50 above that floor and $170 under the typical floor. Three hundred plus $70 is $370, inside the typical band. Three hundred plus $130 is $430, inside the typical band. Seven hundred plus $70 is $770, which is $70 past the typical top and inside the two-system row, $230 under $1,000. Seven hundred plus $130 is $830, which is $130 past the typical top, inside the two-system row, and $170 under $1,000. A house whose cleaning price already includes the camera does not get this row.

A duct repair the bid leaves out is typically $200–$800. Three hundred plus $200 is $500, inside the typical band. Three hundred plus $800 is $1,100, which is $400 past the typical top, $100 past the two-system top, inside the three-system row, and $400 under $1,500. Seven hundred plus $200 is $900, which is $200 past the typical top, inside the two-system row, $100 under $1,000, and the top of a 3,000 square foot span. Seven hundred plus $800 is $1,500, the wider top and the three-system top. That sum is a cleaning plus a repair. The $1,500 job can also be three systems with the ducts left unrepaired. Ask which one the bid is. A cleaning that already sealed the leak does not get this row.

A furnace cleaning the bid leaves out is typically $60–$150. Sixty dollars is $20 under the wider floor. It is a furnace cleaning, not a basement dryer. One hundred fifty is the basement dryer top and $150 under the typical floor. Three hundred plus $60 is $360, inside the typical band. Seven hundred plus $150 is $850, which is $150 past the typical top, inside the two-system row, and $150 under $1,000. A new furnace is the furnace guide, not this cleaning line. A house whose duct price already includes the furnace cabinet does not get this row.

Duct cleaning cost

Duct cleaning cost is the installed cleaning, not a brush with the labor left out. When the job is one HVAC system, that cost is $300–$700. A price near $80 should say a basement dryer, not a one-system cleaning with the labor in. A price near $300 should say whether the labor, the supply ducts, the returns, and the registers are all in. Three hundred can be this band at its floor. It can also be a 2,000 square foot cleaning at its floor or twelve vents at their floor. Those can be the same dollars and the same job, read two ways. They are not two bills.

A vent is typically $25–$50. The rate reads one cleaning. It is not a second bill on a price that was already the whole system. Eight vents are $200–$400, which is eight times $25 through eight times $50. The overlap with the typical band is $300–$400. From $200–$300 the eight-vent job sits under the typical band. Two hundred is the floor of that vent row and $50 under the 1,000 square foot top. Four hundred is $100 above the typical floor and $300 under the typical top. Twelve vents are $300–$600. The whole row sits inside the typical band. Three hundred is the typical floor. Six hundred is $100 under the typical top. Sixteen vents are $400–$800. The overlap with the typical band is $400–$700. From $700–$800 the job has left the typical band and stays inside the two-system row, $200 under $1,000. Twenty vents are $500–$1,000. The overlap with the typical band is $500–$700. From $700–$1,000 the job has left the typical band. One thousand is the twenty-vent top, the two-system top, and the three-system floor.

The crew’s hour is typically $90–$125, and a cleaning visit is often 3–8 hours. The hours read one visit. They are not a second bill. Three hours at $90 are $270, which is $30 under the typical floor and $20 above the 1,000 square foot top. Three hours at $125 are $375, inside the typical band. Eight hours at $90 are $720, which is $20 past the typical top and inside the two-system row. Eight hours at $125 are $1,000, the two-system top and the three-system floor. A bid that already names the whole system does not get the hourly row on top.

HVAC duct cleaning cost

HVAC duct cleaning cost is the ducts that serve the furnace and the air conditioner, not a new cabinet someone renamed. One system, labor in, is $300–$700. The sums with two systems are in the section above. A bid that says HVAC duct cleaning and a bid that says air duct cleaning are the same dollars when the system count, the house, and the labor match. A price near $650 should say whether the job is one system inside the typical band or two systems at their floor. A price near $1,000 should say whether the job is two systems at the top or three systems at the floor.

An air conditioner the bid replaces instead of cleaning is the central air guide, often $5,500–$9,500 when the ducts stay. The overlap with this page is none. Five thousand five hundred is $4,000 past this wider top. A furnace the bid replaces instead is the furnace guide, often $4,000–$6,500. Four thousand is $2,500 past this wider top. Both in one visit are the AC and furnace guide, often $7,000–$14,000. Seven thousand is $5,500 past this wider top. One thousand can be three duct systems at their floor. It cannot be those equipment rows. Ask which one the bid is. Do not add the one-system row under a replacement price.

Dryer vent cleaning cost

Dryer vent cleaning cost is the lint vent, not a whole-home duct visit someone renamed. One basement or first-floor vent, labor in, is $80–$150. A standalone dryer vent is $100–$170. The overlap of those two rows is $100–$150. Eighty dollars is the wider floor and $20 under the standalone floor. One hundred is the standalone floor and inside the basement row. One hundred fifty is the basement top and inside the standalone row. From $150–$170 the standalone band has left the basement row and stays $130 under the typical floor at $170. One hundred can be this standalone floor, a basement vent inside its row, or the add-on line when a duct bid leaves the dryer out. Ask which line the bid is.

A second-floor dryer vent is typically $110–$185. The overlap with the basement row is $110–$150. The overlap with the standalone band is $110–$170. One hundred ten is $30 above the wider floor. One hundred eighty-five is $15 past the standalone top and $115 under the typical floor. From $170–$185 the second-floor vent has left the standalone band and stays under the typical band. A roof dryer vent is typically $150–$250. The overlap with the standalone band is $150–$170. From $170–$250 the roof vent has left that band. Two hundred fifty is the 1,000 square foot top and $50 under the typical floor. One hundred fifty can be a basement top, a standalone vent inside its band, a second-floor vent inside its span, or a roof vent at its floor. Ask which vent the bid priced.

A duct cleaning at $300 and a dryer at $100 are not the same vent counted twice. The $100 add-on is the dryer a duct bid left out. The standalone row is the visit when the dryer is the whole job. Do not put both on one price. A dryer that stays clogged after the ducts are cleaned is this dryer row, not a second one-system cleaning.

What the range includes

The typical band assumes one complete cleaning of one HVAC system at a single-family house. The labor is in. The supply ducts, the returns, and the registers are in. The house is reachable. The one-system row, $300–$700, is the band. A basement dryer is not in the band. A 1,000 square foot cleaning is not in the band. A 1,500 square foot cleaning is in the band only from $300 to $450. A 2,000 square foot cleaning is in the band for its whole row, $300–$600. A 3,000 square foot cleaning is in the band only from $450 to $700. A single-system reading of $450–$650 is in the band. A per-system price of $400–$650 is in the band. Eight vents are in the band only from $300 to $400. Twelve vents are in the band for their whole row. Sixteen vents are in the band only from $400 to $700. Twenty vents are in the band only from $500 to $700. Two systems are in the band only from $650 to $700. Three or more systems are not in the band. A dryer vent, a video inspection, a furnace cleaning, and a duct repair are not in the band. A new air conditioner, a new furnace, and a matched pair are not in the band.

How long the work takes depends on the system and the house, and the bid’s schedule is the one that counts. A one-system visit is often the same day. The hour span above, 3–8 hours, is a way to read that day. It is not a second clock on a price that was already the whole system. The next year’s cleaning is not in this price. How often a house needs the visit is not a number on this page.

The floor of the wider spread, $80, is a basement or first-floor dryer vent. It is not a one-system cleaning someone discounted. The top, $1,500, is three or more systems. It is not the one-system row plus every add-on, except in the one sum the repair section already shows: $700 plus a duct repair at $800 is $1,500. That stack is a cleaning plus a repair. It can share the wider top with three systems that need no repair. Ask which one. A number above $1,500 should name another system, heavy buildup, a repair, a new air conditioner, a new furnace, or both. Ask which one.

None of the bands include a dryer vent, when the bid leaves it out, typically $100. Three hundred plus $100 is $400, inside the typical band. Seven hundred plus $100 is $800, $100 past the typical top and $700 under the wider top. A cleaning that already includes the dryer does not get this row.

None of the bands include a video inspection, when the bid leaves it out, typically $70–$130. Seventy dollars is $10 under the wider floor because the inspection is not the basement dryer. Seven hundred plus $130 is $830, $130 past the typical top and $670 under the wider top. A cleaning that already includes the camera does not get this row.

None of the bands include a duct repair, when the bid leaves it out, typically $200–$800. Three hundred plus $200 is $500, inside the typical band. Seven hundred plus $800 is $1,500, the wider top. A cleaning that already closed the leak does not get this row.

None of the bands include a new air conditioner, which is the central air guide, often $5,500–$9,500 when the ducts stay, inside a wider spread of about $4,000–$14,000. Four thousand is $2,500 past this wider top. Five thousand five hundred is $4,000 past this wider top. Fourteen thousand is $12,500 past this wider top. Three hundred plus $5,500 is $5,800, inside that guide’s typical band. Seven hundred plus $5,500 is $6,200, inside that same band. A cleaning on a house whose condenser stays does not get the air-conditioner row. An air-conditioner bid that already names a duct cleaning is not this page on top.

None of the bands include a new furnace, which is the furnace guide, often $4,000–$6,500 on ducts you keep, inside a wider spread of about $2,500–$18,000. Two thousand five hundred is $1,000 past this wider top. Four thousand is $2,500 past this wider top. Three hundred plus $4,000 is $4,300, inside that guide’s typical band. Seven hundred plus $4,000 is $4,700, inside that same band. A cleaning that leaves the old furnace in place does not get the furnace row.

None of the bands include a matched furnace and air conditioner in one visit, which is the AC and furnace guide, often $7,000–$14,000 on ducts you keep, inside a wider spread of about $5,500–$28,000. Five thousand five hundred is $4,000 past this wider top. Seven thousand is $5,500 past this wider top. Three hundred plus $7,000 is $7,300, inside that guide’s typical band. Seven hundred plus $7,000 is $7,700, inside that same band. A cleaning on equipment that stays does not get that pair on top.

The band is the cleaning price. A coupon on the visit is not subtracted. Read the form before you take a number off the bid. A credit you have not received is not inside the planning range. This page does not price a coupon, and it does not name a percentage of the cost that comes back at resale.

Warranties are part of the contract, and this page is not a reading of one company’s form. A cleaning warranty commonly splits the workmanship from a promise about dust that returns, and a house that still shows the same debris is a question for that form. Read it. The warranty is not a dollar line in the planning range.

A standard homeowners policy is built around sudden and accidental damage. Dust in a duct is the kind of condition those policies commonly leave with the owner. A sudden equipment failure, when the form responds to it, is a different question from a vent that has been dusty for years. Read the form before you treat the policy as the budget. The $300–$700 band is not an insurance estimate. A home warranty is a different contract. Neither one is inside the planning range.

A permit the city requires for a repair is a line on that bid. This page does not price a city’s fee on top of a complete cleaning price. A permit the proposal already includes is not a second permit. A cleaning that opens no wall often has no permit line at all.

As a cross-check, not a bid: one HVAC system is $300–$700, the typical band. A basement or first-floor dryer is $80–$150. About 1,000 square feet is $140–$250. About 2,000 square feet is $300–$600. Two systems are $650–$1,000. Three or more systems are $1,000–$1,500, and $1,500 is the top of the wider spread. A single-system reading of $450–$650 sits inside the typical band. If a bid and that reading are far apart, the bid is a different system count, a dryer vent, an inspection, a repair, a new air conditioner, a new furnace, or a price that left the labor out.

What moves the price

Driver	How it changes the bid
System count	One system is $300–$700, the typical band. A single-system reading of $450–$650 sits inside it. A per-system price of $400–$650 sits inside it. Two systems are $650–$1,000, and the typical band includes that row only up to $700. Three or more systems are $1,000–$1,500. The count picks the row. It is not a second bill.
The foot of the house	About 1,000 square feet is $140–$250, under the typical band. About 1,500 square feet is $225–$450, and the typical band includes that span only from $300. About 2,000 square feet is $300–$600, inside the typical band. About 3,000 square feet is $450–$900, and the typical band includes that span only up to $700. The square feet read one cleaning. They are not added on top of it.
Vents	A vent is $25–$50, a way to read one cleaning. Eight vents are $200–$400. Twelve vents are $300–$600, inside the typical band. Sixteen vents are $400–$800. Twenty vents are $500–$1,000. The vents are not added on top of a price that was already the whole system.
Dryer vent	A basement or first-floor vent is $80–$150, under the typical band. The standalone band is $100–$170. A second-floor vent is $110–$185. A roof vent is $150–$250. A duct bid that leaves the dryer out is $100. A visit that already cleans the dryer does not get that line again.
Inspection	A camera the cleaning already includes is inside the system row. A camera the bid leaves out is $70–$130. A waived camera is not that row.
Repair	A leak the cleaning already closed is inside the system row. A repair the bid leaves out is $200–$800. Seven hundred plus $800 is $1,500, the wider top, and that sum is a cleaning plus a repair.
The equipment	A new air conditioner on ducts you keep is $5,500–$9,500 on the central air guide. A new furnace is $4,000–$6,500 on the furnace guide. Both in one visit are $7,000–$14,000 on the AC and furnace guide. A cleaning that leaves the cabinets in place does not get those rows on top.
Access	Registers the crew can reach are the cleaning this page prices. Flex duct, a tight attic, a high-cost metro, and a system that has never been opened can clear the top of the typical band on a one-system job.

The system count is the first cut, and it is not a rate you add to itself. A one-system visit at $650, a two-system visit at $650, and a single-system reading at $650 can share those dollars. They are not the same cleaning three times. Ask which count is in the price.

The size of the house is the second cut. A 2,000 square foot cleaning at $600 and a one-system cleaning at $600 can share those dollars. One is a size reading. One is the system row. The higher number is not a one-system visit that someone misread as a second system.

The same one-system visit in a lower-cost area and in a high-labor city can sit at opposite ends of $300–$700 without either bid being wrong. Ask whether the price is one system, two, or three, and ask whether the dryer, the camera, and the labor are in. A central air replacement, a furnace replacement, and a matched furnace and air conditioner are the projects that show up beside this one. Price them on their own pages. Two bids that disagree about the system count, the dryer, and whether the labor is in are not the same job.

DIY or hire

Hire the cleaning when the truck has to pull the trunk, the returns, and the registers, or the dryer vent has to be cleared from the outside. The hose, the vacuum, and the access are the job. A weekend pass is most likely to miss a run that is still packed, and the same dust shows up again at the same register.

A vacuum on one register you can see is a different product. It is not the installed rate on this page, and it is not a visit that cleans the trunk. The installed row is the pro price. On that one-system cleaning, the job is $300–$700. That is the labor and the equipment together. A duct cleaning that opens flex duct, or a dryer vent that exits on the roof, is a hire.

Do not skip the camera to save the visit. If you are pricing a brush, and the returns are still packed, you are pricing a duct crew’s job without the crew. The person who cleans the system should say what happens if the dust does not match the scope.

Repair or replace

Clean the ducts when the equipment can stay and the house can take a one-system visit. That job is the typical band, $700 at the top and $300 at the floor, when the method is that visit. A quote near $80 should say a basement dryer, not a new one-system cleaning. A quote near $140 should say a house near 1,000 square feet, or a dryer inside the basement row. A quote near $300 should say whether the labor and the whole system are both in. A quote near $700 can be a one-system cleaning at its top, two systems inside their row, a 3,000 square foot house inside its span, or sixteen vents inside their span. Ask which reading the bid is.

Clean a dryer on the dryer rows, $80–$150 in a basement or on the first floor and $100–$170 standalone, when the vent is the job. Do not read that job as the one-system band with a different name. Price two systems on $650–$1,000. Price three or more on $1,000–$1,500, and $1,500 is the top of this page.

Send a failed air conditioner to the central air guide, typically $5,500–$9,500 when the ducts stay. Send a failed furnace to the furnace guide, typically $4,000–$6,500. Replace both when both are done. That job is the AC and furnace guide, typically $7,000–$14,000. If the same season includes any of those, they are separate scopes. Do not fold them into the cleaning price.

How long a cleaning lasts is not a number on this page. A one-system visit is not a warranty that a new season of dust will never find the return. A dryer vent is not a warranty that the lint will stay gone. The bid’s scope is the work you bought.

How to use this number

Ask two or three duct companies for a written price that names the system count, whether the price is a lump sum, whether the supply ducts, the returns, the registers, and the labor are all included, whether the dryer vent is included, whether the camera is included, and what happens if the dust does not match the scope. Compare one HVAC system with $300–$700. Compare a basement or first-floor dryer with $80–$150, two systems with $650–$1,000, and three or more systems with $1,000–$1,500. Keep the system count and the labor inside those rows. Put a left-out dryer at $100, a left-out camera at $70–$130, and a left-out duct repair at $200–$800 on their own lines.

A very low bid on one system is a reason to ask whether the labor and the whole system are both included, not a reason to celebrate. A quote near $80 should say a basement dryer, not a new one-system cleaning. A quote near $300 should say whether the labor is in. A high bid should point at a second system, a third system, a large house, a repair, a hard attic, or the labor market. Two or three local bids on the same system count, the same dryer, and the same house are the number that matters. How this site sets the band is explained on the methodology page.