Home ducted heating and cooling cleaning

Clean ducted air conditioning and heating systems in local homes, working from your ute or van.

Startup costA$4k to A$15k
Monthly revenueA$1.5k to A$7k
Time needed10+ h/week
First incomeWeeks
  • A$4k-15k
  • Side hustle
  • Out and about

Estimates for a small start in Australia, not guarantees.

What it is

Cleaning the ducts, vents and grilles of ducted heating and cooling systems in houses, using a powerful vacuum, agitation tools and a camera to show the before and after.

Your first three steps

  1. Get an ABN and look at training or short courses in duct cleaning and basic HVAC hygiene
  2. Price up a commercial duct vacuum, agitation tools and an inspection camera, then get public liability insurance
  3. Offer discounted first jobs to neighbours and ask local property managers for trial rental properties
Who pays

Homeowners with ducted systems, landlords and real estate agents preparing or maintaining rental properties.

How it makes money

Fixed price per home, usually based on the number of vents or zones, with add-ons such as sanitising treatments, grille cleaning and coil checks.

Skills that help
  • Comfortable working in roof spaces and tight areas
  • Careful, tidy work in people's homes
  • Clear explanations and honest quotes
Watch out for
  • Public liability insurance, and check whether your cover includes work in roof spaces
  • Working at height and in hot roof cavities, check your state's workplace safety rules
  • Risk of damaging flexible ducting or disturbing old insulation, check for asbestos risks in older homes and stop work if unsure
  • Check whether your state or council requires any licence for work on air conditioning systems beyond cleaning

Deep research report · Australia

Everything you need to start: home ducted heating and cooling cleaning

Researched with live web search for Australia: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.

  • Startup costs with real prices
  • Licences, registration and rules
  • Pricing: what others charge
  • Break-even example
  • Finding your first customers
  • 30-day launch plan
  • Risks and how to reduce them
Ready in about 2 minutes · one-off payment, tax included

See a full sample report

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to start a duct cleaning business?

Startup costs are typically around $4,000 to $15,000, depending on your equipment, camera, vehicle and insurance. Treat this as an estimate and price your tools carefully before you buy.

How much can a home duct cleaner earn?

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,000, depending on how many jobs you book and your hours. These estimates assume at least about 10 hours of work a week.

What rules and safety points should I check for duct cleaning?

Check public liability cover includes work in roof spaces, and your state's workplace safety rules for working at height. Check for asbestos risks in older homes, and whether your state or council requires any licence for air conditioning work beyond cleaning.

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