Choosing a Hood Cleaning Company in Mobile (and What It Should Cost)

Hood cleaning companies vary widely. The difference between a real NFPA 96 cleaning and a quick wipe-down is invisible on the day of service and very visible during a fire or an inspection. Here is how to pick well.

What to look for

Certification and training. Ask whether technicians are trained and certified for kitchen exhaust cleaning, and whether the company carries liability insurance. Reputable companies answer immediately.

Cleaning to bare metal, whole system. The job covers hoods, filters, the plenum, accessible ductwork, and the rooftop fan. If a quote only mentions the hood, that is a partial cleaning and it will not satisfy NFPA 96.

Documentation with every service. Before and after photos, a service report, and a certificate of performance you can hand a fire inspector or insurance auditor. No paperwork, no proof.

Straight answers on frequency. A good company will assess your cooking type and tell you the schedule NFPA 96 requires, even if it means less frequent service than you expected.

Red flags

Prices dramatically below everyone else usually mean a surface polish rather than a system cleaning. Be cautious with companies that will not put the scope in writing, cannot describe what bare metal cleaning means, or have no answer when you ask about the rooftop fan. And if they never ask what kind of cooking you do, they are not thinking about your compliance tier at all.

What it typically costs

Pricing depends on system size, number of hoods, grease load, and roof access. As broad national ranges, a small single-hood system often runs a few hundred dollars per cleaning, mid-size systems commonly land in the mid hundreds, and large or multi-hood systems can exceed a thousand dollars per service. Get two or three written quotes for your specific system rather than trusting a phone estimate, and compare scope line by line rather than just the bottom number.

A cheap incomplete cleaning is the most expensive option available. You pay for it again at the next real cleaning, and in the meantime the un-cleaned ductwork carries the fire risk.

The easy way to start

Our Mobile directory lists hood cleaning companies serving the area, with service details and contact information in one place. Get your quotes, ask the questions above, and get your kitchen on a documented schedule.