What Does a Hood Cleaning Certificate Include and Who Needs It?

A compliant NFPA 96 cleaning certificate (properly called a cleaning report) should include: the date of service, the name of the company and the technician who did the work, the technician's training or certification, a list of every component cleaned — hood, filters, plenum, full duct run, fan and roof curb — before and after photos of the grease-laden surfaces, any deficiencies found, the areas that could not be cleaned and why, and the recommended date for the next cleaning based on your cooking volume. A sticker on the hood with a date scrawled on it is not a certificate. It is a reminder.

Why the Photos Matter Most

Photos are the part cheap cleaners skip, and they are the part that actually protects you. NFPA 96 requires the entire system be cleaned to bare metal where accessible — not just the filters and the visible hood face. Without a before/after set showing the horizontal duct run and the fan housing, nobody can tell whether the upper system was touched. If a fire starts in the duct above the ceiling in a Gasoline Alley kitchen, that photo set is the difference between a covered claim and a denied one.

Who Looks at It in Alberta

• Municipal fire departments. Red Deer Emergency Services, and fire authorities in Lacombe, Sylvan Lake, Blackfalds and Innisfail, may ask for the most recent report during a routine inspection or a licence review.
• Insurance adjusters and underwriters. Many Alberta commercial policies name a cleaning frequency. Adjusters ask for the reports first after any kitchen fire.
• Alberta Health Services inspectors. AHS focuses on food safety, but heavy grease drip from a neglected hood becomes a food contamination issue and does get written up.
• Landlords and franchisors. Most strip-mall leases in Red Deer and Sylvan Lake require proof of service on file.

If Your Last Certificate Is Missing Documentation

Do not throw it out — keep it as proof of the service date. Then book a cleaning where the report is complete from the start, and ask the technician to photograph the current state of the upper duct before any work begins. That baseline shows whether the previous cleaner reached the ductwork at all. If they clearly didn't, you have grounds to go back to them, and you have an honest record going forward.

Typical Cost in Central Alberta

Most single-hood restaurant systems in this area run $400–$900 per cleaning, with multi-hood or long rooftop duct runs landing between $900 and $2,500. Full documentation should be included in that price, not billed as an extra.

How This Site Works

This is an independent referral service. We are not a cleaning company — we connect callers in Red Deer and Central Alberta with one vetted local hood cleaning partner who provides a full photo-documented report with every job. Read more about hood cleaning in Red Deer, how often your system needs cleaning, or what NFPA 96 requires in Alberta.