Grease hood cleaning is the same NFPA 96 work as any hood service, named for the thing that actually drives it: accumulated grease. Grease is the fuel, the reason for the interval, and the measure a fire marshal uses when deciding whether your last cleaning counted. Kitchens searching for this by name are usually the ones that can see the problem already, with visible buildup on the canopy edge, drips at the filter track, or a hood that has gone tacky to the touch.
A heavy-buildup service starts with the visible surfaces and then goes after the parts that hold the real volume. Baffle filters are removed and soaked rather than wiped. The canopy interior, the grease trough and the filter track are scraped before any chemical goes on, because degreaser applied over a thick deposit mostly runs off. Reachable duct surfaces are scraped and pressure washed. The fan housing and blades are degreased separately, since blade buildup unbalances the fan and reduces the airflow the rest of the system depends on.
NFPA 96 distinguishes inspection from cleaning. Its exhaust-system inspection table lists solid-fuel cooking monthly, high-volume operations such as 24-hour cooking, charbroiling or wok cooking quarterly, moderate-volume operations semi-annually, and low-volume operations such as churches, seasonal businesses and day camps annually. Clean contaminated portions when inspection finds grease deposits. Confirm the adopted edition and any additional requirements with your local authority having jurisdiction.
This service is for kitchens with genuine grease problems: charbroilers and wok ranges, fry-heavy menus, steakhouses with wood-fired grills, late-night operations, and any kitchen that has skipped a cycle or inherited a system from a previous tenant. Heavy buildup also tends to mean the deposits reach further up the duct than a routine visit assumes, so ask whether the quote covers the full run or only the hood.
Compare providers by location in our directory of hood cleaners by state, or read the hood cleaning cost guide before you request quotes.