If your kitchen exhaust cleaning company has gone quiet, the first thing to do is check your inspection tag. That tag tells you when your system was last serviced and when the next service is due, and it tells you exactly how urgent your next move needs to be.
How to Check If You’re Overdue for Hood Cleaning
The inspection tag on your hood is your starting point. If you were due for service three months ago, you have a little more time to find the right vendor. If you’re a year overdue, you need to move quickly.
Being past due on your kitchen exhaust cleaning is more than a compliance issue. Grease buildup in the ductwork and exhaust fan creates a fire hazard that most kitchen operators don’t see coming. That’s especially true for the horizontal ductwork, which runs out of sight and out of mind, and is exactly where grease collects and fire can spread.
If your current vendor has stopped showing up and hasn’t reached out, that tells you something. A real fire safety partner keeps you compliant and keeps communication open. If that’s not happening, it’s time to move on.
How to Find a Reputable Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Company
Start with a search. Google or an AI search engine can help you find companies in your area. What you’re looking for is a company with a solid reputation, good reviews, and one that cleans the complete system, not just what’s visible inside the kitchen.
NFPA 96 is the standard that governs commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning. Any vendor you consider should be familiar with it and cleaning to it. Learn more at the National Fire Protection Association.
A few things to look for when evaluating companies:
- How long have they been doing this? Experience matters when systems vary as much as they do.
- Do they clean the full system? That means the hood, the connecting ductwork, and the exhaust fan on the roof. A company that only cleans what’s visible in the kitchen is leaving the fire hazard intact.
- Do they understand your specific system? A single-story restaurant with a straightforward hood is very different from a hospital with five stories of ductwork and exhaust fans in a penthouse. The right vendor will ask the right questions before they ever quote you.
How to Get a Quote and Compare Hood Cleaning Vendors
Get multiple quotes. Before anyone gives you a number, make sure you’ve communicated the full scope of what needs to be cleaned: the hood, the ductwork, and the exhaust fan. If you don’t establish that upfront, you risk getting bids that aren’t comparing the same work.
Some vendors will quote you a low price because they aren’t planning to clean the full system. Getting scope clarity before pricing protects you from that.
For simpler systems, a quote can often be done remotely. For more complex systems, an on-site visit or blueprints may be needed to give you an accurate number. A good vendor will tell you which one applies to your situation. Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Vendor.
When you receive quotes, look at how each vendor describes the work, not just the price. If the scope is the same, then you can compare pricing apples to apples. If one quote is significantly cheaper, find out why before you commit.
What to Expect After the Job Is Done
Once the work is complete, your vendor should provide you with a completion report. Not just a tag on the hood. A real report.
That report should include before and after photos, schematics showing where your duct system runs, and documentation of any deficiencies they found. If any part of your system is not up to NFPA 96 code, your vendor should flag it and help you understand what it takes to get compliant. A good vendor is in the business of making your system as fire safe as possible, not just checking a box. See how we build ongoing compliance into every service schedule.
FAQ
What should I do first if my hood cleaning company stops showing up?
Check the inspection tag on your hood. It shows when you were last serviced and when the next service is due. That tells you how urgently you need to act.
What does a complete kitchen exhaust cleaning include?
A full system clean covers the hood inside the kitchen, all connecting ductwork, and the exhaust fan on the roof. Any vendor that skips the ductwork or fan is leaving a fire hazard in place.
What is NFPA 96 and why does it matter?
NFPA 96 is the national standard for commercial kitchen ventilation maintenance and fire safety. Your exhaust system should be cleaned and maintained in accordance with this standard. Your vendor should know it and follow it.
How do I compare quotes from different hood cleaning companies?
Make sure every vendor is bidding the same scope before you look at price. Hood, ductwork, and exhaust fan should all be included. Once scope is equal, then price becomes a fair comparison.
What should a hood cleaning completion report include?
Before and after photos, duct schematics, and documentation of any code deficiencies. If your vendor only leaves a tag on the hood, that is not a sufficient completion report.
If you are not sure when your system was last cleaned or you are looking for a vendor who will actually show up and do the full job, that is exactly what we are here for. Reach out to Bare Metal Standard for a free quote and system assessment.