You're letting somebody into your house. Here's who.
I'm Kester. I own Bowie Dryer Vent Cleaning, and I'm the one who shows up — no call center, no rotating crew, no subcontractor in an unmarked van.
Insured · Flat $169 · Dryer vents only
Bowie, MD
Bowie Dryer Vent Cleaning is a one-person business owned and operated by Kester in Bowie, Maryland. The owner answers the phone, gives the quote, and does the work — there are no employees or subcontractors. The business carries general liability insurance, charges a flat $169 for a standard wall-exit cleaning, and includes a free before-and-after airflow test on every job. It services dryer vents only, not whole-home ducts, carpets or appliances.
Why I only do dryer vents
I started this business after I finally cleaned my own dryer vent and saw what eight years of never thinking about it looked like. It wasn't a little lint — it was a packed, matted mess the whole run, the kind of thing that made me wonder how the dryer had been running at all, and how many other houses on my street had the exact same thing behind the wall.
That's the whole reason this exists. Not a franchise territory I bought into, not a pivot from another trade — I saw the actual problem in my own vent and figured a lot of people in Bowie were sitting on the same fire hazard without knowing it. The companies that show up first when you search this are regional duct-cleaning outfits where the dryer vent is an add-on to a carpet or whole-home job. I'd rather do one thing and be the person in this area who does it properly than be a fourth option on somebody else's price sheet.
What owner-operated actually gets you
It's not a slogan. It changes three specific things about how the job goes.
Nobody to upsell for
I'm not paid commission on add-ons because there's nobody paying me. If your vent is close to spec and doesn't need service, I say so and there's no charge.
The quote is the bill
The price is on the website before you call. No trip fee, no "it was worse than we thought." A two-hour vent costs the same as a forty-minute one.
One person to hold responsible
Same technician every visit, and I keep your last airflow reading on file. If something goes wrong, you're talking to the person who did the work, not a form.
Four things I won't do
Easier to judge a contractor by what they refuse than by what they promise.
Quote blind
You get the number before I drive out. If the vent turns out to be worse than described, that's my problem, not a surcharge.
Sell you a repair I can't prove
Crushed hose, broken flap, a nest — you see the photo first. Then you decide, and you can get someone else to do it.
Work outside my lane
Vent replacement and rerouting are MHIC-licensed work. Roof exits need equipment I don't carry. Both get a referral, not an attempt.
Claim it's clean without a number
A pile of lint on your driveway proves nothing about the twenty feet you can't see. The airflow reading does.
Ask any contractor for these
If they get vague, that's your answer. Mine:
- General liability insurance
- In force
- Certificate shown before work starts
- On request
- Maryland MHIC license
- Not required for cleaning
- Employees or subcontractors
- None
- Payment taken
- After the work
- Code I work to
- IRC M1502
Vent replacement and rerouting are MHIC-licensed work and are referred out
Questions people ask before booking
Will it actually be you at my door?
Yes. There's nobody else. If I ever get busy enough to need help, I'll say so on this page rather than quietly sending someone you've never heard of.
Are you insured?
Yes, general liability on every job, and I'm glad to show you the certificate before I start. Dryer vent cleaning itself doesn't require a Maryland Home Improvement Commission license. Vent replacement and rerouting do, so anything structural gets referred to a licensed contractor.
Why should I trust a brand-new local business over a national brand?
You shouldn't trust either on the name. Ask both the same three things: do you measure airflow before and after, is the quoted price the final price, and will you show me photos of the work. My answers are yes, yes and yes, and they're in writing on this site.
What made you start a dryer vent cleaning business specifically?
I cleaned my own vent after eight years of never touching it and was honestly alarmed by what came out. That's what started it — not a franchise, not a pivot from another trade. If it was that bad in my own house, I figured it was that bad in a lot of houses on my street.
Book the person whose name is on the truck
Free airflow test, flat $169 if it needs cleaning, photos either way.
Texting a photo of your vent hood works too — I'll tell you what I'm looking at. Or email hello@bowiedryerventcleaning.com. Not sure you're in the service area? Call anyway — if I can't help I'll point you somewhere reputable.