Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Fast, Reliable Dryer Vent Cleaning Across Commerce
Dryer vent cleaning in Commerce typically costs $120 – $240 for a standard single-family home, and most jobs are done in under two hours. If you live in one of the city’s 1950s-1970s tract houses or low-rise apartment buildings off Eastern Avenue or Bandini Boulevard, you’re dealing with duct runs and vent terminations that were installed decades ago and rarely touched since. We know those houses. Hickory Chimney Sweep sends technicians into Commerce every week, and we bring the camera equipment to prove what’s actually inside your vent before anyone recommends a single repair. Call (855) 554-2841 for a free estimate.
Why Hickory Chimney Sweep Is Commerce’s Preferred Dryer Vent Cleaning Company
Commerce homeowners hire us because we inspect what other companies skip. A lot of dryer vent techs run a brush through the duct, snap a before-and-after photo of the lint pile, and call it done. That’s surface work. The houses in Commerce, especially the stucco tracts near Rosewood Park and the apartments along Telegraph Road, vent dryers into clay tile flues that were built for wood-burning fireplaces, not appliance exhaust. Clay develops hairline cracks over decades of minor seismic activity, and those cracks don’t show up unless you run a camera through the entire path.
Ruben Acosta founded the company around one rule: no recommendation without video evidence the customer can see with their own eyes. That philosophy matters more in Commerce than almost anywhere else we work. The housing stock here is old enough that spalling mortar and first-degree creosote residue often look like blockages on a basic inspection, and that’s exactly when unscrupulous operators push $3,000 relining jobs that aren’t needed. We show you the footage. If the liner is cracked, you’ll see the crack. If it’s fine, we’ll tell you it’s fine and you pay for the cleaning only.
Our team is licensed and insured, and we stock professional-grade liner and venting products from DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Copperfield, so repairs we do recommend can often be completed the same visit, not scheduled out to a subcontractor.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Dryer Vent Cleaning Services in Commerce
Video Camera Inspection of Dryer Vent and Flue Path
Every cleaning in Commerce starts with a camera scan of the full exhaust path, from the dryer connection behind the appliance all the way to the roof termination. Why does that matter here specifically? Because on a 1962 stucco tract house near Rosewood Park, our tech found a dryer vented into an unlined clay flue with a hairline crack at the first joint. We ran the camera and showed the homeowner live footage of lint packed against that crack, then replaced the damaged section with a DuraFlex liner and cleared the duct. No upselling, just evidence. That’s the standard we apply to every house in Commerce.
Dryer Duct Cleaning and Lint Removal
A typical dryer duct cleaning in Commerce runs $120 – $180 for a single-story home with a standard 10-20 foot run. We use rotary brushes sized to the duct diameter, not the universal brushes that leave lint caked in corners. Older Commerce homes often have flexible transitional ducts behind 1950s walls that sag and trap lint, and those sections need hand-clearing, not just brushing. We remove the lint, check airflow at the exterior termination, and document everything on camera. Expect the job to take 45-90 minutes depending on duct length and how long it’s been since the last service.
Flue Liner Verification for Dryer Exhaust
This is the service that separates us from every dryer vent company that works Commerce. If your dryer exhausts through a masonry chimney with a clay tile flue, you need to know whether that flue is intact. Hairline earthquake cracks, deteriorated mortar joints, and missing tile sections all allow lint and carbon monoxide to migrate into attic spaces instead of venting outside. We verify the liner condition with a high-resolution camera and recommend HeatShield resurfacing or a DuraFlex flexible liner only when the footage shows damage. The verification itself is included with the cleaning, not billed as a separate add-on.
Santa Ana Wind and Overdraft Assessment
Commerce sits in the Los Angeles Basin where seasonal Santa Ana winds push air down chimneys and vents with surprising force. When a dryer shares a flue with a chimney system, strong winds can reverse the draft and push dryer exhaust back into the house. That’s not just unpleasant, it’s a combustion-gas risk. During dry, windy periods, we check termination caps, draft performance, and whether the dryer duct’s connection to the chimney is sealed properly. If we find a missing or damaged cap, we install Copperfield or Gelco terminations rated for high-wind conditions.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Commerce
For dryer vent repairs and liner replacements in Commerce, we install DuraFlex flexible liner systems and HeatShield resurfacing material, the same products specified by certified chimney professionals. These aren’t hardware-store generics. DuraFlex liners are UL-listed for appliance exhaust and hold up to the thermal cycling common with Southern California dryers running year-round. HeatShield is a ceramic resurfacing system that bonds to damaged clay flues and restores a smooth, continuous exhaust path without a full rebuild. When Commerce customers need a reline, the materials are on our truck when we arrive, not ordered days later.
Common Dryer Vent Cleaning Problems We See in Commerce Homes
- Clay flue cracks from decades of minor earthquakes: The 1960s clay tile flues in tracts near Rosewood Park develop hairline fractures at mortar joints that are invisible from the roof. Lint collects in those fractures, and dryer exhaust seeps into the attic over time. A camera inspection catches this; a brush-alone cleaning misses it.
- Sagging flexible transition ducts behind 1950s walls: The original accordion-style ducts installed in mid-century Commerce houses sag under their own weight and trap lint at the low points, choking airflow and causing dryers to run hotter than designed. We find this on roughly half the 1950s homes we clean.
- Dryers vented into unlined masonry chimneys: Many Commerce homes route dryer exhaust into the same chimney stack as a wood-burning fireplace, and the flue was never lined for appliance use. Without a verified liner, lint packs against rough brick and spalled mortar, creating a fire load that accumulates fast.
- Santa Ana wind pressure reversing the draft: During strong offshore wind events, inadequately capped chimney terminations let wind blow dryer exhaust back down the flue and into the laundry room. Correct termination with a wind-rated cap fixes it, but you’d never diagnose it without checking airflow at the exterior during windy conditions.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterPricing for Dryer Vent Cleaning in Commerce, CA
A standard dryer vent cleaning in Commerce for a single-family home with a rooftop termination runs $120 – $240. Apartment units and condos with shorter interior runs typically fall in the $90 – $150 range. If your dryer vents through a chimney flue and we need to verify liner condition, the camera inspection is included in the cleaning price, not billed separately. What pushes the cost toward the top of the range: long duct runs over 20 feet, ducts with multiple elbows, roof access requiring a taller ladder, and years of accumulated compacted lint that slows the brushing process. If we find a cracked liner or separated duct joint, we’ll show you the footage and give you a written quote for the repair before any work is done. Call (855) 554-2841 for a free estimate, and we’ll give you an exact price based on your duct configuration.
We Also Serve Cities Near Commerce
Our technicians cover the entire central Los Angeles Basin, so if you’re in Maywood, Bell, Cudahy, or Bell Gardens, the same camera-first approach applies. We’re in those cities every week, often on the same day we’re in Commerce. If you live in one of those areas and your dryer hasn’t been vented properly or you suspect a clay flue problem, give us a call. One call covers the chimney and the dryer vent in every city we serve.
Serving Commerce, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Commerce area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs – Dryer Vent Cleaning in Commerce
A chimney inspection is needed when your dryer exhausts through a masonry chimney flue instead of a dedicated metal duct, which is common in Commerce’s 1950s-1970s housing stock. Those clay tile flues crack over time from seismic activity, and a crack lets dryer exhaust and carbon monoxide migrate into the attic. The inspection, done with a camera, confirms whether the flue path is continuous and sealed. If your dryer vents through a standard duct only, the camera scan of that duct is sufficient, and the chimney doesn’t need to be involved. Call (855) 554-2841 and we’ll tell you which configuration you have before any work is scheduled.
You know you’re being upsold if a technician recommends a liner replacement or masonry repair without showing you camera footage of the actual damage. On Commerce’s mid-century stucco homes, spalling mortar and creosote staining often mimic blockages, and that’s when unscrupulous companies push $3,000+ relining jobs that aren’t necessary. We run a camera through every vent path, show you the footage on-site, and only recommend work the video supports. If there’s no damage, there’s no repair recommendation. If you’ve been quoted a reline by someone else, we’ll happily do a second-opinion inspection and show you what’s actually there.
Yes, Santa Ana winds can reverse the draft in a dryer vent, especially when the dryer shares a chimney stack with a fireplace. Strong offshore winds push air down the flue, which can force dryer exhaust back into the laundry room instead of venting outside. Homes with missing, damaged, or undersized termination caps are most affected. We check cap condition and draft performance during windy-season cleanings and install wind-rated Copperfield or Gelco terminations when needed. Call (855) 554-2841 to have your vent path checked before the next Santa Ana event.
We use DuraFlex flexible liner systems and HeatShield resurfacing material for dryer vent and flue repairs in Commerce. DuraFlex liners are UL-listed for appliance exhaust and are the same product certified chimney contractors specify across Southern California. HeatShield bonds to damaged clay tile flues and restores a smooth exhaust path without tearing out the original masonry. Both are professional-grade products, not consumer retail. If your flue needs a repair, we’ll show you the damage on camera first, then explain which product fits the situation.
For most households in Commerce, a dryer vent cleaning every 12 to 18 months is the right interval. Homes with long duct runs, multiple elbows, dryers vented into old clay flues, or households that run the dryer daily should lean toward annual service. Clay flue cracks in Commerce’s 1960s-era homes trap lint faster than smooth metal ducts, so if your dryer exhausts through a chimney, don’t stretch the interval past a year. Call (855) 554-2841 and we’ll assess your duct configuration and give you a service schedule specific to your house.
Contact Hickory Chimney Sweep for Dryer Vent Cleaning in Commerce
If your dryer has been running slow, the laundry room feels humid, or you smell a burning dust odor when the machine runs, don’t wait. Lint accumulation inside a vent is the leading cause of dryer fires in the United States, and Commerce’s older homes with clay flue connections are at higher risk than newer construction. We’ll inspect the full exhaust path with a camera, clean every section, and show you proof of the condition before recommending any repair. Call (855) 554-2841 for a free estimate, or reach out to schedule service in Commerce, Maywood, Bell, Cudahy, or Bell Gardens.
Written by Ruben Acosta, Owner at Hickory Chimney Sweep, serving Commerce and the surrounding Basin since our first day in the field.