Whole-system duct and dryer vent check with before-and-after photos - you see exactly what came out of your vents
That "$99 whole-house special" is a bait ad - the real number appears once they are in your hallway, or the "clean" is a shop-vac at the register. We photograph the inside of your ducts before and after instead.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Duct Repair & Sealing Across Universal City
Duct repair and sealing in Universal City typically costs $280-$650 for most homes, with flex duct reconnections starting around $180 and full-system mastic sealing running toward the higher end for larger ranch-style layouts. Our crews are dispatched from the San Antonio office and carry the parts to fix disconnected flex runs, crushed lines, and leaking collars on the first visit. If you’re in a 1960s-1980s home near JBSA-Randolph, off Kitty Hawk Road or around Pat Booker Road, the original ductwork has likely seen four or five tenant turnovers since it was last properly serviced. Call (726) 600-7155 and we’ll put a written price in front of you before any panel comes off.
Why CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning San Antonio Is Universal City’s Preferred Duct Repair & Sealing Company
We’ve been serving Universal City since 2013, and the pattern here is distinct from anywhere else in the metro. The military rental market tied to Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph turns over families every 2-3 years on PCS cycles, which means duct systems in the 78148 ZIP and surrounding neighborhoods often accumulate 15+ years of compacted debris between proper cleanings. Each outgoing tenant assumes the landlord will handle it. The next tenant assumes it was done before move-in. Neither assumption is usually correct.
Our Duct Repair & Sealing team documents every run with before-and-after photos, delivered as a standard part of the job record. Haven Standard Clause 1 requires a written price before work starts - no exceptions. Tomas Reyes established this practice when CleanRun opened, and it hasn’t changed. The 365-Day Done Right Promise is backed in writing, not mentioned in passing and forgotten.
Technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and identified by name before arrival under Haven Standard Clause 3: Verified Crews. The equipment on every truck includes Rotobrush and Abatement Technologies systems, brands you can look up before you agree to anything. All calls are answered by a live person, 24/7, and scheduling to Universal City is coordinated from our San Antonio office with local crew routing.
Our Duct Repair & Sealing Services in Universal City
Duct Sealing
Most Universal City homes we enter have supply leaks at the plenum - the main distribution box attached to your air handler - or at the collars where flex runs meet the trunk line. In the 1970s ranch houses off Kitty Hawk Road, these joints were originally sealed with cloth-backed tape that has dried and peeled after 40+ years in attic heat. We remove the old material and apply mastic sealant reinforced with mesh tape, then pressure-test to verify the seal. A typical full-system seal in a 1,500-2,000 square foot Universal City home runs $450-$650, written before we start.
Flex Duct Repair
Flex duct was the standard for Randolph-area housing built from the late 1960s through the 1980s, and it’s the sub-service we perform most often in Universal City. The plastic inner liner becomes brittle. The insulation sags. Collars separate. On that 1970s ranch house off Kitty Hawk Road near JBSA-Randolph, our tech ran a camera inspection of the supply and return ducts and found a disconnected flex run feeding two bedrooms - the joint had separated at the collar, blowing conditioned air straight into the attic. We reconnected the run and sealed the collar with mastic sealant and mesh tape, then HEPA-filtered the line to clear the 15+ years of compacted caliche dust and cedar pollen the camera had exposed. Flex duct repair in Universal City typically runs $180-$340 per run, depending on attic access and whether the line needs full replacement versus reconnection.
Metal Duct Repair
Earlier Universal City construction, particularly pre-1970 homes near the original Randolph Field footprint, used galvanized sheet metal ductwork. These systems corrode at the seams, especially where condensation collects in the summer months when AC runs 18+ hours a day. We patch small breaches with metal sleeves and seal larger sections with proper transition fittings. Metal repair is less common than flex work in this market, but when it’s needed the labor runs higher - typically $320-$580 - because working in the tight attics of these older homes takes longer.
Duct Insulation
Attic temperatures in Universal City hit 140°F in July and August. Uninsulated or degraded flex duct loses 20-30% of its cooling capacity before the air reaches the register. We replace deteriorated insulation with fresh R-6 or R-8 wraps, sealed at every joint, or install full replacement flex where the original liner has failed. Insulation work is often bundled with sealing in these older homes, with combined projects running $550-$850 depending on the number of runs.
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.
BeforeAfterTrusted Brands We Service in Universal City
Our trucks stock parts and materials from Abatement Technologies, Rotobrush, and Guardsman - professional-grade equipment recognized in the trade, not hardware-store substitutions. For Universal City customers, this means we’re not ordering parts after we see your system. The mastic sealant, mesh tape, flex duct, and collar fittings we need for 1960s-1980s homes are on the shelf. Same-day completion is standard for most flex duct repairs and sealing jobs. You can verify these brands independently; we name them precisely so you can.
Common Duct Repair & Sealing Problems We See in Universal City Homes
- Disconnected flex runs at collars and boots. Original 1960s-1970s flex duct runs in Randolph-area rental homes separate at collars and boots after decades of tenant turnover and attic heat cycling, sending conditioned air into the attic instead of the bedrooms. The camera shows the gap clearly; the fix is reconnection and proper mastic sealing.
- Crushed or kinked flex runs behind registers. Often from furniture or storage pushed against floor vents in tight military-family rentals, these choke airflow and let caliche dust settle and compact in the low spots. We replace the damaged section and reroute if needed.
- Pollen and debris coating evaporator coils and duct interiors. Winter cedar pollen and spring oak pollen coat the inside of supply and return ducts and the evaporator coil, and when a tenant turnover happens mid-season the build-up gets sealed in rather than removed before the next family moves in. Sealing without cleaning leaves the debris; cleaning without sealing leaves the leaks. We do both, documented.
- Original cloth tape dried and peeling at plenum connections. The adhesive fails after 40+ years in attic heat. We strip it completely and apply mastic sealant with mesh reinforcement, which outlasts the original material by decades.
Pricing for Duct Repair & Sealing in Universal City, TX
Here’s what duct repair and sealing actually costs in the Universal City market:
- Flex duct reconnection (single run): $180-$280
- Flex duct replacement per run: $220-$340
- Mastic sealant application (partial system, plenum and main trunk): $280-$420
- Full-system mastic sealing: $450-$650
- Metal duct patch or sleeve repair: $320-$480
- Duct insulation replacement (per run): $180-$260
- Combined sealing + insulation (typical whole-home): $550-$850
These are whole-system prices, not per-vent teaser rates that balloon once the truck is in your driveway. Every quote is written before work starts under Haven Standard Clause 1. Factors that move the needle: attic accessibility, the number of runs, whether we’re working around original 1960s framing, and whether the system needs HEPA filtration after decades of accumulation. Free estimates. Call (726) 600-7155.
We Also Serve Cities Near Universal City
Our crews route daily through Universal City and the surrounding communities: Schertz to the northeast, Converse to the south, Cibolo to the east, and San Antonio proper to the southwest. The housing stock differs in each - newer construction in Cibolo, different rental patterns in Converse - but the approach is the same: written price first, documented photo record on every visit, 365-Day Done Right Promise on every job.
Serving Universal City, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Universal City 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 - Duct Repair & Sealing in Universal City
The PCS turnover cycle means these homes change tenants every 2-3 years, and duct maintenance falls through the cracks between outgoing and incoming families. Each tenant assumes the other handled it. The result is 15+ years of accumulated debris, separated collars, and dried sealing tape before anyone calls a tech. In Schertz and Converse, longer owner-occupancy means systems get attention sooner. If you’re renting near Randolph or you’re a landlord preparing for inspection, call (726) 600-7155 for a written estimate and camera inspection.
Disconnected flex runs at collars, compacted caliche dust in low spots where airflow has been choked, and layers of cedar and oak pollen coating the interior. The camera also reveals whether the original cloth tape has peeled away from the plenum, a near-certainty in homes this age. We show you the footage before quoting any work. Estimates are free - call (726) 600-7155 to schedule.
Yes, if the disconnection is accessible and the damage is limited to the collar or boot. We carry mastic sealant, mesh tape, replacement collars, and flex duct on every truck. More extensive damage - crushed runs, multiple separations, or deteriorated liner - may require scheduling additional time, but we’ll tell you exactly what the camera shows and give you a written price for both scenarios before anything is cut or sealed.
Signs we see most often in Universal City: rooms that won’t cool evenly, utility bills that spike in July and August despite normal usage, dust accumulation around registers, and the sound of air moving in the attic rather than through the vents. A formal duct blaster test measures leakage precisely, but our camera inspection usually reveals the obvious gaps in these older systems without additional cost. Call (726) 600-7155 and we’ll show you what we find.
The crew should camera-inspect every run, document the condition with photos, and provide you with a written report you can submit to housing or your landlord. If the inspection shows disconnected runs or failed seals, that documentation protects your deposit and ensures the next tenant isn’t moving into a system that blows conditioned air into the attic. Ask for the photo record before the crew leaves. CleanRun includes this as standard on every visit, no extra charge.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning San Antonio, serving Universal City since 2013.