Guide
Cost ranges: single hood (vendor-reported; mark regional Unknown)
Operators ask “what should a single-hood clean cost?” before they call three vendors. The honest answer is a band, not a national sticker price — and only the bands vendors actually publish. This page collects vendor-reported single-hood (and closely related) per-visit ranges from public pages we checked live. Every figure names its source. Outside the markets those vendors describe, treat the regional cell as Unknown and get local quotes. For what to put on the bid sheet see quote checklist; for comparing offers see comparing 3 local quotes; for multi-hood systems see multi-hood pricing.
Short answer
Published vendor bands for a complete single-hood (or small single-system) clean commonly land around $300–$700 for low-volume / small systems and roughly $400–$900 for a standard single-hood restaurant visit, with high-volume or hard-access jobs higher. Those are source-labeled budgeting ranges, not your quote. Metro premiums, after-hours, grease load, duct length, and missing access panels move the number. Regional pricing outside the markets named below is Unknown until you collect local bids.
Vendor-reported ranges (cite the source)
| Source (public page) | What they publish for single / small systems | Market they describe | Elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facilitec Southwest — 2026 NFPA compliance guide | Single-hood low-volume (church, day care, seasonal): $300–$700 per visit (annual typical). Standard restaurant / hotel banquet: $450–$1,200 (semiannual typical). High-volume: $600–$1,800. | Industry-typical framing tied to their Southwest service footprint (TX, OK, LA, NM, AR) | Regional: Unknown — get local quotes |
| Bryan Exhaust Service Tools — how to price jobs | Small single hood, low volume: $300–$600. Standard restaurant, single hood, moderate volume: $450–$900. Notes metros (e.g. NYC / LA) often at the top or beyond. | Industry / contractor pricing article (not a single metro quote sheet) | Regional: Unknown outside your walk-through quote |
| Hood Hero — common questions | Most single-hood quick-service kitchens: $500–$700, depending on systems and fan setup. | Phoenix metro / Valley (AZ) | Regional: Unknown |
| Service-Tech — hood cleaning guide | Single kitchen hood complete NFPA-oriented clean: at least $400–$600; company minimum engagement $599. | Company footprint includes OH, FL, AR offices (nationwide claims — treat as their published floor, not your city) | Regional: Unknown |
| Qwick Solutions — 2026 cost guide | National single hood: roughly $400–$600 per service. DMV single-hood, standard access: roughly $400–$700 per visit. | National baseline + DC / Maryland / Virginia (DMV) | Regional: Unknown outside cited bands |
These pages were checked for this guide. We do not invent averages, “national typical” dollars beyond what a named source published, or partnership discounts. If a vendor page disappears or changes, re-verify before you budget.
How to read the table without fooling yourself
- Scope first — Ranges above assume a full-path clean (hood, filters, plenum, accessible duct, fan), not a canopy wipe. Bargain numbers under these bands often skip ducts and fans — see full-system vs canopy-only and red flags.
- Single hood ≠ always cheap — Long vertical duct, no access panels, hinged-fan problems, or solid-fuel residue can price a “one hood” job like a complex system.
- Frequency multiplies annual cost — Quarterly at $700 is $2,800/year; monthly solid-fuel is a different budget conversation. Inspection cadence still follows cooking volume — see inspection frequency.
- Regional Unknown means get three local quotes — Do not paste a Phoenix or DMV band onto an uncited city and call it research.
What moves a single-hood quote (variance drivers)
| Driver | Why it moves the number | Related guide |
|---|---|---|
| Access / height | Hard roofs, multi-story, locked hatches, lift needs | Rooftop fan access problems |
| Missing access panels | First-time panel cuts or inaccessible sections | Duct access panels missing |
| Grease load / overdue | Neglected first cleans often billed higher (industry notes 1.5×–2× maintenance) | What bare metal clean means |
| After-hours / rush | Overnight, holiday, or fire-marshal deadline premiums | After-hours premiums |
| Cooking type | Fryer / char / wok / solid fuel load labor and cadence | High-volume fryer planner |
Field checklist before you treat a range as a budget
- Hood count and fans — Confirm it really is one Type I path
- Last full clean date — Overdue systems cost more labor
- Access reality — Roof path, panels, hinge kit present?
- Written scope — Hood + plenum + duct + fan + report / photos / label
- COI — Liability + workers’ comp before the crew on the roof
- Three comparable quotes — Same scope sheet — use comparing 3 local quotes
Useful use of these bands
- Sanity-check a bid that is wildly below every cited floor
- Set a planning envelope before RFP season
- Explain to ownership why “$200 canopy wipe” is not the same product
- Label every figure with source + regional Unknown when your city is not cited
Misuse to avoid
- Publishing or demanding a single “national average” we did not source
- Applying Phoenix or DMV numbers to an uncited metro as fact
- Accepting the cheapest number without matching full-system scope
- Confusing a vendor’s company minimum with your AHJ’s required interval
Who it’s for / not for
- For: single-hood restaurant / café / church kitchen operators budgeting a first or recurring clean; facilities managers building a quote packet; anyone comparing three local bids against published vendor bands
- Not for: inventing dollar figures; treating this page as a bid; multi-hood / stadium / hospital custom systems (those need walk-through pricing); affiliate price promises
Sources
- Facilitec Southwest — Kitchen exhaust hood cleaning & NFPA 96 (2026 guide) (vendor-published 2026 typical cost table; Southwest footprint)
- Bryan Exhaust Service Tools — How to price kitchen exhaust cleaning jobs (industry flat-rate bands including single-hood rows; metro note)
- Hood Hero — Common questions (Phoenix Valley; single-hood QSR $500–$700)
- Service-Tech — Kitchen exhaust hood cleaning guide (single-hood $400–$600; $599 minimum)
- Qwick Solutions — Commercial hood cleaning cost (2026 DMV guide) (national single-hood ~$400–$600; DMV single-hood ~$400–$700)
Next step
Print the quote checklist, photograph the hood / filters / rooftop fan, and send the same scope sheet to three local vendors. Compare against the sourced bands above — and if your metro is not named in a source row, leave regional pricing as Unknown until the bids land.