Commercial kitchen hood cleaning is priced by the system you have: how long the hood is, how far the duct runs and how hard it is to reach the fan. A contractor then repeats that visit on a schedule, so the invoice is only half the story. This guide uses the unit prices in the EstiCube hood cleaning calculator to show where a quote comes from and what changes it.
All figures are national-average planning numbers, not a quote. Real prices vary with access, how much grease has built up and when the crew can work, so replace any unit price in the calculator with one from your own quote.
How one cleaning visit is priced
The calculator builds each visit from a few unit prices. The default kitchen has one 12 ft hood, 20 ft of duct to the roof or wall and one floor, which comes to $216 for the hood, $95 for the exhaust fan and $180 for the duct: $491 per visit.
- Hood and plenum cleaning: $18 per foot of hood.
- Exhaust fan cleaning: $95 per hood.
- Duct cleaning: $9 per foot of duct run.
- Roof access: $60 per floor above the first.
- Filter exchange (optional): $14 per filter, sized at one filter per 1.6 ft of hood.
- Fan hinge kit (optional, one time): $165 per hood.
- Minimum charge: $375 per visit.
What size and access do to the price
Hood length and duct run are the two largest levers. The table shows the same kitchen with one thing changed at a time. Annual cost assumes the quarterly schedule for high-volume cooking, 4 visits a year.
| Scenario | Per visit | Per year (4 visits) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 ft hood, 20 ft duct, one floor (default) | $491 | $1,964 |
| 16 ft hood, 20 ft duct, one floor | $563 | $2,252 |
| 12 ft hood, 60 ft duct, one floor | $851 | $3,404 |
| 12 ft hood, 60 ft duct, three floors | $971 | $3,884 |
| Default kitchen with filter exchange | $603 | $2,412 |
Filters and fan hinge kits
A filter exchange is optional. A 12 ft hood has 8 filters at one per 1.6 ft, so exchanging them adds $112 to each visit and takes the default kitchen from $491 to $603 per visit. Over four visits that is an extra $448 a year.
A hinge kit is a one-time purchase of $165 per hood, so it appears once in the first year rather than every visit. Adding filters and a hinge kit to the default kitchen makes the first-year total $2,577: four visits at $603 plus $165. Ask your contractor what a filter exchange includes before you treat it as an add-on.
Small kitchens and the minimum charge
Short hoods with little or no duct can fall below what a contractor will send a crew for. In the calculator a 4 ft hood with no duct run prices at $72 for the hood and $95 for the fan, $167 in all, so the visit is raised to the $375 minimum and the $208 shortfall is shown as a minimum service charge. At four visits a year that is $1,500.
If your kitchen is near the minimum, extra length does not change the calculator's price until the components exceed $375. An 8 ft low-volume hood with 10 ft of duct adds up to $329 and is also raised to $375, with a $46 minimum charge, so a few extra feet would not change the price.
A larger kitchen, step by step
Take two 10 ft hoods, 40 ft of duct, two floors, a filter exchange and a hinge kit on each hood, on the quarterly schedule. Per visit that is $360 for the hoods, $190 for the two fans, $360 for the duct, $60 for the second floor and $196 for 14 filters, which totals $1,166.
Four visits come to $4,664, and the two hinge kits add $330 once. The first-year total is $4,994. You can reproduce this by entering 2 hoods, 10 ft, 40 ft of duct, 2 floors and switching on filters and the hinge kit.
Why the annual figure matters
The same $491 visit is a very different budget depending on how often it happens. Once a year it is $491, twice a year $982, quarterly $1,964. The schedule is set by the type of cooking and is covered in the companion guide on NFPA 96 frequency; this guide stays with what a single visit costs.
When you compare quotes, compare the annual cost for the same number of visits, not the invoice alone.
What to ask when comparing contractors
Two quotes with different totals may not cover the same work. Ask each contractor:
- Which parts of the system each visit covers: hood, plenum, ducts, fan and filters.
- Whether the price includes the full duct run to the roof or wall termination.
- Whether access to the roof or fan is included or charged separately.
- Whether the crew leaves a service sticker and a written report with the date of cleaning.
- How many visits a year the price assumes, and what happens if your schedule changes.
Run your numbers with the Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning Cost Calculator
Change any unit price to match your quote and see every line item add up. It is free, needs no sign-up and works on your phone.
Open the Hood cleaning calculatorFrequently asked questions
How much does commercial hood cleaning cost?
In this calculator the default kitchen with one 12 ft hood, 20 ft of duct and one floor costs $491 per visit. At the quarterly schedule for high-volume cooking that is $1,964 a year. Your quote will vary with kitchen size and access.
What does hood cleaning include?
In the calculator each visit covers the hood and plenum, the exhaust fan and the duct run. Filter exchange and a fan hinge kit are optional extras. Ask each contractor to list what their visit covers.
Why is there a minimum charge?
Small kitchens can fall below what a crew will travel for. The calculator applies a $375 per-visit minimum and shows any shortfall as its own line. Change the minimum in the pricing section to match your contractor.
What is a fan hinge kit?
A hinge kit lets the exhaust fan tilt so it can be cleaned and inspected more easily. The calculator treats it as a one-time $165 cost per hood that appears once in the first year.
Can I use the calculator to bid a hood cleaning job?
Yes. Switch on bid mode to add overhead, profit and tax to the line items and generate a proposal for the restaurant.
Sources
- NFPA 96: Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations — National Fire Protection Association
- International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association — IKECA
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