Free checklist
Commercial kitchen exhaust hood annual maintenance checklist
The annual kitchen exhaust hood service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 96, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 10
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The certified kitchen exhaust cleaning crew on the deep cleaning visit.
When in the schedule
The deep cleaning pass, sized around the appliance duty — this is the visit that reaches the plenum and the duct run the quarterly round can't.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Full degrease
- 3 photos
Hood, plenum and accessible duct degreased to bare metal
Interior plenum, filter track and reachable duct cleaned to bare metal, cleaning extent and any unreachable runs noted rather than left assumed clean.
- 2 photos
Duct access panels opened, cleaned and resealed
Each access panel opened to clean the run, gasket intact, panel refitted so it seals and can be found again at the next cleaning.
Fan service
- 2 photos
Exhaust fan swung on its hinge kit and serviced
Fan swung open on the hinge kit, housing and blades degreased, belt tension and bearings checked, grease containment cleaned and refitted.
Airflow and interfaces
- 1 photo
Makeup-air balance verified against exhaust
Makeup-air unit running with the exhaust, doors not fighting to open and no back-drafting appliances, hood holding capture with the kitchen at working conditions.
- 2 photos
Fire-suppression interface observed and documented
Nozzle positions, fusible links and the exhaust/fuel shutdown tie-in observed and photographed for the record — this is not a discharge test, and the suppression system's own certification is performed by the licensed fire company.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Hood interior wiped bright at the front while the horizontal duct run stays coated because no access panel was opened.
- A cleaning sticker filled in for the whole system when only the reachable sections were done and the vertical riser was never touched.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this commercial kitchen exhaust hood annual checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering full degrease, fan service, airflow and interfaces. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The certified kitchen exhaust cleaning crew on the deep cleaning visit.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- The deep cleaning pass, sized around the appliance duty — this is the visit that reaches the plenum and the duct run the quarterly round can't.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 5 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a commercial kitchen exhaust hood annual inspection?
- Hood interior wiped bright at the front while the horizontal duct run stays coated because no access panel was opened. A cleaning sticker filled in for the whole system when only the reachable sections were done and the vertical riser was never touched.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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