Guide
Comparing 3 local quotes — spreadsheet template
Three bids with three different bottom lines usually mean three different scopes. Secondary hiring and pricing guides say the same thing: line up the same kitchen facts, require the same written component list, then compare price. This page is a copy-paste comparison sheet — not a price list. Regional dollar figures stay Unknown here on purpose.
Short answer
Send every bidder the same Tell them / Ask them sheet from the Cost quote checklist. After walkthroughs, fill one row per vendor on the template below. Rank scope completeness and documentation first; treat a 2×–3× price gap as a scope gap until each quote names hood, plenum, filters, duct length, fan/rooftop, grease path, photos, report, label, and COI. Skip verbal-only bids. Not legal advice; no invented price ranges.
Before you open the spreadsheet
- Same site packet to all three: cooking volume tier, hours, hood count/length, stories to roof, access limits, after-hours need
- Prefer quotes after a walkthrough (kitchen + rooftop + access panels) — secondary cost guides call no-walkthrough figures estimates, not commitments
- Require a written component list, not the words “hood cleaning”
- Ask for a sample anonymized photo set + sample report before you pick
- Suppression ITM stays a separate licensed job unless a fire-protection license is on paper
Comparison sheet (copy into Sheets / Excel)
One column per vendor. Score Yes / Partial / No / Unknown. Leave Amount blank if you will not invent numbers — or paste only what that quote literally states.
| Row | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company legal name | |||
| Quote date / expires | |||
| Walkthrough done? (Y/N + date) | |||
| Hood / canopy interior | |||
| Filters / grease-removal devices | |||
| Plenum | |||
| Horizontal + vertical duct (length noted?) | |||
| Exhaust fan housing + blades | |||
| Rooftop discharge / grease path / containment | |||
| Site protection + cleanup named | |||
| Before/after photos included | |||
| Written report + inaccessible-area list | |||
| Hood service label / access-panel tags | |||
| Docs treated as included (not add-on) | |||
| COI: GL + workers’ comp (entity named) | |||
| Named tech credential (if you require one) | |||
| Access panels / hinge kits: included vs change order | |||
| Schedule window + after-hours premium itemized | |||
| Crew size / estimated time on site | |||
| Exclusions listed in writing | |||
| Suppression service claimed? (usually should be No) | |||
| Cancellation / auto-renew / price-increase rules | |||
| Quoted amount (paste only from that bid) | |||
| Per-hood or multi-hood breakdown? | |||
| Scope score (1–5) | |||
| Docs + insurance score (1–5) | |||
| Pick? (Y/N + one-line reason) |
How to score the rows
| Signal | Treat as | Why (secondary) |
|---|---|---|
| Single line “hood cleaning,” no duct/fan | Scope fail | Secondary quote-red-flag guides: canopy-only sold as full path |
| Docs / photos / report as paid add-ons | Docs fail | Secondary NFPA documentation explainers: label + report are part of the visit, not optional |
| Flat low price, no access questions | Access risk | Missing panels, long ducts, hard roofs drive incomplete cleans or surprise change orders |
| 2×–3× price gap on “same” kitchen | Re-check scope | Secondary cost guides: large gaps usually scope difference, not value |
| Verbal only / cash / no COI | Walk away | Roof work + chemicals + wet floors; paper is the point |
Apples-to-apples bid
- Same scope sheet returned by all three
- Rooftop + duct + photos + report + label named
- COI matches the legal entity on the invoice
- Exclusions and access extras are written before start
Not comparable yet
- One bid is canopy wipe; another is full path
- One includes after-hours; others assume daytime shutdown
- One quotes one hood; another bundles three without a count
- Documentation is “extra” on the cheap bid
Field note — pick order
- Cross out any bid missing duct + fan + written docs
- Among remaining, pick highest combined scope + docs/insurance scores
- Only then look at the quoted amount
- If two complete bids are close, prefer the clearer inaccessible-area honesty and sample photo set
Who it’s for / not for
- For: kitchen managers collecting three local bids; multi-unit ops standardizing a compare sheet; anyone who already has the Cost quote checklist and needs a side-by-side
- Not for: national price shopping, inventing dollar ranges, or treating the cheapest incomplete bid as the winner
Sources
- Facilitec Southwest — commercial kitchen hood cleaning cost 2026 guide (secondary; six-item scope list, docs-as-included, compare scope before price, 2×–3× gap framing — their regional ranges not copied here)
- NOVA / commercialhoodcleaners — how to read a hood cleaning quote (secondary; duct/fan missing as red flag; photos + certificate; access/containment)
- Find Hood Cleaner — hood cleaning cost guide (secondary; compare beyond bottom line; COI / photos / certificate questions)
- Grease Trap Locator — kitchen hood cleaning guide (secondary; get three detailed written proposals; apples-to-apples scope)
- Find Hood Cleaner — how to choose a hood cleaner (secondary; hiring checklist overlap with quote rows)
- Hood Clean Index — quote checklist (local Tell them / Ask them sheet to send before bidding)
Next step
Copy the comparison table into a sheet. Paste your three company names across the top. Send the Cost quote checklist to all three tonight. Fill scope rows before you look at amounts. Cross out any bid that still says only “hood cleaning.”