Vent Installation
Dryer Vent Installation and Rerouting
New dryer vent installation through walls and up to the attic, replacements for ducting that was never right, and rerouting when a run is too long to work. Rigid metal duct on every concealed section, installed to code.
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- Licensed & Insured
- 90-Day Guarantee
How long a dryer vent is allowed to be
The International Residential Code caps a dryer exhaust duct at 35 feet of developed length, measured from the dryer connection to the outside termination. Most people measure the straight distance and assume they are fine. That is not how it is calculated.
Every bend counts against the total:
- A 90-degree elbow counts as 5 feet
- A 45-degree elbow counts as 2.5 feet
So a run measuring 20 actual feet with three 90-degree elbows is 35 developed feet — at the limit, not comfortably inside it. A second-floor laundry room routed up into the attic and out a roof cap often exceeds it without anyone realising.
Dryer manufacturers publish their own maximums, and those can be shorter or longer than the code figure. Where they are shorter, the manufacturer wins.
This is why some vents cannot be fixed by cleaning. If the run is over length, it will restrict airflow when it is spotless. Cleaning it buys a few weeks. The run has to be shortened, rerouted, or fitted with a booster designed for the purpose.
What a code-compliant dryer vent requires
These are the requirements a home inspector checks, and the ones we install to.
Concealed runs must be rigid metal duct with a smooth inside wall. The ribbed flexible ducts sold in hardware stores are not permitted in a concealed run and are treated as a fire hazard by inspectors.
Duct sections fit together so the downstream piece sits inside the upstream one. Reversed joints catch lint at every seam.
Fasteners must not protrude into the airflow path. A screw tip is a lint hook. Joints get sealed with foil tape instead.
Standard for most residential dryers. Narrowing the duct sharply reduces how long the run can be before airflow suffers.
The duct has to discharge outdoors, fitted with a backdraft damper. Screens and mesh guards catch lint and clog, and are not permitted on a dryer termination.
A dryer discharges a large volume of water vapour along with the lint. Venting it into an enclosed space causes moisture damage and wood decay over time. It is a defective installation, not a shortcut.
The flexible connector between the dryer and the wall is the only place flexible duct belongs, it must stay visible rather than buried in construction, and it should be as short as the space allows.
Duct running across an attic needs support at intervals. Unsupported duct sags between joists and every low point becomes a lint trap.
When a vent needs replacing or rerouting
A new laundry room, a renovation, or a dryer relocated to a different wall. The vent has to be routed to a new termination.
Thin foil sags, crushes behind the dryer and collects lint at every ridge. Plastic adds a combustible material to a line carrying hot air. Neither belongs in a concealed run.
Too many feet, too many bends, or both. No amount of cleaning fixes an over-length duct.
Lint and moisture accumulating inside the structure. This needs correcting rather than cleaning.
A dryer installed where the hookup was never properly vented.
A damper that will not close lets humid air, insects and rodents in. A screened hood clogs and has to go.
Dryer venting is a routine inspection finding on resale. We correct the defect and leave the run compliant.
Installations we handle
Dryer straight out to an exterior wall. The shortest and most reliable configuration, and the one we route to wherever the layout allows it.
Standard where the laundry room sits inside the floor plan, which covers most single-family construction in the western suburbs. This is also where developed length runs long, so the routing matters more than anywhere else.
Pulling out foil or plastic and replacing the concealed run with rigid metal.
Changing the path when a dryer moves, or when the existing route is simply too long to work properly.
The short connector behind the dryer. It is the section that gets crushed flat when the machine is pushed back against the wall.
New hood with a working backdraft damper, sealed at the penetration, no screen.
How the installation works
We measure the developed length before quoting, because that number decides whether the layout you have can work at all.
Assess the layout
Where the dryer sits, where it can terminate, what is in the wall or attic between the two, and how many bends the route needs. We calculate developed length, not straight-line distance.
Quote before anything is cut
Scope, materials and price. If the route you want exceeds what the run can support, we say so at this stage rather than after.
Run rigid metal duct
Joints in the direction of airflow, sealed with foil tape rather than screws. Attic runs supported so the duct cannot sag between joists.
Install the termination
Wall or roof hood with a working backdraft damper, sealed at the penetration, no screen.
Connect and verify
We run a cycle and confirm strong steady airflow at the hood before we call it done.
Why the duct material decides everything after
Flexible foil hose is sold in every hardware store and it is the wrong product for a concealed run. The ridged interior grabs lint at every corrugation. It sags between supports. It crushes flat the moment a dryer is pushed back against the wall. Plastic is worse, because it adds a combustible material to a line carrying hot air and lint.
Rigid metal has a smooth interior, holds its shape, and can be cleaned properly for the life of the installation. It is also what the code requires in a concealed run, which is why home inspectors flag foil when they find it.
There is a second effect people miss. LG dryers with airflow sensing read the turbulence from foil corrugations as a blockage and throw a duct-restriction code on a duct that is not actually clogged. Replacing the foil clears the code. More on the differences: types of dryer vent hose.
What to expect after a new vent
Drying times drop, usually back to a single cycle. The dryer runs cooler, which takes strain off the heating element, the thermostats and the thermal fuse — the parts that fail repeatedly when airflow is restricted.
A new rigid run still needs cleaning, just less often. A short straight run cleaned once a year stays largely clear between visits. A long run with several bends accumulates faster and is worth doing every six months, because every bend is a pocket where lint settles instead of being carried out.
Keep a few inches of clearance behind the dryer so the transition duct is not crushed, and check the exterior damper occasionally to confirm it still opens and closes freely.
Why have a dryer company do it
Vent installation gets done by handymen, general contractors during a remodel, and duct cleaning companies upselling a replacement. All three can fit a duct. Fewer of them will tell you the route you asked for is over length before they build it.
We clean vents as well as install them, which means we have no reason to sell you a replacement when a cleaning would do — and no reason to clean a run that will never work properly.
- Dryers and dryer venting only, twelve years
- Developed length calculated before quoting
- Rigid metal on every concealed run
- Wall, attic and roof terminations
- Airflow verified before we leave
- Licensed and insured
Pricing and guarantee
How installation is quoted
Installation and rerouting is quoted after we see the layout. Run length, the number of bends and the termination type change the job substantially, so a phone quote would be a guess.
$99 diagnostic, waived when you approve the work. We assess the run, calculate developed length and tell you what it needs. The diagnostic comes off the bill when you go ahead.
After-hours emergency service. Outside regular business hours a $150 emergency fee applies. It is non-refundable and charged in addition to any other fees.
Work is backed by our 90-day parts and labor guarantee. Extended warranty coverage is available for purchase.
Where we install dryer vents
Installation, replacement and rerouting across Broward and Palm Beach County.
Dryer vent installation FAQ
How long can a dryer vent be?
The IRC caps developed length at 35 feet from the dryer to the outside termination, and every bend counts against that. A 90-degree elbow counts as 5 feet, a 45-degree elbow as 2.5 feet. Your dryer manufacturer may specify a shorter maximum, and where it does, that number wins.
My vent is too long. Will cleaning fix the slow drying?
No. Cleaning helps a duct that is dirty. It does nothing for a duct that is over length, because the restriction is the route itself rather than the lint in it. That run needs shortening, rerouting, or a booster designed for the purpose.
Can you vent a dryer through the roof?
Yes. Wall to attic to roof is the standard configuration where the laundry room sits inside the floor plan. We support the attic run so it cannot sag and install the roof termination with a working damper and a sealed penetration.
Can a dryer vent into the attic, garage or crawlspace?
No. A dryer discharges a large volume of water vapour with the lint, and putting both into an enclosed space causes moisture damage over time. Inspectors treat it as a defective installation. If yours does, it should be corrected.
Do you replace flexible foil duct with rigid metal?
Yes, and it is one of the more common jobs we do. Foil is not permitted in a concealed run, it collects lint at every ridge, and it crushes flat behind the dryer.
Can you move my dryer vent to a different wall?
Usually. It depends what is in the path and where a termination can go. We calculate the developed length of the new route before quoting so you know whether it will actually work.
Why does my new dryer show a duct blockage code?
If the concealed run is flexible foil, the corrugations create enough turbulence for the dryer airflow sensor to read it as a blockage even when the duct is clean. Replacing the foil with rigid metal usually clears it.
Do I need a permit?
It depends on the municipality and the scope of the work. We tell you what applies before we start rather than after.
Get a Vent Installation Quote
Tell us where the dryer is and where it needs to vent. We measure the run and tell you what it needs.
Mon–Fri 9am–5pm · Emergency after-hours available