Kitchen Exhaust Compliance
NFPA 96 hood cleaning, grease traps and suppression inspections for commercial kitchens.
Services
Service Areas
We cover secondary metros where kitchens still have to meet the same code as downtown, but have far fewer certified contractors to call.
Guides
How often NFPA 96 requires cleaning
NFPA 96 sets the inspection and cleaning schedule for commercial kitchen exhaust systems. Frequency is driven by cooking volume, not by preference.
| Type of cooking operation | Required frequency | Typical example |
|---|---|---|
| Solid fuel cooking | Monthly | Wood or charcoal fired equipment builds deposits fastest. |
| High volume cooking | Quarterly | 24-hour operations, charbroiling and wok cooking. |
| Moderate volume cooking | Semi-annually | The schedule most sit-down restaurants fall under. |
| Low volume cooking | Annually | Churches, seasonal kitchens, day camps and senior centers. |
A system past its cleaning date is a fire code violation. The practical cost is not the fine, it is the insurance position after a fire and the risk of being shut down mid-service.
Common questions
How often does NFPA 96 require hood cleaning?
It depends on cooking volume, not on preference. Solid fuel cooking is monthly, high volume such as 24-hour operations, charbroiling and wok cooking is quarterly, moderate volume is semi-annually, and low volume such as churches, seasonal kitchens and day camps is annually.
What does the fire inspector actually look at?
The date of the last cleaning against the required frequency, grease depth on the hood, the duct interior and the fan blades, access panels along the duct run, a current tag on the wet chemical suppression system, fusible links within their interval, and filters seated and not saturated.
What happens if we fail inspection?
Normally a correction period rather than immediate closure, unless the grease load is judged an imminent hazard. The reinspection tends to be about documentation as much as the metal, so get dated photographs and a certificate naming the standard.
Is the suppression inspection the same visit as hood cleaning?
They are separate obligations. The wet chemical system needs inspection and tagging semi-annually. Scheduling both together means one shutdown instead of two.
Who enforces grease trap rules?
Usually the municipal sewer or water authority, which is a different inspector from the fire marshal who looks at the hood. Keep the manifests: in most jurisdictions the disposal record is what demonstrates compliance.