What to Look for in a Certified Hood Cleaning Company in Florida

The short answer: hire a company that uses certified technicians, carries proper insurance, cleans the entire system down to the metal, and hands you documented proof of the work. NFPA 96 is the national fire-safety standard your fire marshal enforces. It requires that the cleaning be done by "a properly trained, qualified, and certified person acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction." That single requirement is why the word "certified" matters, and it gives you a clear checklist for vetting anyone who quotes your kitchen. Here is what to check before you sign.

Check for Real Certification

"Certified" should mean something specific, not a word on a truck. The most recognized credentials in the trade come from IKECA, the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association. IKECA was founded in 1989 and holds a seat on the NFPA 96 Technical Committee. Ask which of these the company's technicians hold.

• CECS: Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist, one of the two most recognized cleaning credentials in the US.
• CECT: Certified Exhaust Cleaning Technician, the technician-level credential for the crew doing the hands-on work.
• CECI / CESI: Certified Exhaust Cleaning Inspector and Certified Exhaust System Inspector, for assessing system cleanliness and access.

An IKECA-credentialed company is shorthand for code-compliant, fire-marshal-acceptable work. If a company cannot name its certifications, treat that as your answer.

Confirm Insurance and Liability Coverage

Hood cleaning is hot, wet, caustic-chemical work performed on your roof and over your cook line. Before anyone climbs onto your equipment, confirm they carry general liability and workers' compensation coverage, and ask for a certificate of insurance. If a technician is hurt on your property or your equipment is damaged and the company is uninsured, that exposure lands on you. This is a quick call to make. It is a fast way to screen out fly-by-night operators.

Make Sure They Clean to Bare Metal

One benchmark separates a compliant cleaning from a cosmetic one: the bare-metal standard. Every surface inside the hood, plenum, and accessible ductwork is scraped and washed down to the metal, not wiped to merely look clean. Ask a few direct questions to confirm the company actually does this.

• Do you clean the full grease path (hood, plenum, ductwork, and the rooftop fan), or just the hood I can see?
• Do you measure grease depth with a gauge before, and confirm a full clean down to the metal after?
• Do you open and restore access panels, and add panels where the ducts can't otherwise be reached?
• What do you do when part of the system is inaccessible?

Important note: a surprising amount of grease hides in the plenum and ductwork, where most exhaust fires start. A company that only prices and cleans the visible hood leaves the most dangerous part of your system coated. Our commercial kitchen hood cleaning takes the entire grease path down to the metal and documents it.

Demand Documentation and Before/After Photos

The proof is in the paperwork. A legitimate company leaves you with everything you need for a fire-marshal visit, a health inspection, or an insurance audit. Make sure the cleaning includes all four items below.

• A dated service sticker: affixed to the hood showing the service date, technician, and provider contact, which inspectors look for first.
• Before and after photos: visual proof the system was actually taken to bare metal, not merely signed off.
• A written report: documenting the work and flagging any areas that could not be reached, so you know exactly where access needs to be added.
• Access-panel service tags: a tag near each opened panel with the company name and date, as NFPA 96 requires.

Keep all of it in a maintenance log. That packet of sticker, photos, and report is what satisfies fire marshals, health inspectors, and insurers. It also resolves any future question fastest.

Watch for the Red Flags

A few warning signs reliably separate a serious company from one to avoid: a price far below the $400 to $600 starting range with no explanation; no certifications they can name; no proof of insurance; a quote that only covers the hood; and no offer of a dated sticker, photos, or a written report. Any one of these is a reason to keep looking.

Vetting a hood cleaning company comes down to one question: can they prove the work to your inspector and your insurer? If you want a straight answer about credentials, coverage, and exactly what is included, get in touch. We will walk you through it before you ever commit.

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