NFPA 96 in Burlington: what the standard requires in 2026
NFPA 96 is the National Fire Protection Association standard for ventilation control and fire protection of commercial cooking operations. It treats the grease that collects in a hood, its filters, the plenum, the duct and the rooftop fan as a fire load, sets a measurable depth at which that grease must be removed, and publishes how often each type of kitchen is inspected for it. A Burlington kitchen meets the standard through the Ontario Fire Code, which references NFPA 96, and the Burlington Fire Department enforces that code. Burlington Hood Cleaning references the published NFPA 96 standard and is not affiliated with NFPA.
Last updated: September 2026
What NFPA 96 covers in a commercial kitchen
Three parts of the standard matter to a chef or facility manager day to day.
A measurable limit. NFPA 96 sets the acceptable grease depth at 0.078 inches. A depth gauge reads the plenum wall, the duct interior and the fan housing. Any surface at or over the limit gets cleaned, and the reading goes on the record.
A published inspection schedule. Four intervals, from monthly to annual, assigned by the type and volume of cooking. The table below sets them out.
A paper trail. A dated record of each inspection or cleaning, naming the sections opened, what was found and who did the work.
How often does NFPA 96 require hood cleaning in Burlington?
NFPA 96 requires an inspection for grease build-up monthly for solid-fuel cooking, quarterly for high-volume cooking, semi-annually for moderate-volume cooking and annually for low-volume cooking. Cleaning follows when the inspection finds 0.078 inches or more. The appliance and the hours set the interval, not the size of the kitchen.
| Cooking volume vs published interval | Operations NFPA 96 places in this group | A Burlington kitchen that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Solid fuel: monthly | Wood, charcoal or pellet cooking of any volume | A wood-fired pizza oven on Brant Street, or a smoker working Ribfest at Spencer Smith Park. |
| High volume: quarterly | Charbroiling, wok cooking and 24-hour operation | A burger grill on Plains Road East, a wok line on Appleby Line, or a hotel kitchen on Harvester Road. |
| Moderate volume: semi-annually | Single-shift or two-service kitchens without charbroiling or wok work | A school cafeteria on Upper Middle Road, or a plant lunchroom on Mainway that cooks weekdays only. |
| Low volume: annually | Churches, day camps and seasonal businesses | A church hall kitchen in Aldershot, or a summer camp kitchen near Lowville. |
Source: the published NFPA 96 standard. Each interval is a minimum. A kitchen that adds a charbroiler or extends its hours moves to the shorter interval.
NFPA 96 vs the Ontario Fire Code: which one applies in Burlington?
The Ontario Fire Code is the regulation that applies in Burlington, and NFPA 96 is the technical standard the Fire Code references for commercial cooking exhaust. Both apply at once: the Fire Code makes the requirement enforceable, and NFPA 96 supplies the depth, the intervals and the record-keeping detail.
The regulation is what an inspector issues an order under. The standard says what a clean system looks like and how often someone has to look. Neither names or licenses a contractor. The pages for hood cleaning services, kitchen exhaust cleaning and exhaust fan repair and installation describe the work each section of the system needs.
What a Burlington fire inspector looks for, and what Public Health looks for instead
The Burlington Fire Department, with Fire Headquarters at 1255 Fairview Street, enforces the Ontario Fire Code in commercial kitchens across the city. Halton Region Public Health inspects the same kitchens for food safety under its Dinewise program. Two agencies, two inspections, two separate documents on the wall.
The fire inspection. A fire inspector reads the most recent cleaning record, then checks whether the system matches it. A record that names only the canopy raises the question of whether the duct and fan were opened. The inspector looks behind the filters at the plenum, confirms duct access panels can be reached, and checks that the rooftop fan can be opened. Missing panels, a bolted-down fan or a record with gaps are the usual findings.
The public health inspection. Halton Region Public Health inspects every food premises in Burlington for food handling, temperatures, sanitation and pest control. Results are disclosed publicly through Dinewise, and each premises must post its Certificate of Inspection. The exhaust system is outside that scope. A clean Dinewise result says nothing about grease in the duct.
Keep both certificates in the same binder, and understand that they answer different inspectors. What each kitchen type tends to hear from an inspector is on the who we serve page.
What a hood cleaning certificate asserts, and what it does not
A hood cleaning certificate is the contractor's signed statement that named sections of one exhaust system were cleaned on one date with reference to the published NFPA 96 standard. It is evidence for the fire inspector, not a pass from the fire inspector.
It asserts the sections cleaned by name (canopy, filters, plenum, horizontal duct, riser, fan), the date, the grease depth found, the company and a signature. Burlington Hood Cleaning issues a signed health and safety certificate on that basis, backed by before-and-after photographs of every cleaned surface.
It does not assert that the kitchen passed a fire inspection, that the suppression system was tested, or that any unlisted section was touched. A certificate that reads "hood only" covers the hood only. It also does not make the contractor approved by NFPA, because NFPA publishes standards and does not approve or certify companies.
Certified kitchen exhaust cleaners in Burlington: the honest answer
"NFPA 96 certified" is not a credential that exists. NFPA does not certify contractors, the Ontario Fire Code does not license hood cleaners, and the Burlington Fire Department does not endorse them.
The proof that does exist comes in three pieces, and you can ask any contractor for all of them before the truck arrives:
- A signed certificate that names every section cleaned and references the published NFPA 96 standard.
- Before-and-after photographs of each cleaned surface, including the duct interior and the fan housing, not only the canopy.
- Proof of WSIB coverage and liability insurance delivered before work starts, so a technician on your roof is covered by the contractor.
A contractor who leads with "certified" and cannot produce the photographs has given you less than one who supplies all three.
Next step for a Burlington kitchen
A free walk-through measures the plenum, duct and fan against the 0.078 inch limit and tells you which interval the kitchen belongs on. For context, a single-hood kitchen up to ten feet is cleaned from $585 per visit; larger systems are quoted on site.
Call 289-797-3190 or request a written quote and a quote comes back within 24 hours. Have the last certificate to hand if there is one.
NFPA 96 in Burlington: frequently asked questions
Does NFPA 96 apply to a food truck working Ribfest or the Sound of Music Festival?
NFPA 96 covers any commercial cooking operation that produces grease-laden vapour, and a food truck hood is a commercial hood. The truck sits on the same interval its cooking would earn in a building.
What changed in NFPA 96 for 2026?
The four inspection intervals and the 0.078 inch grease depth are the same in the current edition as in the one before it. What changes year to year is the kitchen: new appliances, longer hours or a menu change move a system to a shorter interval, so recheck the answer each year.
Is a hood cleaning certificate the same as a Dinewise Certificate of Inspection?
A hood cleaning certificate is the contractor's record of the exhaust system, read by the Burlington Fire Department. A Dinewise Certificate of Inspection is issued by Halton Region Public Health after a food safety inspection. Neither substitutes for the other.
Who is responsible for NFPA 96 compliance in a leased plaza unit on Fairview Street?
The operator of the cooking equipment is responsible for the hood, filters and the duct serving that hood. The lease usually says where the landlord takes over on shared risers and rooftop fans. Ask for a certificate that names every section the operator is responsible for.
Does the standard cover the range hood over a home kitchen?
NFPA 96 applies to commercial cooking operations, and residential range hoods sit outside it. Burlington Hood Cleaning services commercial kitchens only and does not clean home range hoods.