Guide
What a reinspection notice for exhaust cleaning usually cites
A fire inspector walks the line, looks up into the hood, checks the tag, and asks for the last cleaning report. If something is off, you get a notice with a correction date and a reinspection. Most of those notices cite the same short list of items, and most of them are paperwork or access problems you can close before the inspector comes back.
The usual citations and who fixes them
| What the notice says (in substance) | Code hook inspectors use | Who closes it |
|---|---|---|
| Exhaust system not inspected or cleaned at the required interval | IFC Table 606.3.3.1 (Table 609.3.3.1 in older editions): 1, 3, 6, or 12 months by cooking type | Hood cleaner; you book it |
| Grease accumulation in hood, plenum, duct, or fan | IFC 606.3.3.2: clean to ANSI/IKECA C10; NFPA 96 “clean to bare metal” language on many AHJ checklists | Hood cleaner |
| No cleaning report or certificate on the premises | IFC 606.3.3.3 records: who inspected or cleaned, which company, when | You (file it); cleaner (send it) |
| No service tag, or old tags still on the hood | IFC 606.3.3.3.1: tag with provider name, address, phone, date; prior tags covered or removed | Hood cleaner |
| Filters missing, damaged, or with gaps | IFC 606.3.1: listed grease filters in place when cooking under the hood | Your staff, same day |
| Duct sections not accessible or not cleaned | Access panel and cleanout rules in the mechanical code and NFPA 96; report must list areas not cleaned | Cleaner documents it; landlord or HVAC contractor adds panels |
| Suppression service tag older than six months, or more than one tag | Suppression service is a separate section (IFC 904; NFPA 17A); some states add tag rules | Suppression contractor, not the hood cleaner |
| Nozzle caps missing, fusible links not replaced, pull station blocked | NFPA 17A / NFPA 96, as listed on AHJ checklists | Suppression contractor; staff keep the pull station clear |
Section numbers move between editions. Your notice should cite the code your city adopted. If it doesn’t, ask the inspector which section and edition before you pay anyone to “fix” it. See inspection vs cleaning and suppression vs hood cleaning.
What real AHJ checklists look at
Two public examples show what inspectors and cleaners are told to check:
- St. Johns County Fire Rescue (Florida) uses a pass/fail annual checklist: a cleaning certificate kept on premises and a label in the kitchen with the date and company; hoods, grease removal devices, fans, and ducts cleaned to bare metal before they get heavily contaminated; suppression inspected twice a year with a tag less than six months old; only one current suppression tag; nozzle caps in place; fusible links replaced annually.
- Boston Fire Department has a cleaning report and deficiency form for hood cleaners: are filters clean, in place, and intact; grease load in the system and under the hood; were horizontal and vertical ducts cleaned or inspected; are there enough access panels; are all areas accessible; was the certificate placed near the hood. Any “no” answer goes on a deficiency report the cleaner sends to the fire department within 5 business days.
If your cleaner’s report doesn’t cover those points, it won’t help much at a reinspection. See what your report must show.
Before the reinspection
- Copy the correction date into the calendar and give it to whoever schedules vendors
- Split the items: cleaner, suppression contractor, landlord or HVAC, staff
- Book the cleaner with the notice in hand, and ask them to address each cited item by name in the report
- Get before and after photos of the plenum, duct, and fan, not only the canopy (before/after photos)
- Check the new tag is on the hood and old tags are gone
- Put the report, invoice, and photos in the binder by the office door (documentation binder)
- Have someone on site at the reinspection time who can open the roof and show the paperwork
Reinspection fees
Many cities charge for return visits. One published example: the Phoenix Fire Prevention Fee Schedule (effective 1/20/2026) lists a reinspection fee of minimum $195 (1 hour) when corrections aren’t made, cited items are still open at reinspection, access isn’t provided at the scheduled time, or more inspections are needed. Your city’s amount is Unknown until you check its fee schedule; see how to research reinspection fees.
Who it’s for / not for
- For: GMs and kitchen managers holding a fire inspection notice; multi-unit ops teams tracking open items across stores
- Not for: appeals or disputes. Follow the appeal process printed on your notice, and get legal advice if the stakes call for it. See choosing a vendor after a violation.
Sources
- 2024 IFC Chapter 6 as adopted by Phoenix (UpCodes) (§606.3.1, §606.3.3.1–606.3.3.3.1, Table 606.3.3.1)
- 2018 NC Fire Prevention Code Chapter 6 (UpCodes) (older numbering: §609.3.3, Table 609.3.3.1)
- St. Johns County Fire Rescue: Exhaust system annual inspection checklist (PDF)
- Boston Fire Department: Cleaning and inspection of commercial hood and ventilation system and deficiency report (PDF)
- Phoenix Fire Prevention Fee Schedule, effective 1/20/2026 (PDF) (reinspection fee)
Next step
Write each cited item on one line with an owner and a date next to it. Send the cleaner’s lines to the cleaner today, with a photo of the notice.