Booking inspections in Santa Cruz this week

Cleaner vents. Safer homes. One neighbor at a time.

Hi, I'm Emmet — a Cabrillo College student running a dryer-vent cleaning service for our community. Free in-person inspections in Live Oak, Capitola, Westside, Midtown, and Soquel. Honest pricing. No upsells.

// student-run · santa cruz local · fire-safety focused

Why this matters

Lint is the leading cause of dryer fires.

A clogged vent makes your dryer work twice as hard, runs your energy bill up, and slowly turns into a fire hazard. Most folks don't notice until clothes take two cycles to dry — or worse.

I do this work because I care about my neighbors. Every visit ends with a vent that breathes properly and a quick rundown of what I found, in plain English.

2,900+
U.S. home dryer fires reported each year — most are preventable.
~30%
Energy savings possible when a clogged vent is fully cleared.

Free in-person inspection

No charge. No pressure. Just a look.

I come by, check your vent path, look at the exterior exit, and tell you exactly what (if anything) needs doing — and what it'd cost. If your vent is fine, you owe me nothing but a wave next time you see me biking around town.

Live Oak
Free Inspection
Capitola
Free Inspection
Westside
Free Inspection
Midtown
Free Inspection
Soquel
Free Inspection
Also serving → all of Santa Cruz County (free inspection in the areas above; happy to come out for cleaning & service anywhere else in the county)
Heads up: For everyone's safety, I don't service dryer vents that exit through two-story roofs. If yours does, give me a call anyway — happy to recommend someone with the right gear.

Honest pricing

No surprises. Pay by vent length.

If you're not sure how long your vent run is, no worries — that's part of what the free inspection sorts out. Here's what most jobs come to:

Standard Dryer Vent Cleaning

priced by total length
Up to 5 ftApartments, short interior runs
$99
5–10 ftMost single-room ducts
$139
10–20 ftCommon in older homes
$179
20–30 ftLong interior runs, basement laundry
$219
Full lint removal Exterior vent inspection Plain-English summary

Optional add-ons

  • Dryer filter housing cleaningThe deeper part most folks don't reach
    $30
  • Replace transition ductUp to 3 ft, materials included
    $20
  • Additional duct replacementPer each extra 3 ft
    +$10
  • Bird & pest removalFrom exterior vent + screen install
    Quote on site

Pricing assumes standard, accessible residential setups. Long runs, excessive buildup, roof access, or unsafe conditions may need a small adjustment — I'll always tell you up front before doing extra work. Everything is focused on improving drying efficiency and reducing fire risk.

— Emmet

About

A neighbor with a shop-vac, a brush, and a plan.

Hi, I'm Emmet. I'm a local Cabrillo College student majoring in social work, and I run this dryer-vent cleaning service right here in Santa Cruz.

This started kind of by accident. My parents were about to throw out their dryer because it stopped working — I cleaned the vent and it ran like new. Around the same time I lost my waiter job when the Seabright Social closed, so I leaned into this so I could focus on school and stay afloat.

When I'm not working or studying, I'm usually surfing, biking around town, or cooking something new. I take pride in being reliable, transparent, and treating every home with care — because this is my community too.

— Emmet
Cabrillo Student Santa Cruz Local Surfer / Biker / Cook

Book your free inspection

Two ways to get on the schedule.

Two-story roof exits aren't something I service — sorry!
A guess is fine — I'll confirm on the inspection.
Tapping this opens your messages app with the details pre-filled to send to me. Easiest way for both of us.