Hood cleaning · startup guide
How to start a hood cleaning business (2026)
What you actually need before your first kitchen exhaust job: the rules where you work, training and certification, insurance, a wastewater plan, roof safety and a price sheet. Every cost here links to its source.
The seven steps
- Check your state and city rules Some states and cities license hood cleaners; most leave it to the local fire marshal.
- Get hands-on training IKECA says its certifications don’t replace training for people new to the trade.
- Earn a certification NFPA 96 asks for a certified person, and some states name the exam.
- Insure the business Customers and trade groups ask for a certificate of insurance before you start.
- Plan wastewater disposal Greasy, caustic wash water must never reach a storm or roof drain.
- Set up roof and access safety Fan cleaning means roof work and fall protection.
- Price the year, document every visit Quote per visit and per year, then leave a record and tag every time.
1. Check what your state and city require
There is no single national hood cleaning license in the US. The baseline is NFPA 96, the fire standard most jurisdictions adopt: when an exhaust system is contaminated with grease, it “shall be cleaned by a properly trained, qualified, and certified person(s) acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction” (2024 edition, Section 12.6.1, quoted in the IKECA FAQ (membership, certification, NFPA 96 12.6.1)). The “authority having jurisdiction” is usually your local fire marshal.
Some places go further and license the company, the technician, or both:
- Massachusetts: State Fire Marshal certificate of competency for anyone who cleans or inspects these systems, plus a company certificate of registration.
- Utah: a State Fire Marshal company license and a registered technician (written exam).
- Nevada: a State Fire Marshal firm license plus a certificate of registration for each technician (exam, 75% to pass).
- Portland, Oregon: a Fire Marshal certificate of fitness for anyone cleaning hoods in the city.
Details, fees and official links for all four are in our hood cleaning schedule and licensing guide. Even IKECA, the industry association, says it doesn’t track local rules and recommends starting with your local regulatory authority. Ask the state fire marshal and the fire department in each city you plan to serve, and get a regular business license there too.
2–3. Training and certification: what it costs
Listed prices on each provider’s site, checked October 17, 2026. IKECA’s store says “Sign in for your pricing,” so members may pay a different amount.
| Program | Format | Cost | Who it’s for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Ackland 5-day kitchen exhaust certification course | Hands-on training plus Phil Ackland’s own certification test, NFPA 96 copy and forms | $4,500 per attendee, hotel included; recertification $369 ($747 if lapsed over a year) | New owners and crew leaders who need hands-on training first | source source |
| IKECA CECT (Certified Exhaust Cleaning Technician) | 100 multiple-choice questions, 2 hours, closed book, 70% to pass, English or Spanish | $325 exam (listed price); retakes $80, up to two; study guide $60 | Field technicians: IKECA calls it the baseline certification | source source source |
| IKECA CECS (Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist) | Online-proctored exam for experienced professionals | $750 exam (listed price) | Seasoned cleaners and business owners | source source |
| IKECA CESI (Certified Exhaust System Inspector) | Online-proctored exam for inspection roles | $1,020 exam (listed price); retake $100; study guide $60 | Inspection and code-enforcement work | source source |
4. Insurance
Expect to show a certificate of insurance (COI) before you work on a customer’s system. IKECA asks new member companies for proof of insurance, and hood companies advertise their coverage to buyers; one, for example, lists “$1M/$2M COI on file” on its Qwick hood cleaning quote page.
We don’t sell insurance and can’t tell you what limits you need. Ask a commercial insurance broker who covers hood cleaning work which policies your state and your target customers require. That usually means general liability, commercial auto for the work vehicle, and workers’ compensation once you hire, since most states require it for employees.
5. Wastewater: keep it out of storm drains
Hood cleaning makes greasy, often caustic wash water. New Hampshire’s environmental agency puts it plainly: it is illegal to discharge pollutants “directly to, or indirectly into, an area that could drain to a stormwater system,” which includes roof drains, storm drains, roads, ditches and parking lots (NH DES: Kitchen exhaust hood cleaning guidance (PDF, Dec 2020)).
- Scrape first. Remove as much grease as possible mechanically before chemicals and rinse water.
- Collect the water. Use a licensed hauler where possible, or a drain connected to a working grease interceptor if your local rules allow it.
- Test the pH. NH DES says wastewater must typically stay between pH 5.0 and 12.5, and above 12.5 it’s hazardous and can’t go down any drain. A test strip checks it.
- Watch the temperature. Corvallis, Oregon, for example, prohibits discharges over 150°F and tells hood cleaners to let water cool before it goes through an interceptor (City of Corvallis, OR: Commercial hood cleaners).
- Protect the roof drain. Roof drains usually connect to stormwater systems, so contain any runoff from the fan.
Call the local wastewater (pretreatment) office before your first job to learn its limits.
6. Roof and access safety
A full system clean ends at the exhaust fan on the roof, so plan for roof work. OSHA’s general industry rule on walking-working surfaces includes fall protection requirements for work on roofs (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.28, duty to have fall protection); read the low-slope roof sections and set up guardrails, anchors or a designated area before you send a crew up.
Two equipment points come straight from NFPA 96 via IKECA: upblast fans are required to have hinges (2024 edition, 8.1.2.1), and access panels may be needed to reach and clean the whole duct. Hinge kits and access panels are also extra line items you can quote.
7. Pricing and paperwork
Published industry ranges give you a starting point, not a price list. One cost guide puts flat-rate hood cleaning at about $10–$20 per linear foot of hood and $40–$60 per fan, with typical minimum charges of $400–$450 (Halo Restoration Services: average hood cleaning cost). Another uses $18 per foot of hood, $95 per fan and $9 per foot of duct as national planning numbers, with a $375 minimum (EstiCube: commercial hood cleaning cost guide). Build your own price from labor, chemicals, travel and insurance, then check it against your local market.
Quote the year, not just the visit: a quarterly kitchen is four visits, and that yearly number is what owners compare. Our NFPA 96 schedule guide has a next-service calculator. For the quote itself, the HoodCleaningReport: free hood cleaning quote template does the math on your own rates for free.
After every visit, the fire code expects a record (who did the work, what was done, when) and a tag in the kitchen. Our schedule guide covers those rules and has a free printable service record. When paper gets old, see the hood cleaning software comparison, which includes free plans.
Free printable startup checklist
Tick these off before your first paying job.
Hood cleaning business startup checklist
| ☐ | Called the state fire marshal and city fire department; written down any license, registration or exam needed |
| ☐ | Local business license and registration for each city or county you’ll work in |
| ☐ | Hands-on training completed (course name and date) |
| ☐ | Certification held by at least one person on every crew (number and expiry date) |
| ☐ | Certificate of insurance on file; limits match what your target customers ask for |
| ☐ | Workers’ compensation in place before hiring, where your state requires it |
| ☐ | Wastewater plan: collection tubs, pH strips, interceptor or licensed hauler, and the local pretreatment contact |
| ☐ | Roof plan: ladder or hatch access, fall protection, fan hinge kits on upblast fans |
| ☐ | Grease depth gauge, photos before and after, and a service record for every visit |
| ☐ | Service tag format that meets your fire code (company name, address, phone, date) |
| ☐ | Price sheet: per hood foot, per fan, per duct foot, minimum charge, access and after-hours adders |
| ☐ | Reminder system for each customer’s next service date |
Checklist by Orvian Market. Free to copy and use. Not legal, tax or insurance advice.
FAQ
Do I need a license to clean commercial kitchen hoods?
It depends on where you work. Massachusetts, Utah and Nevada license or register hood cleaners at the state level, and Portland, Oregon requires a city certificate of fitness. Many other places have no separate license, but NFPA 96 (2024, Section 12.6.1) says contaminated systems must be cleaned by a properly trained, qualified and certified person acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. Ask your state fire marshal and local fire department.
Is IKECA certification required?
Not by IKECA itself for individuals, but some fire marshals and customers ask for a recognized certification, and IKECA requires a qualifying credential from North American cleaning companies that want to join as members. IKECA doesn’t track local legal requirements.
How much does hood cleaning certification cost?
Listed prices checked October 17, 2026: IKECA CECT exam $325, CECS $750 and CESI $1,020 (members may see different pricing after signing in), study guides $60. The Phil Ackland 5-day course is $4,500 per attendee with a hotel included.
Can hood cleaning wash water go down a storm drain?
No. New Hampshire’s environmental agency calls it illegal to discharge grease and cleaning chemicals to anything that drains to a stormwater system, including roof drains and parking lots. Collect it and use a licensed hauler or a working grease interceptor, within your local sewer limits.
What should I charge for a hood cleaning job?
Published industry ranges put hood cleaning at about $10–$20 per linear foot of hood and $40–$60 per fan, with typical minimum charges around $400–$450. Your local market, duct length and roof access change it a lot, so build your price from your own costs.