Video Inspection in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Video Inspection in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Video inspection of air ducts costs between $99 and $250 as a standalone service in Fort Lauderdale, though most homeowners bundle it with Air Duct Cleaning services where it’s often included at a reduced rate or waived entirely. The inspection involves running a high-resolution camera through your supply and return ducts to document what’s actually inside: dust buildup, mold, pest activity, leaks, or debris from renovations. At Hollis Air Duct Fort Lauderdale, we use commercial-grade cameras to give you a straight answer about what’s in your ductwork before any cleaning or sealing work is quoted.

If you’ve been in your home more than three years and haven’t had the ducts looked at, or you’re noticing dust settling on surfaces days after cleaning, a video inspection is the fastest way to know what you’re dealing with. It takes about 45 to 90 minutes depending on the size of your system, and you’ll see the footage yourself. We don’t ask you to take our word for it. You’ll watch the camera feed in real time and get a clear explanation of what you’re looking at. Call (754) 354-3644 and we’ll schedule a time that works for you. This service falls under our broader Air Duct Cleaning in Fort Lauderdale work, and it’s where every good duct job should start.

Roy Castellanos, owner of Hollis Air Duct Fort Lauderdale, has built the inspection process around one principle: you should never pay for ductwork you didn’t need. Video inspection is how we make sure that doesn’t happen. We’ve been doing this since 2004, and the camera doesn’t lie. Neither do our written prices.

Key Takeaways

• Standalone video inspection in Fort Lauderdale runs $99 to $250; bundled with cleaning it’s often discounted or included.
• The camera shows you exactly what’s in your ducts: dust layers, mold, pest droppings, disconnected joints, or rust.
• Inspection takes 45 to 90 minutes on a typical single-family home.
• You watch the footage in real time. No mystery reports handed over after the fact.
• Written price for any follow-up work is provided before anything gets touched.
• Every inspection is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if we miss something visible, we come back at no charge.

When You Need Video Inspection

Not every home needs a camera in its ducts. But there are specific situations in Fort Lauderdale where it’s the only honest way to know what’s happening inside your system. Here’s what commonly pushes homeowners to call us:

• Dust returns within days of cleaning surfaces. If you wipe down furniture on Sunday and by Thursday there’s a film again, something is pushing particles into your living space. The camera finds the source: a disconnected return duct, a hole in the plenum, or a filter bypass.
• You bought an older home and have no record of duct maintenance. Many homes in neighborhoods like Victoria Park, Coral Ridge, and Riverside Park have ductwork dating back 20 to 40 years. Before you start replacing filters and chasing symptoms, know what’s in there.
• Renovation or mold remediation just finished. Drywall dust, sawdust, and demolition debris settle in ductwork fast. If contractors ran the AC during the job, that debris is now distributed through the system. Video inspection documents the extent before you decide whether cleaning is needed.
• Unexplained spikes in the electric bill during summer. Fort Lauderdale humidity means AC runs hard from May through October. Leaky ducts can account for 20 to 30 percent of lost conditioned air. The camera locates disconnected joints, gaps, and tears that a visual inspection of the registers can’t reach.
• You smell something when the AC kicks on. Musty, stale, or rodent-like odors that appear only when the blower runs point to something inside the ducts. Inspection identifies whether it’s mold, a dead pest, or accumulated organic matter.
• You’ve had pest issues in the attic or crawl space. Rats and mice in South Florida attics often travel through duct runs. The camera shows droppings, nesting material, and chewed flex duct. That’s information you need before you call an exterminator or a duct cleaner.

Our Video Inspection Process

Here’s how it works, step by step, so there are no surprises when our technician arrives:

1. We map your system. The technician identifies every supply and return register, the air handler location, and the main trunk lines. We note any areas you’ve flagged: specific rooms that stay hot, vents that smell, or a register that’s never blown right.
2. We insert the inspection camera at the first access point. Using high-resolution push-cam equipment, we start at the return side and work through the main trunk. The camera has an LED head that illuminates the full duct interior, so you see layers of dust, debris, and any damage clearly.
3. You watch the feed on a handheld monitor. You don’t have to squint at a phone screen later. You watch live as we move through the ducts, and we pause to explain anything you need clarified. If you’d rather not watch the entire process, we’ll walk you through the key findings when the scan is done.
4. We document what we find. Still images and video clips are captured at any point of interest: mold patches, separated joints, rust pitting, pest debris, or excessive dust layers. You get a clear picture of what the work involves, assuming work is warranted.
5. We give you a written price for any recommended work. If cleaning is needed, or a section of duct should be sealed, you get a price in writing before anything happens. No pressure, no on-the-spot upsell. The number doesn’t move at the door.
6. If no work is needed, you get that answer too. Sometimes the inspection shows ducts in decent shape and the problem is elsewhere: a dirty filter cabinet, a failing blower motor, or gaps at the register boots. We’ll tell you that straight. We don’t manufacture problems to sell a cleaning.

Video Inspection Pricing in Fort Lauderdale

Here’s what you can expect to pay for video duct inspection in the Fort Lauderdale market. These are honest ranges based on the work we do every week in Broward County:

Service	Typical Price Range	What Affects It
Standalone video inspection	$99 – $250	Number of access points, system size, single vs. two-story home
Video inspection + full duct cleaning	$350 – $650 total	Inspection typically discounted or included when bundled
Inspection with mold or pest findings (documentation only)	No additional charge	Images and notes provided as part of the inspection
Inspection + duct sealing recommendation	Sealing quoted separately after inspection	Based on leak locations found on camera

Two-story homes in neighborhoods like Rio Vista or Shady Banks often take longer because of the additional register count and more complex trunk routing. Single-story ranch homes in areas like Sailboat Bend or Progresso Village are typically faster and land at the lower end of the range. If your home has multiple AC systems, expect the inspection to take longer and cost accordingly.

Every inspection includes a written price before any work begins. If the inspection is all you need, that’s all you pay. If cleaning or sealing is recommended, you’ll get a separate written quote with clear air duct cleaning cost details. Estimates are free, and we don’t use inspection as a way to hold your ducts hostage for a cleaning you didn’t ask for.

Why Camera Evidence Matters More in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale’s climate works against your ductwork in ways that don’t apply in drier cities. Humidity averages above 70 percent for most of the year, and that moisture has a direct effect on what accumulates inside your ducts. Dust that would sit inert in a dry climate becomes a damp, sticky film that clings to duct walls. That film is exactly what mold spores need to take hold, and it’s what attracts dust mites and other pests.

We use inspection cameras paired with our negative-air machines and rotary brush systems from Rotobrush and Nikro to give you a complete picture of duct health, whether for residential or Commercial Duct Cleaning projects. The camera doesn’t just show dust. It shows moisture staining on duct interiors, rust pitting at joints, and condensation marks where warm attic air meets cold duct surfaces. These are the signs that tell us whether your ducts need cleaning, sealing, or both. Filtration products from Honeywell and Aprilaire are available when the inspection shows airborne particulate levels that warrant upgraded filtration. We’ll explain what each option does in plain English before you spend a dollar.

Older homes in Fort Lauderdale’s established neighborhoods often have rigid metal ductwork that’s been in place since the original build. That ductwork rusts. Flex duct in newer builds sags, separates at the collar, or gets chewed by rodents. The camera distinguishes between these problems instantly, which matters because the fix for each is different. Rusting rigid duct in a 1960s Coral Ridge home isn’t cleaned the same way as a chewed flex run in a 2010s Victoria Park townhouse. Video inspection takes the guesswork out of the diagnosis.

What the Camera Can and Cannot See

A video inspection is thorough, but it’s honest to tell you what the tool is built for. Here’s what it covers and what it doesn’t:

What the camera sees well:

• Dust accumulation depth, including layered dust that indicates years of buildup
• Mold growth and moisture staining on duct surfaces
• Pest droppings, nesting material, and insect casings
• Disconnected joints, separated flex duct, and gaps at branch connections
• Debris from renovation, drywall dust, and construction material
• Register boots that were never sealed properly at installation
• Visible rust, pitting, and corrosion on metal duct interiors

What the camera cannot tell us:

• Airflow volume at each register. We can note visible obstructions, but a proper airflow test requires different instrumentation.
• Mold species. The camera confirms visible growth; lab testing is required for species identification. If we flag mold, we’ll tell you what we see and recommend next steps without inventing a lab result.
• What’s behind a closed damper or fully collapsed duct section. If the camera can’t pass, we’ll tell you that plainly and explain what it means.

Roy Castellanos trains every technician to be direct about the limits of the equipment. You get accurate information, not a scare-tactic presentation. If the camera shows clean ducts, we’ll tell you they’re clean. That’s the Garrison Standard: written honesty, every time.

FAQs – Video Inspection

How much does video inspection cost in Fort Lauderdale?

Standalone video inspection runs $99 to $250 depending on home size, number of systems, and number of access points. When bundled with Air Duct Cleaning Near Me in Fort Lauderdale, FL, the inspection is usually discounted or included. Call (754) 354-3644 for a written quote before any work is scheduled.

Can I see the inspection footage myself?

Yes. You watch the live camera feed on a handheld monitor during the inspection, and we capture still images and clips of anything notable. You’ll know exactly what we found before any cleaning quote is written.

How long does a video inspection take?

Most single-family homes in Fort Lauderdale take between 45 and 90 minutes. Larger two-story homes or homes with multiple AC systems take longer. We’ll give you a time window when you book, and we arrive inside it.

What if the inspection shows my ducts are clean?

Then you pay for the inspection and nothing else. We don’t invent problems, and we won’t recommend cleaning that isn’t needed. The inspection report is yours to keep, and you’ll have a clear answer about your duct condition. That’s what you paid for.

Do you charge extra for inspection photos or a report?

No. The images, video clips, and a written summary of findings are included in the inspection price. If work is recommended, the written quote for that work is also provided at no charge.

Can you inspect ducts before I buy a home in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. We regularly inspect ductwork for homebuyers in neighborhoods across Fort Lauderdale, from Imperial Point to Tarpon River. The inspection documents visible duct condition so you know what maintenance or repair costs you’re inheriting before you close. Call (754) 354-3644 to schedule an inspection during your due-diligence window.

Ready to Know What’s in Your Ducts?

Video inspection is the most direct way to answer the question every Fort Lauderdale homeowner eventually asks: what’s actually moving through the air I breathe? You’ll get a written price before the camera goes in, you’ll watch the footage yourself, and you’ll walk away with a straight answer. No pressure. No inflated estimates. No work you don’t need.

Call (754) 354-3644 and a live person will answer, day or night. We’ll schedule your inspection at a time that works for you, and our background-checked, uniformed technician will arrive inside the quoted window. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every inspection: if something visible in the ducts was missed, we return and inspect again at no charge. That’s the standard we’ve held since 2004.

For more on how we clean and maintain ductwork throughout Broward County, visit our home page or read about our full-service Air Duct Cleaning in Fort Lauderdale work.

Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale.