Commercial Services
Kitchen Duct Cleaning in the Bay Area
NFPA 96 compliant service for restaurants and commercial kitchens across all 9 Bay Area counties, scheduled after hours.
What Is Kitchen Duct Cleaning?
Your exhaust ductwork carries everything the hood pulls off the cook line: heat, smoke and airborne grease. Most of that duct is hidden above the ceiling, inside walls and up through the roof, which is exactly why it gets missed.
Kitchen duct cleaning removes grease from the horizontal and vertical runs between the hood and the exhaust fan. We reach concealed sections through existing access panels so the whole run is cleaned, not just the first few feet you can see from the hood.
Why It Matters for Fire Safety and NFPA 96
A duct fire is one of the hardest kitchen fires to fight. Fire that gets into a greasy duct can spread out of sight, through the building and up to the roof. NFPA 96 treats the ductwork as part of the exhaust system that must be kept clean, not as an optional extra.
A hood that looks spotless can still sit under a duct coated in grease. Inspectors and insurers know this, which is why our reports show the duct, not just the hood.
Our Process, Step by Step
- 1
Survey the run
We trace the duct from hood to fan and locate the access panels we will use to reach each section.
- 2
Protect the space
The kitchen is covered and the cooking equipment is shut down and locked out before work starts.
- 3
Scrape and degrease
Through each access panel we scrape heavy deposits and apply degreaser to the duct walls.
- 4
Pressure wash
Hot water pressure washing flushes the duct, and runoff is captured at the hood and at the roof.
- 5
Photograph and close up
We photograph the duct before and after, reseal the access panels and note any sections we could not reach.
Signs You Need Kitchen Duct Cleaning
- It has been a long time since anyone opened an access panel
- Grease is dripping from duct joints or ceiling areas near the hood
- Your exhaust is pulling weaker than it used to
- A past report only covered the hood and filters
Documentation You Receive
After every job you get a before-and-after photo report showing the work, a certificate of performance listing what was cleaned and when, and a dated sticker on your hood. Keep them on file for your local fire inspector, your insurance carrier and your landlord.
Kitchen Duct Cleaning FAQs
What if my duct has no access panels?
We clean every section we can safely reach and show any unreachable sections in the report. If more access panels would help, we'll tell you where.
Do you clean both horizontal and vertical ducts?
Yes. We clean horizontal runs above the ceiling and vertical risers up to the roof, wherever we can get access.
Can duct cleaning be done separately from the hood?
It can, but we recommend cleaning the hood, duct and fan together. Cleaning only one part leaves grease in the rest of the system.
More Services and Service Areas
See every service on our commercial services overview.