NFPA 96 Inspection Checklist for Kitchen Exhaust Contractors

An NFPA 96 inspection checklist should help a kitchen exhaust contractor document what was visible, what was accessible, what needs attention, and what the customer received after the visit.

It is not the same as a cleaning procedure. A cleaning checklist tells the crew how to complete the approved service scope. An inspection checklist creates a record of the system condition, access points, photo evidence, deficiencies, and follow-up actions before the details are forgotten.

Use the free NFPA 96 hood cleaning inspection checklist generator to build a field-ready version for the site type, cooking load, job type, and system components on the work order.

This guide is a documentation aid, not a substitute for the NFPA 96 standard, the edition adopted locally, an AHJ inspection, customer contract requirements, or qualified professional judgment. It does not guarantee compliance or approval.

NFPA 96 inspection checklist

The checklist should answer seven questions that matter after the contractor leaves:

• Which location and exhaust system were inspected?
• Which components and access points were visible?
• What condition was observed before service?
• What could not be reached or verified?
• Which photos support the record?
• Which deficiencies or follow-up actions remain open?
• What was delivered to the customer or authority having jurisdiction?

Keep those questions separate from the crew’s cleaning tasks. The inspection record should still make sense months later when a restaurant manager, property manager, insurer, or fire marshal opens it without the technician standing beside them.

Confirm the inspection context

Start with the job details that establish what the checklist covers.

Record:

• Customer and service location
• Full service address and location or store number
• Inspection or service date and time
• Onsite contact
• Technician or crew lead
• Work order, invoice, or job number
• Visit type: inspection, routine cleaning, re-clean, or deficiency follow-up
• Customer, property manager, insurer, or AHJ instructions provided before the visit

Do not label a cleaning visit as a full system inspection unless that was the actual scope. State the purpose of the visit plainly and document any limits the customer set.

Identify every exhaust system

Multi-hood kitchens need a separate record for each system. A single note that says “hood inspected” cannot tell the reader which cookline, duct, or fan the observation belongs to.

For each system, identify:

• Hood or cookline name
• System or fan ID
• Cooking equipment served
• Number and type of filters or baffles
• Duct route or visible orientation
• Fan location
• Access points used
• Components included in the inspection scope
• Components excluded from the inspection scope

Use the site’s own labels when they exist. Names such as “main cookline / EF-1” and “prep hood / EF-2” keep notes and photos tied to the same system.

Inspect the hood, filters, and plenum

The checklist should capture visible condition, access, and documentation, not just a completed checkbox.

For the hood area, record:

• Hood interior and exterior condition
• Grease trough and cup condition
• Filter or baffle condition and placement
• Filter track and plenum condition
• Visible seams, gaps, damage, or unusual buildup
• Fire suppression nozzles or caps visible during the work, without implying suppression inspection or service outside the contractor’s scope
• Before and after photo references when cleaning is performed

If a component was not inspected, say why. “Not observed because cooking equipment remained in operation” is more useful than leaving the field blank.

Document ducts and access panels

Duct access is where an inspection checklist becomes especially valuable. The report should distinguish between an area that was inspected, an area that was cleaned, and an area that could not be reached.

For each access point, record:

• Exact location
• Whether the panel was present and accessible
• Whether it opened and closed as expected
• Visible duct condition from that point
• Condition after cleaning when cleaning was in scope
• Gasket, fastener, leakage, or damage observations
• Concealed sections that could not be verified

If an access panel is missing, blocked, unsafe, or sealed, document the limitation separately. Use the hood cleaning deficiency note generator to turn the field observation into a factual customer note, technical detail, photo caption, and recommended next step.

Inspect the exhaust fan and rooftop area

The fan and rooftop portion of the checklist should show whether the technician could safely observe the equipment and what condition was visible.

Document:

• Exhaust fan ID and roof location
• Fan housing and bowl condition
• Fan blade condition
• Hinge, hold-open, and opening condition where visible
• Wiring clearance or other visible concerns without performing electrical work outside the approved scope
• Fan curb and grease path
• Grease containment condition
• Rooftop grease or runoff observed near the fan
• Any condition that prevented the fan from being opened or inspected safely

Capture wide context photos and closeups. A closeup proves the condition; a wider image proves where it was found.

Separate deficiencies and inaccessible areas

An inspection record should not bury open issues inside general technician notes.

For every deficiency, capture:

• System, component, and location
• Factual condition observed
• Photo reference
• Effect on access, cleaning, or operation
• Recommended customer action
• Whether a return visit or specialist review is recommended
• Person notified, when known

For inaccessible areas, also record why access was limited. Common reasons include a missing panel, blocked panel, locked roof access, unsafe fan condition, concealed duct section, operating equipment, or customer restriction.

Avoid turning an observation into an unsupported code conclusion. “No access panel was available to inspect the concealed horizontal duct section” states what the technician knows. “System is guaranteed noncompliant” goes beyond the inspection record.

Capture inspection photos in a repeatable order

Photos should follow the same sequence as the checklist so the office can build the report without guessing.

A practical set includes:

• Location and hood-system identifier
• Hood interior and plenum
• Filters or baffles
• Each duct access point
• Visible duct interior
• Exhaust fan bowl and blades
• Fan curb and rooftop area
• Grease containment
• Inaccessible areas
• Each deficiency and its location context
• Matching before and after views when cleaning was completed

Use labels such as “EF-1 fan bowl before cleaning” instead of leaving the reader with a timestamp and file name. For a system-specific shot list, use the hood cleaning photo checklist generator.

Record frequency and the next service recommendation

The checklist should record the current service interval, operating context, and next recommended service date. Do not let the next visit live only in a separate scheduling email.

Document:

• Current cleaning or inspection interval
• Cooking operation and volume considered
• Solid-fuel, wok, charbroiler, high-volume, 24-hour, or seasonal conditions
• Customer or local requirement when it is stricter
• Recommended next service date
• Reason for any proposed interval change

Use the kitchen exhaust cleaning frequency calculator to prepare customer-facing interval language, then verify it against the adopted standard, local direction, and contract requirements.

Complete the customer and AHJ handoff

The inspection is not closed out until the record reaches the right person.

Before leaving or sending the final report, confirm:

• Technician completion note is included
• Customer or onsite acknowledgement is captured when required
• Inaccessible areas were discussed
• Open deficiencies and recommended actions are visible
• Before-and-after and deficiency photos are attached
• Next service recommendation is included
• Required credential or license fields are accurate
• Report issue date is recorded
• PDF or durable customer share link is available
• Submission instructions from the customer or AHJ were followed

The hood cleaning report template generator turns the inspection details into a report outline and downloadable PDF preview. The final customer record should use the real job photos, scope, signatures, and retained delivery history.

Final inspection documentation check

Before issuing the record, confirm it identifies:

• Job, location, and responsible contacts
• Every hood system included in scope
• Components and access points observed
• Areas cleaned when cleaning was performed
• Areas not accessed or not verified
• Before, after, access, and deficiency photos
• Separate deficiency and corrective-action notes
• Current frequency and next service recommendation
• Technician and customer acknowledgement fields
• PDF or share-link handoff

You can generate the NFPA 96 inspection checklist, preview a hood cleaning report PDF, review the sample report, or create your first hood cleaning report.

NFPA 96 inspection checklist FAQ

What is the NFPA 96 standard?

NFPA 96 is the Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations. It covers more than a cleaning report. Contractors should use the current edition adopted for the job and confirm local requirements with the authority having jurisdiction.

What should a hood cleaning inspection checklist include?

For reporting, include the job and system identity, visible components, accessible areas, cleaning scope when applicable, access limitations, before-and-after photos, deficiencies, frequency, next service recommendation, technician details, customer acknowledgement, and final report handoff.

Is an inspection checklist the same as a cleaning checklist?

No. An inspection checklist records system condition, access, evidence, and follow-up items. A cleaning checklist tracks the approved service procedure. A combined job workflow can use both, but the final report should distinguish observed condition from completed work.