Kitchen Exhaust Systems

Commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning is the professional removal of grease, carbon deposits, and contaminants from the entire exhaust system—including the hood, filters, ductwork, fans, and rooftop exhaust units. It is required by NFPA 96, the National Fire Protection Association standard for commercial cooking operations, and is enforced by local fire marshals and insurance carriers. A grease-laden exhaust system is one of the leading causes of commercial kitchen fires, with more than 10,000 restaurant fires occurring annually in the United States. Certified cleaning is the primary defense.

Cleaning frequency is determined by the volume and type of cooking. NFPA 96 guidelines recommend: monthly cleaning for high-volume operations such as 24-hour restaurants, charbroiling, and solid-fuel cooking; quarterly cleaning for moderate-volume cooking; semi-annual cleaning for low-to-moderate pizza ovens and outdoor grills; and annual cleaning for low-volume seasonal or day camps. Performance Industrial assesses your operation during the quoting process and recommends the schedule that keeps you compliant and protected.

A thorough, certified cleaning goes well beyond wiping down the visible hood surface. Performance Industrial cleans the entire exhaust pathway: hood canopy and filters, all interior ductwork from hood to fan, the exhaust fan and motor housing, and the rooftop discharge point. We remove grease to bare metal, document the service with before-and-after photos and a signed inspection report, and apply access panels where needed for future cleaning compliance. Many “typical” cleanings miss the ductwork and fan—the highest-risk areas.

IKECA stands for the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association, the industry’s leading professional certification body for exhaust cleaning contractors. IKECA-certified contractors are trained to NFPA 96 standards and are audited for workmanship and documentation practices. Performance Industrial is a certified IKECA contractor. For facility managers and property owners, hiring an IKECA-certified company provides documented proof of compliant cleaning—which matters significantly to insurers and fire inspectors.

In most cases, no. Exhaust cleaning requires access to the full system, including rooftop units, and involves water, degreasers, and physical scraping that necessitates the kitchen being offline. Most commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning is performed during late-night or early-morning hours to minimize business disruption. Performance Industrial works with your schedule to find a window that causes the least operational impact.

Performance Industrial serves a wide range of commercial and institutional kitchens, including full-service restaurants, fast casual and QSR locations, hospital and healthcare cafeterias, university and school dining facilities, hotel and resort kitchens, corporate dining centers, casino food service operations, and large-scale food production and bakery facilities. If you have a commercial hood, we can clean it.

Skipping or delaying exhaust cleaning creates compounding risk. Grease accumulates in ductwork and on fan components, dramatically increasing fire risk with every additional week of use. Beyond fire safety, non-compliance with NFPA 96 can void your property insurance policy, result in failed fire inspections, and lead to forced closure. In the event of a grease fire, an insurance carrier will investigate cleaning records—and gaps in documentation can result in denied claims.

Yes. Every cleaning is documented with before-and-after photographs and a signed service report that includes the date of service, areas cleaned, deficiencies noted (such as damaged ductwork or inaccessible sections), and the next recommended service date. This documentation is essential for insurance compliance and fire inspection purposes. We recommend keeping records on file for a minimum of three years.