Kitchen Exhaust Inspection
Independent NFPA 96 Kitchen Exhaust Inspection
Your hood, duct and fan measured against NFPA 96, plus the Fire-5 Tag Verification on your fire protection records. Sold on its own and scheduled across California — one kitchen or every kitchen you run.
Schedule an InspectionCall (209) 318-2737Prefer to text? (209) 553-4297
- IKECA Member Company
- Certified Exhaust System Inspector (CESI) #200771
- Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist (CECS) #200452
- Full System: Hood, Duct & Fan
- Report + Certificate on Every Job
Kitchen Exhaust Inspection
$500 first system · $250 each additional system · Scheduling from October 5, 2026
- Grease depth read at every accessible point on the hood, ducts, grease removal devices and fan housing
- Hood, duct and fan connections checked for clearance, support and secure mounting
- Fire dampers, access panels and hinge kits checked for function and access
- Listed exhaust equipment and controls confirmed against manufacturer and code requirements
- Basic mechanical and electrical output of the exhaust fan checked
- Grease containment at the rooftop discharge checked
- Fire-5 Tag Verification: hood cleaning, fire suppression, fire sprinkler, fire extinguishers, fire alarm
- Service tags, dates and inspection records verified against schedule
Every hooded kitchen in the facility, on one visit.
Who Performs the Inspection
Arthur Haggerty, founder of Cleaning Pros Plus, LLC, performs every inspection himself. He holds the IKECA CESI — Certified Exhaust System Inspector — and the IKECA CECS — Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist — and has been retained as an NFPA 96 expert witness in commercial-kitchen fire litigation. Your AHJ decides who is acceptable to perform the work in your jurisdiction.
- IKECA Member #76716495
- CESI #200771 · CECS #200452
- Retained NFPA 96 Expert Witness
Where We Work
Inspection — Available statewide, scheduled by region.
Cleaning — Served directly across the Central Valley, Sacramento and the East Bay. Multi-site accounts outside it are estimated with travel.
Need answers without a site visit? The NFPA 96 Trusted Advisor retainer covers questions, records review and fire-inspection readiness all year.
Hood Inspection Cost
Priced per system, per location. The Fire-5 Tag Verification is included. The inspection is sold on its own — buying it does not commit you to a cleaning.
$500
First system at a location
$250
Each additional system, same location
| First system at each location | $500 |
| Each additional system at the same location | $250 |
| Example: four systems in one hospital building — $500 + 3 × $250 | $1,250 |
Know your number before you call.Tell us your hood count and we confirm the total — no estimate visit needed. Pick a date that works around your production; multi-site organizations send us the site list instead.
Schedule an InspectionScheduling from October 5, 2026 · IKECA Member #76716495 · CESI #200771 · CECS #200452
Scheduling Across California
Inspections are scheduled by region, and the price is the same wherever we come to you: $500 for the first system, $250 for each additional system at the same location. No travel charge. Southern California, the far north and the coast are estimated individually before you book.
Tell us where you are.We schedule by region and confirm your date.
Schedule an InspectionNFPA 96 Inspection Checklist
Every kitchen hood inspection covers the hood, ducts, grease removal devices and exhaust fan, measured against NFPA 96. Cooking appliances are not inspected.
- Grease depth read at every accessible point on the hood, ducts, grease removal devices and fan housing
- Hood, duct and fan connections checked for clearance, support and secure mounting
- Fire dampers, access panels and hinge kits checked for function and access
- Listed exhaust equipment and controls confirmed against manufacturer and code requirements
- Basic mechanical and electrical output of the exhaust fan checked
- Grease containment at the rooftop discharge checked
- Fire-5 Tag Verification: hood cleaning, fire suppression, fire sprinkler, fire extinguishers, fire alarm
- Service tags, dates and inspection records verified against schedule
What You Receive
A written Kitchen Exhaust Inspection report for each kitchen, delivered within two weeks, with photographs and camera images of every inspection point. The inspection camera extends the view from each access point as far as the system’s configuration and access allow; anything beyond that reach is recorded Not Inspected. Every item carries one of four findings:
The item meets the NFPA 96 section it is inspected against.
What we found, and the correction it needs.
Could not be reached — recorded, never skipped silently.
Not part of this system.
Every service — inspection or cleaning — creates your own free EvidLY account. Log in through your HoodOps client portal to see the sealed report, use the self-inspection tool, and pull your compliance record whenever a fire marshal or carrier asks.
Know Which Tags Are Current
The Fire-5 Tag Verification comes with every inspection at no extra charge. If a tag is expired, you find out here — not from a fire marshal.
The Fire-5 Tag Verification
We verify the posted tag and service record for all five fire safety systems over your cooking line. Licensed fire protection contractors perform those inspections; we tell you which are current.
- Hood Cleaning NFPA 96
- Fire Suppression NFPA 17A
- Fire Sprinkler NFPA 25
- Fire Extinguishers NFPA 10
- Fire Alarm NFPA 72
Inspection Decides Whether Cleaning Is Due
NFPA 96 requires the exhaust system to be inspected for grease buildup on the Table 12.4 schedule. Under §12.6.1, if the inspection finds the system contaminated with deposits from grease-laden vapors, the contaminated portions must be cleaned by a properly trained, qualified and certified person acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). Under §12.6.2, hoods, grease removal devices, fans, ducts and other appurtenances must be cleaned before surfaces become heavily contaminated with grease or oil sludge.
Grease Within Acceptable Limits — the report documents that no cleaning is due. It is the NFPA 96 inspection record the AHJ accepts. Grease Above the Limit — the report names every contaminated section and its measured depth, so only what needs cleaning is cleaned. Where your fire department uses The Compliance Engine, we submit the report there for you.
Grease Measured, Not EyeballedSee the depth thresholds ▾
Deposit depth is gauged with a depth comb at each part of the system and written on the report by name. NFPA 96 §12.6.1.1 sets the maximum surfaces are cleaned to, and a separate cleaning trigger for the grease duct and for the exhaust fan housing.
| Cleaned To — Maximum After Service | 50 µm / 0.002 in |
| Grease Duct — Cleaning Required | 2,000 µm / 0.078 in |
| Exhaust Fan Housing — Critical Depth | 3,175 µm / 0.125 in |
For CMS-Surveyed Facilities (Hospitals, Skilled Nursing)
A cooking-facility grease finding can be cited under CMS K-tag K 324 in a Life Safety Code survey — a Life Safety deficiency that puts CMS certification at risk. CMS-certified skilled nursing facilities face civil monetary penalties under 42 CFR 488.438: $136 to $27,378 per day, or up to $27,378 per instance. Hospitals face termination of their Medicare and Medicaid provider agreement for an uncorrected Life Safety deficiency. Most assisted living is state-licensed rather than CMS-certified and is not subject to this penalty schedule.
How Often NFPA 96 Requires Inspection
Table 12.4 sets the inspection interval by cooking type and volume. The measured grease depth decides when the system is cleaned.
| Type or Volume of Cooking | Inspection Frequency |
|---|---|
| Solid fuel cooking (wood, charcoal, mesquite) | Monthly |
| High-volume cooking (24-hour, charbroiling, wok) | Quarterly |
| Moderate-volume cooking | Semi-Annually |
| Low-volume cooking (churches, day camps, seasonal, senior centers) | Annually |
Not sure which category your kitchen falls into? We'll assess your operation and recommend the right schedule.
The Priority Service Plan
Kitchens on the plan get the Inspection Day Guarantee: on schedule and cited for grease on a part we were responsible to clean, we correct it at no charge and pay the re-inspection fee.
Kitchen Exhaust Inspection Questions
How much does an NFPA 96 inspection cost?
$500 for the first system at a location and $250 for each additional system at the same location. The Fire-5 Tag Verification is included.
Do I have to buy a cleaning?
No. The inspection is sold on its own. If the report shows cleaning is required, the report is yours to act on with any hood cleaning company.
Where do you inspect?
Statewide across California, scheduled by region. Travel outside a scheduled region is estimated before you book.
How often does my kitchen need an inspection?
NFPA 96 Table 12.4: monthly for solid fuel, quarterly for high-volume, semi-annually for moderate-volume, annually for low-volume cooking.
If the grease is within limits, do I still need a cleaning?
No. NFPA 96 requires cleaning where the inspection finds grease deposits. When the grease is within acceptable limits, the inspection report is the NFPA 96 record the AHJ accepts.
Do you submit the report to The Compliance Engine?
Yes. Where your fire department uses The Compliance Engine, we submit the inspection report there for you.
What is the Fire-5 Tag Verification?
We verify the posted tag and service record for hood cleaning, fire suppression, fire sprinkler, extinguishers and fire alarm, and report which are current.
Can you inspect every kitchen across our organization?
Yes. Each site gets one visit covering every hood, each kitchen gets its own interval, and every report comes back in the same format, filed by site.
Can I get an inspection sooner than your regional date?
Yes. Tell us the date you need and we will come out for it. The price is the same: $500 for the first system, $250 for each additional system at the same location. If other kitchens in your building or district want that date, we will pair them onto one visit.
Can we buy the Trusted Advisor retainer without an inspection?
Yes. The retainer is $750 a year on its own — no inspection required. It drops to $500 a year only if you renew it after an inspection.
What does a fire marshal check in a hood inspection?
The posted hood cleaning tag and its date, the fire suppression tag, and visible grease on the hood and filters. The Fire-5 Tag Verification reviews those same tags before the fire marshal does, and your report shows the measured grease depth.
Do you perform the hood suppression inspection?
A licensed fire protection contractor inspects the suppression system under NFPA 17A. The Fire-5 Tag Verification confirms its tag and service date are current, so you know when that inspection is due.
Do I need a hood cleaning inspection before a cleaning?
The inspection measures the grease and decides whether a cleaning is due. If the grease is within limits, your report is the NFPA 96 inspection record. If it’s above the limit, the report names every section that needs cleaning, so you pay to clean only what needs it.
Counties We Serve
Central Valley
Fresno County Kern County Kings County Madera County Mariposa County Merced County San Joaquin County Stanislaus County Tulare County
Northern California
Every Kitchen You Run, on One Standard
Hospitals, school districts, campuses, hotels, casinos and restaurant groups run kitchens with different cooking loads under one name. Each kitchen is inspected on its own and given its own interval, and every report comes back in the same format.
Hospitals & Healthcare Colleges & Universities K-12 Schools & Districts Senior Living & Care Casinos & Event Centers Grocery & Supermarket Restaurants & Groups Food Trucks & Mobile Institutional Kitchens Hotels, Hospitality & Franchises
Inspections by Type of Operation
Hospitals & Healthcare K-12 Schools & Districts Institutional Kitchens Senior Living & Care Casinos & Event Centers
Know Where Every Kitchen Stands
$500 first system · $250 each additional system · Scheduling from October 5, 2026