NFPA 96 Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning in Toronto & the GTA
Restaurant kitchen hoods, exhaust ducts and rooftop fans cleaned to NFPA 96 standards. Before-and-after photo documentation and a written compliance certificate with every service. Free on-site evaluation, because we look at your kitchen before we quote it.
Book Free On-Site Evaluation · Or call 647-749-0045 and speak with the owner.
Why restaurant operators in Toronto choose Azzo
You don't need another contractor explaining what hood cleaning is. You need someone who shows up, cleans properly, hands you the documentation your insurer needs, and doesn't disrupt your operation. That's it.
Here's what's different about how we work.
Free on-site evaluation before we quote
We don't price hood cleaning over the phone. We come to your kitchen, look at your system, and price the job based on what's actually there. No surprises and no upsells.
We clean past the code minimum
NFPA 96 requires surfaces to be cleaned to remove combustible contaminants. It does not use the phrase "bare metal," whatever you may have been told. That language came out of the standard about twenty years ago. We clean to bare metal anyway, because it is the only result you can verify in a photograph and the only one your insurer can audit. Most contractors leave residue behind. We don't.
Documentation your insurer will accept
Every job includes a written service certificate, before-and-after photos of the hood, ducts and fan, and a record of the cleaning date and the technician. That is exactly what an insurance adjuster or a fire inspector will ask for.
After-hours and overnight scheduling
We work around your service hours. Most jobs are finished between close and open, so you lose no revenue and no covers.
Owner-operated
You'll deal with Max, the owner, not a dispatcher or a sales rep. The person who quotes your building is the person accountable for the work on it.
What NFPA 96 actually requires
NFPA 96 is the National Fire Protection Association standard governing commercial kitchen ventilation. Ontario adopts it directly: Fire Code O. Reg. 213/07, Articles 2.6.1.12 and 2.6.1.13, and Table 1.2.1.A designates the 2014 edition, so in Ontario the governing citations sit in Chapter 11 rather than Chapter 12. It is what Toronto Fire Services and your insurer reference when assessing your system.
Here are the points that matter to a restaurant owner.
Inspection frequency, and what actually triggers a cleaning
Table 11.4 sets how often the system must be inspected for grease buildup.
That table is an inspection schedule, not a cleaning schedule, and it is the distinction most contractors in this market get wrong. Cleaning is required when an inspection finds the system contaminated, measured with a grease depth gauge. In a busy kitchen the two usually line up, which is why the shorthand persists. But if your volume has dropped, a proper inspection should say so and the interval should move. We will tell you when you can go longer.
Full breakdown: NFPA 96 cleaning frequency in Ontario → covers the inspection table, what actually triggers a cleaning, which edition Ontario adopts, and the records the Fire Code requires you to keep.
What "clean" has to mean
Chapter 11 requires hoods, grease removal devices, fans, ducts and other appurtenances to be cleaned to remove combustible contaminants before surfaces become heavily contaminated. Depth is measured, not eyeballed.
Bare metal, meaning no visible grease, residue or buildup anywhere in the system, is our standard. It is not the code's minimum.
Documentation
The code requires a written record of every service listing the servicing company, the person who performed the work and the date, kept on the premises, plus a written report specifying any areas that were inaccessible or not cleaned. Ontario's Fire Code adds its own rule: records retained at the building for at least two years, and always the most recent record together with the one immediately preceding it. Many commercial property policies also carry a protective safeguards condition tied to your suppression and exhaust systems, so ask your broker what yours requires.
Full system scope
NFPA 96 doesn't just cover the hood. It includes the hood, filters, plenums, ducts, fans and rooftop containment. Cleaning the hood and skipping the duct is non-compliant, and it is a fire risk.
We follow all of it. Every job. Every time.
The Azzo hood cleaning process
1. Free on-site evaluation. We walk your kitchen, inspect your hood, ducts, fans and rooftop containment, and identify what level of cleaning the system needs. You get an honest quote on the spot, with no obligation.
2. Scheduled around your operation. We schedule the job after close, typically arriving between 11 PM and 1 AM, so cleaning is finished before your morning prep.
3. Full system protection. Floors, equipment and the cookline are masked and protected before any cleaning begins. We do not leave grease residue on your stations or near food contact surfaces.
4. Cleaning to bare metal. Hood interior, filters, plenums, ducts, exhaust fan and rooftop containment cleaned using commercial degreasers and high-pressure hot water, past the code's threshold, to the point where the result is visible in a photograph.
5. Photo documentation. Before-and-after photos of every accessible component, filed digitally and emailed to you within 24 hours of service completion.
6. Compliance certificate. A written service certificate documenting date, scope, technician and NFPA 96 compliance, ready to hand to your insurer or a Toronto Fire Services inspector on request.
7. Follow-up scheduling. We set your next cleaning date in our calendar based on the NFPA 96 frequency requirements for your cooking volume, so you're never out of compliance.
Restaurants and operators we've worked with
Jack Astor's. Amsterdam Brewery. Hey Lucy. Gabby's. Irene. EAB Restaurant Concepts. Plus dozens of independent restaurants and chain locations across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, North York and Etobicoke.
Service area
Toronto (downtown, midtown, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York). Mississauga. Brampton. Vaughan. Markham. Richmond Hill. Oakville. Burlington. Hamilton (select areas). Pickering. Ajax. Whitby. Oshawa.
Not sure if you're in our service area? Call 647-749-0045 and we'll tell you in 30 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
How much does commercial hood cleaning cost in Toronto?
Hood cleaning pricing depends on the size of your system, how many fans and ducts you have, the cooking volume your kitchen runs, and how long it's been since the system was last cleaned. We don't quote over the phone because we won't quote anything we haven't physically seen. Book a free on-site evaluation and we'll give you an honest price in 15 minutes.
How often do I need to clean my restaurant hood?
NFPA 96 sets inspection frequency by cooking volume: monthly for solid-fuel cooking, quarterly for high-volume and 24-hour operations, semi-annually for moderate-volume kitchens, and annually for low-volume operations. Cleaning is then triggered by what that inspection measures. We'll assess your system during the free evaluation and recommend the right interval.
Do you provide documentation for my insurance company?
Yes. Every service includes before-and-after photos of the hood, ducts and fan, plus a written compliance certificate documenting date, scope, technician and NFPA 96 standard. Your insurer will accept this documentation in the event of a fire claim or a routine compliance review.
Do you clean during business hours or after close?
Almost always after close. Most jobs are scheduled between 11 PM and 4 AM so cleaning is completed before your morning prep crew arrives. We can also work during business hours for kitchens that are closed during the day, such as catering operations and ghost kitchens.
What if my hood hasn't been cleaned in years?
We've cleaned systems that hadn't been touched in five years or more. It takes longer and the first cleaning costs more, but it can be done. We'll show you exactly what we're dealing with during the free on-site evaluation and price the job honestly.
Are you insured?
Yes. We carry $5 million in commercial general liability coverage and full WSIB coverage. We can provide our certificate of insurance on request before any work begins.
What's included in the "free on-site evaluation"?
We come to your kitchen at a time that works for you, inspect your hood, ducts, fans and rooftop containment, identify what level of cleaning your system needs, and give you an honest written quote on the spot. No obligation, no pressure and no follow-up sales calls. You'll know exactly what your system needs and what it will cost.
Kitchen hood cleaning across the GTA
We service commercial kitchens right across the Greater Toronto Area. If you operate outside the city core, start with your municipality.
Hood cleaning in Mississauga covers Port Credit, Square One, Streetsville, Erin Mills, Meadowvale and the Airport Corporate Centre.
Hood cleaning in Brampton covers Downtown Brampton, Bramalea, Springdale, Heart Lake, Mount Pleasant and the Airport Road industrial corridor.
Hood cleaning in Markham covers Unionville, Markham Village, Milliken, Cornell, Buttonville and the Highway 7 and Commerce Valley corridors.
Hood cleaning in Vaughan covers Woodbridge, Concord, Maple, Thornhill, Kleinburg and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.
Not on the list? We cover the wider GTA, including Oakville, Burlington, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa. Call 647-749-0045 and we'll tell you straight whether you're inside our service radius.
Book your free on-site evaluation
Tell us where the kitchen is and roughly when it was last serviced. We'll come out, open the system up, and give you a firm price and a recommended interval. Usually within a day or two, anywhere in the GTA.
Prefer to talk? Call 647-749-0045 and you'll get Max.