Kitchen hood cleaning
How often the hood, filters, ducts and exhaust fan have to be degreased depends on what you cook and how much. NFPA 96 sets it: monthly for solid fuel such as wood or charcoal, every three months for high volume such as 24-hour kitchens, charbroiling or wok cooking, every six months for a typical restaurant, and yearly for low-volume kitchens like churches and seasonal camps.
The cleaner leaves a sticker with the date and the next due date. Wipe the hood and clean the filters daily, and watch for grease dripping from the hood or fan.
Rules last checked Oct 23, 2026. Sources are at the foot of the page.
What the code asks for
- Applies when
- Commercial cooking that produces grease-laden vapors under an exhaust hood.
- What the pro does
- The cleaner degreases the hood, filters, ducts and exhaust fan, shuts off power safely, checks for grease build-up, and leaves a service sticker with the date and next due date.
- Who may do it
- NFPA 96 calls for trained, qualified, certified cleaners acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. Most states have no hood cleaner licence.
- Your own checks
- Daily wipe-down and filter cleaning; look for grease dripping from the hood or fan.
- Kept on site as your record
- The cleaner documents each cleaning and gives the owner a report. NFPA 96 expects records kept for the fire inspector.
- Source: National code baseline
- Marysville Fire District, Restaurant Owner's Guide to Exhaust Hood Cleaning, NFPA 96 hood cleaning schedule by cooking volume. Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Portland Fire & Rescue, FIR-8.08 Commercial Kitchen Exhaust, Section III.B.3, minimum cleaning frequency by cooking type (NFPA 96, 2011 edition referenced). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Minnesota Department of Health, Protection of Kitchen Cooking Equipment, NFPA 96 (2011) 11.2.1, 11.2.4, 11.4 and Table 11.4; NFPA 17A (2009) 7.2.2 and 7.5.1. Read Oct 23, 2026.
NFPA sells its codes rather than publishing them, so these are fire and health authorities quoting the code. They are national code, not rules for that city or state.
| Case | How often |
|---|---|
| Solid fuel cooking (wood, charcoal) | Every month |
| High volume (24-hour, charbroiling, wok) | Every 3 months |
| Moderate volume (typical restaurant) | Every 6 months |
| Low volume (church, day camp, seasonal, senior center) | Every year |
What it costs to miss
- Grease left in a duct is fuel. The fire inspector expects the cleaning records, and the sticker shows when the next one is due.
Where the local rule differs
The state and city rules we have on file for kitchen hood cleaning, and how the paperwork gets filed in each.
| Where | How often | Who may do it | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Every month to every year, by type | No Florida hood cleaner licence was found. NFPA 96 calls for trained, qualified cleaners acceptable to the local fire official. | The cleaner documents each cleaning and gives the owner a report for the fire inspector. |
When is yours due?
Pick your state, add the month from your tag, and see the next date and the rule behind it. Then book a licensed pro if you want one.
Questions about kitchen hood cleaning
How often should a restaurant hood be cleaned?
Every six months for a typical restaurant, every three months for high-volume cooking, monthly for wood or charcoal, and yearly for low-volume kitchens, under NFPA 96.
Does a hood cleaner need a licence?
Most states have no hood cleaner licence. NFPA 96 calls for trained, qualified, certified cleaners acceptable to the local fire official. No Florida licence was found, and Texas has no state hood cleaning rule on file with us.
What does the hood cleaner leave behind?
A service sticker on the hood with the date and the next due date, and a report you keep for the fire inspector.
Sources
- Marysville Fire District, Restaurant Owner's Guide to Exhaust Hood Cleaning, NFPA 96 hood cleaning schedule by cooking volume. Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Portland Fire & Rescue, FIR-8.08 Commercial Kitchen Exhaust, Section III.B.3, minimum cleaning frequency by cooking type (NFPA 96, 2011 edition referenced). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Minnesota Department of Health, Protection of Kitchen Cooking Equipment, NFPA 96 (2011) 11.2.1, 11.2.4, 11.4 and Table 11.4; NFPA 17A (2009) 7.2.2 and 7.5.1. Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Fla. Admin. Code 69A-3.012, NFPA standards adopted, Rule 69A-3.012 (NFPA 10-2018, 17A-2021, 25-2020, 72-2019, 96-2021; effective 12/31/2023). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Fla. Admin. Code 69A-60.003, Florida Fire Prevention Code, Rule 69A-60.003 (adopts NFPA 1, Florida 2021 edition). Read Oct 23, 2026.
PremiseBay shows the rules and their sources. Your fire marshal, water utility or insurer has the final word for your building. How we check rules.