Fire Safety · NFPA 96 Standard
NFPA 96 Compliance for Commercial Kitchens
Protect Your Kitchen.
Protect Your Business.
NFPA 96 establishes fire-safety requirements for the ventilation control and fire protection of commercial cooking operations. Sunshine Solutions helps Central Florida facilities maintain cleaner, safer exhaust systems through professional cleaning, clear documentation, and practical maintenance recommendations.
Our services are designed to support applicable NFPA 96 requirements. Final code interpretation and approval remain with the local fire marshal or other authority having jurisdiction.
Quick Reference
Applicable Florida Code:
8th Edition Florida Fire Prevention Code
NFPA Edition Adopted in Florida
NFPA 96-2021
Inspection
Solid-Fuel Cooking
Monthly
High-volume
Quarterly
Moderate-volume
Semiannual
Low-volume
Annually
The Standard
What is NFPA 96?
NFPA 96 establishes minimum preventive and operational fire-safety requirements for commercial cooking operations. It addresses the design, installation, operation, inspection, and maintenance of commercial cooking ventilation and fire-protection systems.
The standard applies to more than the visible hood. It addresses the complete commercial cooking system, including hoods and plenums, grease-removal devices, horizontal and vertical exhaust ductwork, exhaust fans, access openings, rooftop grease collection, fire-extinguishing equipment, cooking appliances, and related components.
NFPA 96 Covers the Complete System
Florida currently operates under the 8th Edition Florida Fire Prevention Code, which adopts NFPA 96-2021. Local requirements and interpretations may vary, and the local fire marshal or other authority having jurisdiction has final authority for a particular facility.
Hood and exhaust plenum
Grease filters and grease-removal devices
Accessible horizontal and vertical ductwork
Exhaust fans and fan housings
Access panels and system openings
Rooftop grease collection
Fire-extinguishing equipment
Cooking equipment and related components
Accountability
Who is Responsible for NFPA 96 Compliance?
The equipment owner is ultimately responsible for the inspection, testing, maintenance, and cleanliness of the commercial cooking system unless that responsibility has been transferred to another party through a written lease, management agreement, or similar document. Every facility should clearly identify who is responsible for scheduling service, maintaining records, and addressing deficiencies.
Restaurant Owners
Restaurant owners and operators should confirm who owns the commercial cooking equipment and ensure that required inspections, cleaning, maintenance, and documentation are completed.
Property Owners & Managers
When a commercial kitchen operates in leased space, responsibility may be assigned to a tenant, management company, or another party through a written agreement. The agreement should clearly define each party’s responsibilities.
Facility Managers
Facility managers typically coordinate service, maintain records, report deficiencies, and help ensure that recommended corrective work is addressed.
NFPA 96 Requirements
NFPA 96 Exhaust System
Inspection Schedule
These are minimum inspection frequencies—not automatic cleaning intervals. The actual level of grease accumulation determines when cleaning is required, and the local authority having jurisdiction may require additional action based on the facility or system condition.
Cooking Type / Volume
Solid-Fuel Cooking
High-volume cooking
Moderate-volume cooking
Low-volume cooking
i
Inspection frequency ≠ cleaning frequency. NFPA 96 requires the system to be inspected at the intervals above. When an inspection identifies grease deposits or combustible contamination requiring cleaning, the affected portions of the system must be professionally cleaned, regardless of when the last scheduled service was. The actual condition of the system always determines when cleaning is necessary.
Your kitchen may require more frequent service if it regularly uses:
Charbroilers
Woks
Deep fryers
Solid-fuel appliances
Pizza ovens
High-temperature equipment
Equipment with heavy creosote buildup
!
Changes to your cookline, menu, operating hours, or cooking volume can also affect the appropriate inspection and cleaning schedule. If your operation has changed, your schedule may need to be reassessed.
Examples
Wood- or charcoal-fired cooking equipment
24-hour cooking, charbroiling, and wok cooking
Moderate-volume commercial cooking operations
Churches, day camps, seasonal businesses, and senior centers
Minimum Inspection Frequency
Monthly
Quarterly
Semiannually
Annually
Critical Requirement
The Entire Exhaust System
Must Be Addressed
Cleaning only the visible stainless-steel hood is not a complete kitchen exhaust cleaning. The exhaust system must be inspected from the hood to the final point of exhaust. When grease contamination is found, the contaminated portions of the system must be professionally cleaned by properly trained, qualified, and certified personnel acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.
Hood & Plenum
Grease buildup must be removed from the interior surfaces of the hood, exhaust plenum, filter tracks, and all other accessible areas above the cooking equipment. This is the most visible portion of the system — but far from the only concern.
Grease Filters
Filters and grease-removal devices must be maintained so they can properly capture grease while allowing the exhaust system to maintain appropriate airflow. Saturated filters restrict ventilation and increase fire risk throughout the system.
Exhaust Ductwork
Horizontal and vertical ductwork must be inspected for grease deposits. Hidden grease buildup can allow a cooking fire to spread beyond the hood and into other areas of the building. Sections that cannot be accessed must be documented, and additional access panels may be recommended.
Exhaust Fan
The rooftop fan and discharge area must remain accessible for inspection and cleaning. Accessible fan blades, the fan bowl, and grease-affected surfaces should be cleaned when contaminated while protecting the motor, wiring, and electrical compartment from damage.
Rooftop Grease Containment
Grease should not be allowed to accumulate on roofing materials or enter roof drains. Rooftop grease-containment devices should be inspected and serviced based on cooking volume, system condition, manufacturer instructions, and applicable local requirements.
Access Panels & Proper Access
Technicians must have adequate access to inspect and clean the entire system. Access panels may be required where ductwork cannot otherwise be reached. When an area cannot be accessed or cleaned, it must be noted in the written service report.
Required Records
Service Documentation
and Cleaning Labels
After inspection or cleaning, required service documentation must be maintained at the property. The documentation should identify the servicing company, the person performing the work, and the date of service. The written report must also identify inaccessible or uncleaned areas.
When duct access panels are opened, a service-company label or tag showing the company and service date should be placed near the affected panel.
Sunshine Solutions also provides before-and-after photographs, documented maintenance concerns, service recommendations, and a dated cleaning sticker for facility records and fire-safety inspections.
⚠ Inaccessible Areas Must Be Reported
- Inaccessible duct sections
- Areas that could not be cleaned
- Missing or inadequate access panels
- Unsafe fan access conditions
- Damaged system components
- Conditions that may require corrective work
NFPA-required documentation
Your Service Report Should Include:
✓
Servicing company
✓
Person performing the work
✓
Date of inspection or cleaning
✓
Inaccessible or uncleaned areas
✓
Areas accessible but not inspected or cleaned
✓
Duct-access-panel locations
✓
Visible ductwork or access-panel leakage
✓
Service tags near access panels that were opened
Sunshine Solutions documentation may also include:
✓
Before-and-after photographs
✓
Hood or system identification
✓
Visible maintenance concerns
✓
Recommended corrective work
✓
Suggested future inspection or cleaning interval
✓
Dated cleaning sticker
Our Role
How Sunshine Solutions Supports Your Maintenance Program
Sunshine Solutions provides commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning and related maintenance services designed to support applicable NFPA 96 requirements and organized fire-safety records.
Depending on the condition and accessibility of the system, our service may include:
✓
Visual inspection of accessible exhaust-system areas
✓
Hood and plenum cleaning
✓
Grease-filter cleaning
✓
Accessible vertical and horizontal duct cleaning
✓
Cleaning of accessible rooftop fan components
✓
Before-and-after photographs
✓
Written service documentation
✓
Identification of inaccessible or uncleaned areas
✓
Documentation of visible maintenance concerns
✓
Fan hinge-kit installation
✓
Duct access-panel installation
✓
Fan-belt replacement
✓
Grease-containment installation and service
✓
Recommended inspection and cleaning intervals
The Sunshine Difference
Why Our Approach
Is Different
Complete-System Approach
We address the complete accessible exhaust system and clearly document any areas that cannot be accessed or cleaned.
Detailed Documentation
Customers receive service records, photographs, and information about deficiencies or inaccessible areas discovered during the service — for your maintenance records and fire-safety inspections.
Experienced Local Team
Our team brings decades of combined commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning, maintenance, and service experience across Central Florida — all service is performed by our trained in-house team.
Honest Recommendations
We do not recommend unnecessary work. Our goal is to help you understand the true condition of your system and make informed maintenance decisions — nothing more.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Stay Ahead of Grease
Buildup and Maintenance Concerns
Sunshine Solutions can inspect accessible areas of your exhaust system, perform the necessary cleaning, document the results, and help identify maintenance concerns before they become larger problems.
This page provides general information and is not a substitute for the adopted NFPA standard, manufacturer instructions, local amendments, or direction from the authority having jurisdiction.