Home / NFPA 96 Compliance
NFPA 96 is the fire-code standard every Utah fire marshal enforces for commercial kitchens. It requires your entire exhaust system — hood, ducts, and fan — to be inspected by a trained professional on a fixed schedule, and cleaned to bare metal whenever grease is found.
The inspection schedule
NFPA 96 sets a minimum inspection interval by cooking volume. At each inspection, the system must be cleaned to bare metal wherever grease has built up.
| Cooking operation | Inspect at least | Typical examples |
|---|---|---|
| Solid-fuel cooking | Monthly | Wood-fired pizza ovens, charcoal grills, mesquite & BBQ smokers |
| High-volume cooking | Quarterly | 24-hour operations, heavy charbroiling, wok cooking |
| Moderate-volume cooking | Semi-annually | Typical full-service restaurants, hotel and hospital kitchens |
| Low-volume cooking | Annually | Churches, senior centers, day camps, seasonal & occasional kitchens |
NFPA 96 applies as adopted by your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ); local requirements may be stricter than the minimums above. Systems are inspected at least this often and cleaned to bare metal wherever grease is found. This page paraphrases the standard for general guidance and is not a substitute for the code itself or your AHJ's direction.
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The paper trail
The work happens above the ceiling, where you can't see it — so the documentation is the proof. It comes standard with every Vista service.
A dated certificate of inspection and cleaning kept on premises, ready to hand the fire marshal.
A service label showing the date, our company, and any areas not cleaned — exactly what NFPA 96 requires and inspectors check first.
Timestamped photos of your hood, ducts, and fan delivered to your inbox — proof for your insurer, your landlord, and your own eyes.
Names the technician, documents the grease levels found, and discloses any inaccessible areas. Low-bid cleaners skip this; NFPA 96 requires it.
After a fire, insurers audit these records. A missing cleaning certificate is one of the most common reasons a kitchen-fire claim gets fought or denied.
What inspectors check
Grease baked into your ductwork is fuel your suppression system can't reach. A duct fire can travel from the hood to the roof. Cleaners who only polish the visible hood leave the most dangerous part dirty.
NFPA 96 requires a dated service label on the hood listing who cleaned it and any areas that couldn't be reached. It's the first thing a fire marshal checks — and the disclosure low-bid cleaners skip.
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