Fort Wayne Home Show 2026: Questions to Ask Your Dryer Vent Cleaner

The Fort Wayne Home Show is one of the best things a homeowner can do for their house. In a single afternoon you can meet dozens of contractors, compare quotes, and line up the spring maintenance season. It's also where a lot of homeowners get burned — a slick booth, a show-special price, and a contractor who disappears the moment the deposit clears.

This is the cheat sheet. These are the exact questions to ask a dryer vent cleaner at the Fort Wayne Home Show 2026 — the ones that separate a real specialist from a lead-generation booth.

Do You Actually Specialize in Dryer Vents?

A lot of companies at the show list dryer vent cleaning as one of twenty services. Ask directly. A specialist knows the NFPA 211 code, carries camera equipment, and can talk intelligently about vent routing, run length, and compliant materials. A generalist is usually a carpet cleaner or air-duct company tacking on a service.

Do You Use a Camera to Inspect the Line?

This is the make-or-break question. A proper 4K camera inspection shows the entire interior of the vent line before and after cleaning. If a contractor says they'll just brush it out and trust the airflow, walk away. You can't fix what you can't see, and a packed line that's been brushed at the ends still has lint packed in the middle.

What's Included in the Price?

• —Full line cleaning from the dryer connection to the exterior cap.
• —Camera inspection before and after.
• —Exterior cap inspection and replacement if non-compliant.
• —Bird nest or blockage removal if present.
• —Any re-routing or code upgrades — quoted separately, not surprise-billed.

Show-special prices are usually either a great deal or a bait price that balloons once the tech is in your home. Get the full scope in writing at the booth.

Are You Licensed and Insured?

It sounds basic, but a shocking number of show vendors operate without proper insurance. A contractor in your home and on your roof needs general liability at minimum. Ask for proof, not a verbal yes.

Can You Handle Code and Repair Work?

Many Aboite and older Fort Wayne homes need more than a cleaning — they need repairs to bring the vent up to code. If your cleaner only cleans and can't replace a foil duct, fix a crushed run, or swap a non-compliant cap, you'll end up hiring a second company to finish the job.

Do You Have Local Fort Wayne Reviews?

Ask for reviews specifically from Fort Wayne and Allen County. A national lead-gen brand will have plenty of out-of-state reviews and almost none from your neighborhood. Local reviews mean the company actually shows up in your area. See our reviews page for an example of what real, local feedback looks like.

Questions to Skip

1. 1'Cheapest price?' — a too-low price usually means a bait quote or no camera work.
2. 2'Can you do it tomorrow?' — quality cleaning books out a few days; instant availability is a red flag.
3. 3'Do you do everything?' — a company that claims to do everything often does nothing well.

Before You Leave the Show

Take a card, write the answers to these questions on the back, and don't commit at the booth unless you've confirmed the company is licensed, uses cameras, and has local reviews. Then compare with our dryer vent cleaning service — we're Fort Wayne's dryer vent specialist, and we're happy to answer every one of these questions in detail. Browse more local resources for Fort Wayne homeowners while you're at it.