Kitchen hood cleaning certificate

What the certificate is and what it is not

The certificate is the record that a cleaning company leaves after servicing the kitchen exhaust system. In many kitchens it is a tag placed near the hood, and in others it is a written report with photographs and a description of the work. The common purpose is to show the date, the system that was cleaned, and the scope of the service. The exact form is set by the company and by local practice.

It is not a government permit, a fire inspection report, or a guarantee that the kitchen will pass an inspection. It is also not something this website can produce. Hood Clean Due does not clean, inspect, or certify. What this page gives you is a question list so the certificate conversation happens before the work starts, not after the invoice arrives.

What should be on the tag or report

Look for the name of the cleaning company, the date of service, and the system or equipment that was cleaned. A useful record also identifies the access points that were opened, the parts of the duct and fan that were reached, and whether the work was a complete cleaning or a partial service. If photographs are included, keep them with the report.

Ask whether the tag or report states the tier or the next service date. Some companies print a next-due date, and some leave that decision to the owner. If the document does not state a next date, write your own note and update your reminder after the visit. Do not assume a tag date is a legal deadline; it is a service record and a planning aid.

Question one: which tier do you assign?

Ask the company which NFPA 96 category they assign to your kitchen and why. The four categories in the Markel summary are monthly for solid fuel, quarterly for high volume, semiannual for moderate volume, and annual for low volume. A clear answer should mention the cooking style, the fuel, and the hours that drove the choice.

If the answer is vague, ask a follow-up: what would change the tier? A new solid-fuel appliance, a longer service day, or a switch to wok cooking could move the kitchen into a more demanding category. The tier affects how often you book, so it is worth getting the reasoning on the record before you approve the first visit.

Question two: what date goes on the tag?

Ask what date the company will put on the tag or report and whether that date is the service date or a next-due date. Those are different pieces of information. The service date records when the work happened. A next-due date is the company's recommendation for the following visit, and it should be consistent with the tier you discussed.

If the company prints a next-due date, compare it with your own plan and with the local rule. If the company leaves the next date to you, enter it in your account so the reminder emails can help you book in time. A tag with a clear service date is easier to file and easier to explain to a new manager or an inspector.

Question three: what is included in the visit?

Ask which parts of the system the visit covers. The hood canopy, filters, baffles, duct, access panels, fan, and grease containment areas are the usual pieces, but the scope can vary with the equipment and the access. Ask whether the fan is cleaned, whether the duct is cleaned for its full length, and whether the company documents the areas it could not reach.

A clear scope statement protects both sides. It tells you what you are paying for and it tells the company what you expect to see documented. If a part of the system is inaccessible, ask for that to be written down. A report that lists an inaccessible area is more useful than a tag that implies everything was cleaned when it was not.

Question four: is fire-suppression service included?

Ask directly whether the visit includes the automatic fire-extinguishing system inspection or whether that is a separate service. The Markel summary describes automatic fire-extinguishing systems as maintained at least every six months. That is a separate item from hood cleaning in the source, even when the same company performs both.

If suppression is included, ask what the inspection covers and what document you receive. If it is separate, ask when it is due and who performs it. Do not assume a hood cleaning tag also satisfies the suppression requirement. The two services have different scopes, different records, and potentially different schedules.

Question five: what proof do I get?

Ask for the tag, the written report, and any photographs before the crew leaves. A photograph of the tag and a copy of the report are easy to store and easy to send to a manager at another location. If the company uses a digital portal, ask how long the record stays available and how to download it.

Keep the record with the invoice and with your own note of the next date. If the company offers a before-and-after photo set, keep it too. The goal is a service history that shows what was done, when, and by whom. That history is more valuable than a single tag if a question comes up months later.

Question six: what happens if grease remains?

Ask what the company does if it finds heavy grease or a condition it cannot clean in one visit. A heavily neglected system can take more time, more access, or a follow-up visit. A good answer explains how the company prices additional work and how it documents the condition before and after.

Also ask whether the company will note any deficiencies it observes, such as damaged filters, missing access panels, or a fan that needs repair. The cleaning company is not a repair contractor by default, but its report can tell you what needs attention. That information helps you plan the next step without guessing.

Staff cleaning versus professional cleaning

Staff can remove and soak filters, wipe the canopy, and keep grease from accumulating on surfaces the kitchen touches every day. Those tasks are useful and should continue. They do not produce a certificate, and they do not replace the cleaning of the duct, fan, and other areas that require access and training.

The distinction matters when someone asks for proof of cleaning. A staff checklist shows routine upkeep. A cleaning company tag or report shows that a trained crew serviced the exhaust system. Keep both kinds of records if you use both approaches, but do not present the staff checklist as a certificate.

A practical routine is to assign filter cleaning to a named shift task, record the date and initials on a kitchen log, and keep the professional cleaning record in a separate folder. When an inspector or a new manager asks for proof, the two records answer two different questions: what the kitchen does daily, and what a trained company documented on its service visit.

What you still hire and pay for locally

You hire the cleaning company, agree the scope, and pay the invoice. The site does not dispatch a cleaner, negotiate a price, or collect a referral fee. A published industry range of about $400 to $1,500 per visit is context, not a quote. Your actual price depends on the hood count, duct length, access, grease load, and schedule.

You also handle any government fee, permit, or fire-suppression service separately. Hood Clean Due does not collect government fees, does not pay contractor bills, and does not add a markup to a local quote. The paid product on this site is a digital PDF question list, not a cleaning service.

How to file the record and set the next date

Store the tag photo, the report, the invoice, and your next-date note in one place. If you manage several kitchens, use the same folder structure for each location so a records request does not turn into a search. A simple naming convention with the location and the service date is enough.

After the visit, update the next date in your account if you use the annual or lifetime plan. The reminder emails will then arrive 30 days, 7 days, and 1 day before the date you saved. If the kitchen changes its cooking style or adds equipment, revisit the tier before you set the next date. The frequency guide linked below explains how the four tiers work.

Using the checklist without treating it as law

The paid PDF is a question list, not a legal document. It helps you ask about the tier, the tag date, the scope, the suppression service, and the proof of work. It does not decide the local rule, certify the cleaner, or guarantee an inspection result. The local fire authority and the company you hire control those answers.

Use the list to start a conversation, write the answers down, and keep the records. If a local inspector asks for a specific form or a specific interval, follow the local requirement. The checklist is most useful when it helps you ask the right question at the right time, not when it is treated as a substitute for the rule.