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.
Scheduling from October 5, 2026 · IKECA Member #76716495 · CESI #200771 · CECS #200452
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.
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 |
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.
Every kitchen hood inspection covers the hood, ducts, grease removal devices and exhaust fan, measured against NFPA 96. Cooking appliances are not inspected.
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.
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 |
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.
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.
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.
| 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 InspectionHospitals, 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.
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 quoted individually before you book.
Tell us where you are.We schedule by region and confirm your date.
Schedule an InspectionArthur 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.
Inspection — Available statewide, scheduled by region.
Cleaning — Served directly across the Central Valley, Sacramento and the East Bay. Multi-site accounts outside it are quoted with travel.
Need answers without a site visit? The NFPA 96 Trusted Advisor retainer covers questions, records review and fire-inspection readiness all year.
See the Trusted Advisor Retainer →