NFPA 96 for London, Ontario Commercial Kitchens
NFPA 96 is the National Fire Protection Association standard that governs how a commercial kitchen exhaust system is inspected and cleaned. It follows grease from the canopy through the filters, plenum, duct and rooftop fan. It publishes an inspection interval for each cooking volume and a grease depth that calls for cleaning. In London, Ontario, the standard reaches your kitchen through the Ontario Fire Code, which references NFPA 96, and London Fire Department enforces that code. This page references the published NFPA 96 standard. Hood Cleaning London is not affiliated with NFPA.
Last updated September 2026
What NFPA 96 asks of a London kitchen
The standard treats every grease-laden surface above the cook line as fuel waiting for a spark. A flare from a charbroiler on Richmond Row or a tandoor on Wellington Road does not stop at the filters. It follows the deposit into the plenum and up the duct.
So the cleaning rules rest on three duties. You inspect on a schedule set by how hard the kitchen cooks. You clean any surface where the deposit reaches the published depth. You keep a dated record of both, naming who did the work.
None of this is optional in Ontario, because the provincial Fire Code points to the standard for the detail.
Cooking volume vs inspection interval: the NFPA 96 frequency table
NFPA 96 sets four inspection intervals. The type and volume of cooking decides the interval, not the floor area or the seat count.
| Cooking volume vs inspection interval | Operation the standard names | A London kitchen that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Solid fuel: monthly | Wood, charcoal or other solid-fuel cooking | A wood-burning pizza oven in Wortley Village or a charcoal grill in a downtown bistro. |
| High volume: quarterly | Charbroiling, wok cooking and 24-hour operation | A burger line off Wonderland Road, a wok station in a Masonville plaza, a round-the-clock kitchen near Highway 401. |
| Moderate volume: semi-annual | Moderate-volume cooking | A lunch-and-dinner cafe in Old East Village, or a weekday staff cafeteria. |
| Low volume: annual | Churches, day camps, seasonal businesses | A church basement kitchen that cooks for Sunday lunches, or a summer-only snack bar. |
Read the interval as a minimum. An inspection that finds deposit at the limit sooner moves the cleaning forward.
How the Ontario Fire Code turns NFPA 96 into a London obligation
The Ontario Fire Code is the provincial regulation for fire safety in existing buildings, and it references NFPA 96 for commercial cooking exhaust.
NFPA 96 on its own is a document written by a private standards body. The Fire Code gives it force. When the code points to the standard, the standard's intervals, grease depth and record-keeping become the measure a London kitchen is held to.
That link matters for the owner. The obligation sits with the person who runs the kitchen, not with the contractor. The contractor does the work and hands over the evidence. The owner keeps the evidence on file.
What London Fire Department looks for on a kitchen visit
London Fire Department enforces the Ontario Fire Code in the City of London, and an inspector reads a commercial kitchen against it.
Expect the visit to start with paper. The inspector asks for the most recent cleaning record and checks the date against the interval your cooking falls under. A record older than the interval is the first gap.
Next comes what the record names. A certificate that lists the canopy alone raises the question of the duct and the fan. The inspector may then look past the filters at the plenum, check that duct access panels are reachable, and ask how the rooftop fan is opened.
A fire department does not issue cleaning certificates and does not endorse contractors. It reads your certificate as evidence. The same holds for the municipal fire services in the towns around London.
NFPA 96 hood cleaning and the 0.078 inch grease depth
NFPA 96 hood cleaning means cleaning to bare metal wherever the deposit has reached 0.078 inches, which is 2000 micrometres or a little under two millimetres.
The depth is a measurement, not a look. A surface can appear dull and dry and still carry more than the limit in the corners of a plenum or at the bottom of a riser. That is why the depth found goes on the record before cleaning, and the photographs show the same surface after.
The limit applies along the whole path. How that path is opened and measured duct by duct is on the kitchen exhaust cleaning page.
Fire code compliant hood cleaning in London: what to look for on the certificate
A hood cleaning certificate is a contractor's signed statement that named parts of one system were cleaned on one date with reference to the published NFPA 96 standard.
What it does assert. The parts cleaned, each by name. The date. The deposit found. The signature of the person responsible. Hood Cleaning London issues a signed health and safety certificate on that basis, with before-and-after photographs of every cleaned surface. It states that the work references the published NFPA 96 standard and that the business is not affiliated with NFPA.
What it does not assert. It is not a pass from a fire inspection. It says nothing about parts it does not name. It does not mean NFPA has reviewed the contractor, because NFPA reviews no contractors.
Is there a certified hood cleaning company in Ontario?
Ontario has no certification for hood cleaning companies. NFPA publishes standards and does not certify firms, the Fire Code does not license cleaners, and London Fire Department does not endorse any.
When an insurer or inspector asks for proof, three documents answer: the signed certificate naming each part cleaned, the before-and-after photographs, and proof of WSIB coverage and liability insurance, handed over before work starts. Treat "NFPA certified" on a flyer as a warning. It names a credential nobody issues.
NFPA 96 inspection checklist for London operators
The NFPA 96 inspection checklist below is written as the questions to ask before and after a cleaning.
Which interval does the kitchen fall under?
The cooking volume sets it. Find your appliance in the frequency table above and note the date the next inspection is due.
Were all four parts of the path opened?
A complete cleaning covers the hood, the plenum, the duct and the rooftop fan. Anything missing from that list stays at its old depth.
Was the deposit measured, and where?
A useful record gives the depth found and the location, for example the plenum wall or the fan bowl.
Do photographs match every named surface?
Each part named on the certificate should have a before image and an after image of the same spot.
Are the access panels and fan hinge in working order?
Inspectors check that a crew can reach the duct and open the fan. Rooftop fan access is covered on the exhaust fan repair page.
Is the insurance proof on file?
WSIB coverage and liability insurance should be in your folder before the crew arrives, not after.
How much does NFPA 96 hood cleaning cost in London in 2026
NFPA 96 hood cleaning in London starts from $585 per visit for a single-hood kitchen up to ten feet, and larger systems are quoted on site after a free walk-through.
The full scope of each service is on the services page, and the hood cleaning services page covers the canopy and filters.
Next step: call 226-457-6745 or request a written quote. Have your last certificate to hand if you have one.
NFPA 96 in London: frequently asked questions
Who publishes NFPA 96?
The National Fire Protection Association publishes NFPA 96. It is a standards body, not a regulator. In Ontario the standard applies through the Fire Code reference.
Does a wood-burning pizza oven change the interval?
A wood-burning oven is solid-fuel cooking under NFPA 96, which carries a monthly inspection interval. The appliance decides the interval, whatever the size of the dining room.
Does Middlesex-London Health Unit inspect the exhaust hood?
Middlesex-London Health Unit inspects food premises for food safety. The exhaust system is a fire matter under the Ontario Fire Code, so it falls to London Fire Department.
Is a cleaning certificate the same as passing a fire inspection?
A cleaning certificate is the contractor's record of the work. A fire inspection is the fire department's own check of the premises, and the inspector reads the certificate as one piece of evidence.
How long should a London kitchen keep its cleaning records?
Cleaning records belong on file for as long as an inspector or insurer may ask for them. Keep every certificate and its photographs together, newest on top, so the history is visible at a glance.