Start-Restaurant-Commercial-Hood-Cleaning-Company

Cleaning kitchen hoods according to: NFPA 96: Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations Standard NFPA 96 provides the minimum fire safety requirements for both public and private cooking operations.

Start your own Restaurant Hood Cleaning Service!

Business that you've probably never heard of!  Even in bad economic times, the fast food industry keeps thriving - just ask McDonald's. And every single one of these fast food restaurants (not to mention kitchens in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, hotels, country clubs, Schools, etc.) has a kitchen exhaust hood venting system that needs cleaning. 

And the best part is, this is a totally captive market. Due  to recent changes in regulations, cleaning these systems is NOT OPTIONAL.  If they are not cleaned, and cleaned properly and regularly, the resulting grease buildup will cause a serious fire hazard.  That's why there are regulations mandating this service, and your local fire Marshall, health inspector, and insurance provider will ensure that there is a lot of business for you.

Because there is little competition, this is easy work to get. This is 

requirement for all cooking establishments, everybody is on your side - the insurance company, fire marshals, health department personnel, and fire extinguishing service companies are all telling the restaurant owners that they must have their kitchen exhaust hood venting systems cleaned professionally.

This is not a business that requires extensive capital.  It doesn't require hiring a crew.  You can begin this business overnight, working out of your home. The income potential is high.  The cost of the chemicals and supplies are minimal.  The main thing you need for this business is the knowledge.

Hood Cleaning 2014 NFPA 96 Code

There were an estimated 7,670 fires reported to public fire departments nationwide each year.

Statistics from the U.S. Fire Administration, the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and an insurance company, give more details about cooking fire hazards.

64 percent of all restaurant fires in 2002 were caused by cooking – and cooking materials were the most frequent items initially ignited.

31 percent of these fires involved deep fryers, 18 percent involved cooking ranges and 11 percent involved cooking grills

35 percent of cooking fires were extinguished by portable fire extinguishers

91 percent of the losses by dollar value and 78 percent by number of occurrences were due to fire, according to an insurance company’s property loss experience from 1999 through 2005 for all restaurant losses exceeding $100,000

12 percent of the restaurants were protected by a full or partial sprinkler system, but over 90 percent were equipped with overhead hoods with extinguishing systems in the cooking areas according to the insurance company’s loss experience.

46 percent of the restaurants were protected by either a sprinkler system or an overhead hood with extinguishing systems in the area a fire occurred per national statistics.

To help protect their operations against all these hazards, restaurateurs should adhere to the  NFPA standards, which address the most common areas where fires occur in restaurants.

NFPA® codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Documents”), of which the document contained herein is one, are developed through a consensus standards development process approved by the American National Standards Institute. This process brings together volunteers representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus on fire and other safety issues.

NFPA 96: Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations Standard NFPA 96 provides the minimum fire safety requirements for both public and private cooking operations.

Within the Standard are Chapters 5 and 6, which address configuration and exhaust hood size necessary to give capture and removal of grease-laden vapors.

NFPA 96 requires that exhaust hoods are equipped with listed grease removal devices such as filters and that there is at least 18 inches of clearance between the grease filter and the cooking surface - unless the filter is listed for closer separation distances.

Filters should be easily accessible and removable for cleaning and installed at an angle not less than 45 degrees from the horizontal.

While the general requirements of NFPA 96 state that all cooking equipment used in processes producing smoke or grease-laden vapors shall be equipped with an exhaust system, Chapter 7 specifically addresses exhaust duct systems and the issues of installation, access and clearance.

Ducts should be installed without dips or traps that might collect residues, such as grease, and there must be access to all parts of the duct to ease cleaning.

All exhaust ducts must lead directly to the exterior of the building to have the shortest length of duct-work necessary, which helps limit the area available for grease to build-up and the amount of duct that has to be cleaned.

NFPA 96’s Chapter 11 addresses rules for the use and maintenance of equipment. 

Hood Exhaust systems must be operated when cooking equipment is turned on and cooking equipment must not be operated while the protection systems are inoperative or under repair.

Properly trained and qualified staff should do maintenance on the fire extinguishing systems at least every six month and inspect the entire exhaust system for grease build-up regularly depending on the type of operations.

High volume cooking operations require inspections quarterly, at a minimum; moderate volume cooking operations require semi-annual inspections; and low volume cooking operations – such as day camps, seasonal businesses and senior centers – require annual inspections.

If any exhaust system has deposits from grease-laden vapors, the contaminated portions must be cleaned by properly trained people.

Neither training nor certification guarantees that any company or individual will do a good job.

NFPA 96-2014 8.1.2.1 Up blast fans with motors surrounded by the air stream
shall be hinged and supplied with flexible weatherproof electrical
cable and service hold-open retainers.

NFPA 96 – 2014, Section 11.4: “The entire exhaust system shall be inspected for grease buildup by a properly trained, qualified, and certified person(s) acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and in accordance with

Table 11.4.” NFPA 96 – 11.4 EXHAUST SYSTEM INSPECTION SCHEDULE

Type or Volume of Cooking Frequency	Frequency
Systems serving solid fuel cooking operations	Monthly
Systems serving high-volume cooking operations such as 24-hour cooking, charbroiling, or wok cooking	Quarterly
Systems serving moderate-volume cooking operations	Semiannually
Systems serving low-volume cooking operations, such as churches, day camps, seasonal businesses, or senior centers.	Annually

2014 NFPA 96

11.6 Cleaning of Exhaust Systems.

11.6.1* If, upon inspection, the exhaust system is found to be
contaminated with deposits from grease-laden vapors, the
contaminated portions of the exhaust system shall be cleaned
by a properly trained, qualified, and certified person(s) acceptable
to the authority having jurisdiction.

11.6.2* Hoods, grease removal devices, fans, ducts, and other
appurtenances shall be cleaned to remove combustible contaminants
prior to surfaces becoming heavily contaminated
with grease or oily sludge.

Access panels may be necessary to properly reach and clean areas of the exhaust system. NFPA recommends installation every 12 feet of duct work.

Grease and particulate buildup in the exhaust system is a fire hazard, and greatly impacts on the efficiency and lifetime of mechanical equipment. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, the majority of restaurant fires originate on the kitchen cooking appliances and flare into the kitchen exhaust system. 

If the entire exhaust system is not cleaned, a significant risk for fire exists whenever cooking appliances are used.

Insurance companies are good resources and can help with the establishment of these programs.

Don’t let a fire start in your cooking area.

By following the appropriate NFPA standards to protect your facility, and implementing and maintaining human element programs, you can decrease the chances of a fire occurring and keep your business in business.

 MORE INFO 631-603 7994

Kitchen+Exhaust+Fan+Lubrication

Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Fan Maintenance

We all know the importance of providing our customers with the necessary services to assist them in realizing longevity from their commercial kitchen exhaust fan.

Lubrication of the kitchen exhaust fan bearings during the course of the job is one definite way to provide a genuine service to our customers - and it is a task which involves very little time and effort to accomplish.

Since our work regularly takes us onto the roof or into the mechanical penthouse, it makes good sense to provide the essential services such as bearing lubrication to kitchen exhaust fan while we are conducting operations.

Equally important to providing this type of service to our customers for their kitchen exhaust fan to realize a full life is the application of the correct medium of lubricant, in an amount sufficient to do the job right.

Manufacturers of kitchen exhaust fan type provide either lifetime lubricated (sealed), or lube-able type bearings on their equipment. Due to the higher rotation speeds and elevated temperatures with which this equipment is known to operate, chances are you will encounter the lube-able type more often than not.

The pre-lubricated type of kitchen exhaust fan will generally require no service under normal operating condition for seven to ten years, and then they will require replacement. The grease-able type of bearings will generally not require re-lubrication for the first six months of operation because they are most often lubricated at the factory.

Kitchen exhaust fan shaft bearings are best served by lubricating them with a blue lithium type grease applied with a manual grease gun. Excepting safety hazards, the shaft bearings are best lubricated with the shaft rotating, and the grease gun should be slowly pumped until a slight discharge of grease is observed at the lip of the grease seal. Because bearings are precision made, the grease fitting nipple should always be wiped off prior to applying the grease gun to prevent forcible contamination of the unit.

Over lubrication will inevitably lead to premature failure of the bearings due to both the excessive volume of grease unseating the grease seals, allowing foreign matter to collect and contaminate the bearings, and elevated operating temperatures caused by friction as the overfilled bearings rotate at high speed.

Certain considerations should be made concerning the frequency of lubrication of shaft bearings. Generally speaking, an exhaust fan operating 12 hours per day would be best served by lubricating two to four times annually, provided the establishment is opened year round, and the above procedures are followed.

Decreasing the schedule should be considered if the establishment is seasonal, or operates fewer hours per day; increasing the schedule may be warranted if the fan is serving a high temperature system such as solid fuel cooking, or operating 24 hours per day.

Prevent accidental over-lubrication, and mixing of different types of greases, and know if the establishment maintenance staff are providing preventative maintenance of the fans regularly prior to your service commencing.

Electrical motors employing ball type bearings may as well be equipped with either sealed bearings or grease able bearings, however, motor bearings are considerably more sensitive and should be maintained only by staff familiar with the application.

Motors with lube able type ball bearings will either be equipped with a grease fitting, or a removable screw for applying grease. Similarly, most will also use grease relief screws which need removal to ease drainage of excessive grease during a 20 minute operating period after lubrication, and then the drain screw requires replacement.

As a general guide only, your average motor sizes 1 /8 to 7.5 horsepower will only need re-lubrication once every 5 years if operated 5,000 hours annually and equipped with lubrication points.

On units with grease nipples, only I to 2 strokes with a grease gun are required on NEMA frame sizes 215 and smaller, 2 to 3 strokes on NEMA 254 through NEMA 365.

If equipped with a screw type fitting, a 2 to 3 inch grease string should be applied to each bearing on NEMA size 215 and smaller, and a 3 to 5 inch string on larger motors. Again, drain plugs should be removed and the motor operated 20 minutes before replacement.

Motors should always be lubricated at a standstill. Their grease fittings must be cleaned before lubing. Also, only use clean grease obtained from a sealed container.

When possible, manufacturers' recommendations should be followed when selecting the brand of lubricant to use on a motor, and extreme care should be used to ensure petroleum and silicone greases are not mixed.

Because most lubricants will deteriorate motor winding's, they should never be over lubed!

More Info: Kitchenexhaustcleaningconsulting.com or 631-603-7994

Hood-Cleaning-Reasons-To-Clean

Many people don't bother to think about cleaning their kitchen hood. And yet, it’s an integral part of your kitchen and it’s cleanliness could make a huge difference in your cooking and health, not to mention that of your customers.Here are five important reasons to consider hiring a commercial kitchen hood cleaning company to clean your kitchen hood regularly (besides the fact that such cleaning must be performed by licensed professionals.Clear Any Blockage It’s not just smoke that’s wafting up into the kitchen hood. It’s also grease and dirt that gets up there and gets lodged in the exhaust. That can turn your kitchen hood into a bacteria breeding ground. Mold, mildew and other unwanted side effects are bound to occur. It’s so easy to fix this problem before it starts, just call a commercial kitchen hood cleaning company like " Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Consultants ".Attract CrittersIt’s not just dirt and bacteria you have to worry about. If enough grime builds up, you could end up attracting bugs and critters to feed on the sludge. Then, it’s only a matter of time before they start crawling out right over your stoves and ovens! Don’t let it get to that point and don’t let your customers or an inspector find out before you do. It’s The LawDepending on what the local restaurant or industrial kitchen laws are in your area, maintaining a clean, working kitchen hood is one part of passing inspection and staying on schedule. If an inspector comes in and finds a spotless kitchen but spotty kitchen hood, you could still be in trouble. NFPA 96, depending on what you cook and how much, you might need to have your kitchen hood cleaned as often as monthly. It’s A Fire HazardWith all that build-up that collects in a kitchen hood, you run the risk of some of it catching on fire. All of a sudden, you've got yourself a fire hazard that you didn't even realize existed. Just because you can’t see it doesn't mean it’s not there. Don’t just worry about the parts you can see, make sure a commercial kitchen hood cleaning company like Kitchen Cleaning Consultants gets into the unit to ensure that you’re not violating codes and putting your staff or customers at risk. Prevent Shutting Down & Losing BusinessThe more you service your kitchen hood and the more regularly you do it, the less chance you’ll need a commercial kitchen hood cleaning company to come in and do extensive work that requires your kitchen to close. You don’t want to lose business and money because you neglected on the kitchen hood cleaning. So don’t wait until it’s too late and your kitchen is a fire hazard, overrun with bacteria or in breach of state law. Get "Kitchen Cleaning Consultants" to come in with their full-licensed kitchen hood cleaners and give you a fair estimate on what it will take to get your kitchen hood spotless.More Info: www.kitchenexhaustcleaningconsulting.com

Hood-Cleaning-Service-Bid-Price-Cost

Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System Cleaning Pricing Guidelines

First, determine your hourly rate. This is based on direct labor cost (hourly wages for the crew), plus indirect labor costs if you offer benefits (called “labor burden”, it can be as much as 20 to 30 %), multiplied by the correct factor for your profit margin level (usually X 2 or X 2.5). Most hourly rates are somewhere between $50 per hour to $125 per hour, depending upon how many men comprise the crew. Based on your hourly rate, you should be able to get into the “ballpark” using the following guide.
For a “straight-up” job, average hood, one-story, fan on roof above, the time on the job should approximate the following: 5 ft. hood or less 2 hours 5 ft. to 8 ft. 2.5 hours 8 ft. to 12 ft. 3 hours 12 ft. to 16 ft. 3.5 hours 16 ft. to 20 ft. 4 hours 20 ft. to 24 ft. 4.5 hours Over 24 ft. 5 hours
Notes:

1. Hood lengths overlap to allow for higher pricing if the system is dirty.

1. Oriental Restaurants—double the price due to the type of oil that they use.

1. Additional exhaust fans—add $50 to $75 each

1. Cleaning filters—add $5 each.

1. Charge extra for first time or “forced” cleaning (citation from the Health Department)—it will be dirty.

1. Charge extra for long or complicated duct runs.

1. Charge extra if the job requires scraping out the system rather than washing.

1. Charge extra for access panels (if Required.) approximately: $150.00 each

1. Discount for day work, or volume (multiple locations)

Method 2:$10.00 to $20.00 per hood linear foot plus $40.00 to $60.00 per fan. Minimum charge: $100.00 to $250.00 Double the above prices for Oriental Restaurants. (Caution: Some restaurants personnel lose their ability to speak English when it gets time to collect the invoice!) Access panels: $55.00 to $75.00 each Give a discount for scheduling during the day as most work is done at night. Or a discount for scheduling during your off hours as most work is done from 10:00 pm until 4:00 am. Charge extra for the first time cleaning. Charge extra if they are being forced to clean (citation from the Health Department) as it is probably very bad. 
The concepts described in Method 1 of the pricing guidelines can apply to all markets because it uses the tried and true method of time and material plus your profit margin. Typically, charging $100.00 to $125.00 per hour will cover your costs plus a good profit margin. Method 2 is also accurate; however, Jenny does not use these pricing formulas. The real art in pricing strategies is to accurately control and access your corporations cost structure. 
Prices will always converge to what the market will support based on the quality/price trade off. However, costs are more company specific and can be manipulated and fine tuned to increase profit margins. This is where a company can gain a competitive advantage over the competition. Keep in mind the quality of work is assumed to be adequate.
BIDDING MULTI-STORY DUCTAnybody that lives in a major city is going to run in to multi-story grease ducts at one point or another. In order to give the customer a fair price for the job, you are going to need a formula that will cover all of your costs and insure that you make a profit, no matter how long the run is. You are also going to need to be able to keep the price competitive if you have several companies in your area that can do the same quality of work. The best formula that I have seen for this type of job is the per linear foot method, which can be modified for the width of the duct and type of grease being removed. Obviously a larger diameter of duct is going to require more chemical and more duct spinner runs than a smaller diameter duct. 
Wok and wood burning char broilers are going to require many more runs as well. In some occasions the reverse is actually true. The ducts are so big and so long that only a light layer of grease is formed on the duct, which will be very easy to take off. You can modify the formula if this is the case as well. It can be as simple as charging a standard amount per linear foot of duct and going up and down based on size of duct and type of grease, here are some guidelines: 
Standard sized duct (say 2’ x 2’) - $5 per linear foot System with wok cooking - add $2 per linear foot System with char broiler cooking - add $1 per linear foot Larger duct - add $1 per every extra 1 foot of width Here is an example using this formula: 10-story (100’ long) 3’ wide duct with wok cooking; Start with the standard $5 per linear foot and add $1 for the larger duct and $2 for the wok cooking.
You now have $8 per linear foot x 100’ = $800 for a 10 story 3’ wide duct with wok cooking. This can be modified for the pricing in your area by adding or subtracting from your standard duct price. You can also modify this very easily if you plan to give a discount for multiple ducts or multiple locations.
This formula is easy to use on an entire system as well. Let’s say you have an 8’ plenum, 10’ vertical duct with one fan. If it was a standard system and you were charging $5 per linear foot you would have 18’ of duct work x $5 = $90 + $75 for the fan = $165.
This is a pretty standard price to pressure wash a one-story location in but in your area you may be able to go up to $8 per linear foot which would turn the same job in to $220. You can also work the formula backwards and come up with a standard per foot price for your area. Lets say the industry standard for a one-system single story pressure wash in your city is $255.
If you start with the $255 and subtract the fan ($75) you are left with $180 for the rest of the system. $180/18’ = $10 per linear foot of duct work. You can expand this to include the hoods or add on for lateral ducts and your price will still stay within the industry standards for your city. Here is an example of a bid for a system with a lateral duct on a wood burning char broiler using $10 per foot: $10 per linear foot + $1 for the wood burning char broiler = $11 per linear foot. A 12’ plenum in to a 1’ vertical riser with 10’ of lateral duct and 10’ of vertical duct in to 1 fan would be a total of 33’ of duct work. 33 x $11 = $330 for the duct work.
Add $75 for the fan and the total for the job would be $405. You could charge the $11 per foot on the first service to clean the system up and go to $7 per foot on the regular service, which would bring the price down to about $300 on the regular service. The great thing about this formula is that it is very flexible for all types of systems and customers. It is also very easy to explain to the customer how his system is being priced, and you are given quite a bit of leeway if the customer wants to haggle.
Here is a form that you can use to try this formula out: Price per linear foot of duct $____ Additional price for wok cooking $____ Additional price for wood cooking $____ Additional price for larger ducts $____ Total price per linear foot $____ Length of hoods _____ft Length of plenums _____ft Length of lateral ducts _____ft Length of vertical ducts _____ft Total duct work _____ft Price per fan $_____ x Number of fans _____ Total price for fans $_____ Total price per linear foot $_____X Total duct work _____ ft = $_______(Total price for duct work) Total price for duct work $_____ + Total price for fans $______ = Total price for job $_______
The art of PricingPricing is more of an art than it is a science. Salesmanship plays a major role in the amount you can get for a particular job. Some Contract Cleaners can get 10% to 100% more for the same job than their competitors. Pricing becomes even more confusing because people are entering the business with consumer quality pressure washers without insurance, workmen's compensation, office, or overhead expenses because they are operating from their homes on a part time basis. They do not have normal business expenses. 
But the customer liability (risk) is greater because a lack of insurance and workmen's compensation. And often deliver poorer quality work because of a lack of training. This price guide should be used as a reference point. It is not a recipe that will guarantee that you will get every bid. It will have to be modified to fit the economic conditions of competition in your area. You will have to decide if you are going to bid on quality or price, or somewhere in between. 
The economic realities are that you cannot deliver a Cadillac for a Volkswagen Price. Companies that do cannot pay their bills on time or end up in bankruptcy. Every time you lose a bid ask the customer who they went with, what was the price, and why they did not buy from you. This will give you the information to start modifying this price guide to fit your market area. Often the customer will not give you this information but most people will give you some information. 
This is the start of your market survey so that you can adjust this price guide for you in your market area. If you are getting 100% of your bids you are too low. You need to be rejected about 15 to 20% of the time to assure that you are getting for most for your time and effort (what your market will bare). After a competitor has completed a job go by and see what kind of work he did and if possible the price he charged for it. Try to determine if your competitor has insurance, or workmen's compensation. 
You should include insurance and workmen's compensation certificates with your bids and explain the liability that people have if they choose a contractor that does not have this coverage. When a prospect calls you need to determine how he got your phone number. Was it from: a referral, telephone yellow pages, saw your truck working, newspaper advertising, recommendation from a present customer, etc. Yellow pages leads tend to be price shoppers and they call every one in the yellow pages. 
This needs to be taken into consideration when you bid. The best lead is a recommendation from a present customer. Track where business is coming from and direct future advertising based on this information. Keep track of all lost bids and their Kitchen Exhaust System Information Sheets. A new Chef will want to bring in his own vendors.
Now you will be able to bid the cleaning without another site visit but you will also know approximately what he was paying. This database can be an extremely valuable competitive edge! It is being done by almost all of the larger contractors.
Terms
Many small companies bite the cash flow bullet on bids for large corporations and the government. They do not have a clear understanding of how they are going to be paid. They are overwhelmed by the name of a Blue Chip Company and are embarrassed about discussing when they will be paid. The problem is that a lot of these customers regularly pay in 60, 90, and 120 days as a regular business practice and sometimes longer unless you ask for payment sooner. You need to start your collections before you start the job. 
Find out who is responsible for authorization of your invoice and who will actually process or write your check (it may be from another corporate office in another state). Ask when they normally pay their vendors. Be honest and tell them you are not a large contractor and cannot afford to wait 60 to 90 days for your payment. Find out what their procedures are. Sometime a 2% discount in 10 days will assure payment in a timely manner.
For large corporations and the government find out who the Accounts Payable Clerk or Manager is. This information should be collected before you start the job and not after the payments are 90 to 120 days late. If you expect payment when the job is finished this should be stated along with the price. Do not assume that you will automatically receive payment when the job is finished! On larger jobs that last over 30 days it is normal to receive draws against the total bid based on the percentage of the work completed.
Sometime you can get a deposit before you start the job. On medium size jobs 25% down, 50% upon completion, and 25% net 30 days is common. In the construction industry is normal for the General Contractor to hold back a 10% retainer from all subcontractors until the entire job is completed. That means that you may not get the final 10% job payment until several months after you have finished your portion of the project.
Travel
Most contractors do not charge extra for travel within a 30-minute to a 1-hour drive of their shop. However, they have a minimum charge of $65.00 to $250.00 to make small unprofitable jobs profitable. This covers of the fixed costs required in dispatching a crew and wash rig. Some contractors charge a small fee of $25.00 to $40.00 for the time it takes to get a wash crew ready for travel and include it in the bid price. Some travel rates are: A. 50% to 100% of your normal hourly rate. B. 50 cents to $1.00 per mile. C. 30 cents per mile plus $35.00 per hour. D. No charge on regular service jobs.
Water
Most Commercial Customers do not question the use of their water, but Residential Customer often complain about you using their water. This is often because they perceive 500 to 1,000 gallons of water being very expensive. You need to check the water rates for your area. In most areas of the U.S. water cost is about 50 cents to $3.00 per thousand gallons. 
As you can see this is a minor expense. However, if you have to haul water to the job site water can become a significant expense. Most contractors charge the regularly hourly rate to go get water and haul it to the job site. Some contractors doing residential work will add $45.00 for water if they do not use the customer's water. I would suggest that you explain to the customer the water is a job cost and the less you have to pay for water the cheaper you can do the job. If he increases the cost of water than the price will have to go up.
Minimum Charge 
Most companies will have a minimum charge to cover the cost of showing up at a job location. It is not profitable to spend 30 minutes driving to $25.00 job.Method 1: $50.00 to $250.00
Method 2: $75.00 to $150.00 for the first hour then your regular hourly rate.
Method 3: Minimum of charge of one or two hours at your regular hourly rate.
Insurance
In today’s turbulent insurance market it is often necessary to obtain several insurance bids. Most states do not have an insurance code for Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning. Therefore the insurance companies that do insure Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning have to estimate their risk without the benefit of market risk history. (i.e., they have to guess at it). Because of this market climate it is often necessary to request 3 to 10 insurance bids. Tell the insurance agents exactly what you will be doing when requesting bids and compare quotes closely.
Bidding
Hourly Rate: Commercial Contractors with Insurance and Workmen's Compensation: $50.00/hr to $125.00/hr, Average-$65.00 to $75.00/hr- non-environmental $65.00/hr to $150.00/hr, average $75.00 to $85.00/hr- environmental Part Timers without Insurance and Workmen's Compensation: $35.00/hr to $65.00/hr, Average-$45.00 to $55.00/hr- non-environmental $45.00/hr to $95.00/hr, average $50.00 to $70.00/hr- environmental You should never be making less than $50.00/hr for a one man rig. $50.00 per hour is about break even for a one man rig and you are losing money if it is a two man rig. 
Some contractors will reduce the above hourly rates $5.00 to $10.00 per hour if heat is not required and for cold water washers. Most Contract Cleaners will charge less when starting out until they gain experience. Once experience is acquired and reputation is established pricing goes up. Normally after you have been in business for over a year there will be jobs that you no longer consider profitable and will not except. But when you first started out you would have dearly loved to have had the job. 
When you are bidding a work you are not familiar with you can always fall back on bidding by the hour with a "not to exceed" amount. Also you will find that when bidding by the hour the customer is not nearly as picky as when you are doing the job at a fixed price. Sometimes it is difficult to decided whether to bid by the job or by the hour. Normally if you bid by the hour then your customer is taking the risk on how long the job will take. If you bid by the job then you are taking the risk for how long the job will take. 
Therefore, most contract cleaners will expect a higher hourly rate for bid jobs than for jobs by the hour to cover their risk for jobs they miss bid. In a perfect world there would not be a price difference between bid jobs and an hourly jobs.Note: Kitchen Grease Exhaust Cleaning in normally bid by the job. When estimating jobs it is best to figure the price several different ways.
For example if you were bidding a parking lot figure the price based on a cost per square foot. Then figure the price based on a time estimate times your hourly rate. Again in perfect world these two figures would the same. If there is a large price difference then you had better study the situation some more. If you are bidding by the job you should be aware of what hourly rate you are earning and adjust future pricing (bids) accordingly.
Also during a job if your earnings are too low you should start adjusting your work accordingly and start looking for ways to speed the job up. This sounds too simple but come contractors will ask the customer what they are willing to pay for a job. And if the price is one you can live with you have the job! Be aware of the "perceived value" of Power Washing. Normally it is between $50.00 to $150.00 per hour.
.
Should you give notices of price increases?
If you are doing regular work on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis should you give notice of price increases? With a room full Kitchen Exhaust Contract Cleaners there is no agreement on this item. It is done both ways. Some will give notice and some will not. If you give notice it will draw the attention of your customers and may cause all of your work to be reviewed! On the other hand if you do not give notice the following will happen. A. The Customer will not notice. B. The Customer will notice but will not complain. C. The Customer will notice and call. You have three options:

1. Tell them it was a clerical error.

1. Exclaim: You only got the price increase now!!!!!

1. Explain how your cost has gone up and a price increase was necessary.

1. Fire some customers if they are too hard to deal with.

1. More Info: www.kitchenexhaustcleaningconsulting.com 

Hood-Cleaning-Business

Hood-Cleaning-Business

At any given moment, a commercial kitchen is subject to inspection. Commercial kitchen owners know that their business success lies in their ability to meet and maintain state and federal health and safety standards.Kitchen exhaust hoods are not only ripe for collecting grease and other contaminates, they can be a challenge to clean. 

Owners may contract out their regular hood cleaning to certified cleaners. If you are a hard worker, enjoy meeting people and understand the importance of planning, why not start your own hood cleaning business?

Instructions

1. • 1

     As an hood cleaning business, you'll be responsible for cleaning hoods, ducts, exhausts, fans and vents, as well as removing the waste and cleaning up the site afterwards. Excess grease can put a kitchen crew at risk of a grease fire. As a certified cleaner, you will need to adhere to current NFPA 96 standards, as laid out by the National Fire Protection Association, to prevent such occurrences.

     • 2

     Visit your county clerk to get your business license. If you don't intend to hire employees, you may choose to operate as a sole proprietor, which requires no further steps. However, if you intend to have employees, you will need to incorporate or form a limited liability company. Doing so will afford you a degree of personal liability protection that you won't have as a sole proprietor. Consider consulting with an attorney to help you decide which route to go. Regardless of your business entity, you will need to purchase business liability insurance and bonding coverage. Contact your bank to get connected to a provider or find a provider online. Expect to need at least $300,000 in liability insurance coverage. Your representative can help you find a plan that is right for your business.
     

     • 3

     Invest in a hot water power washer and nozzle system that will allow you to use both high and low pressure as necessary. Find nozzles that will allow you to adjust the pressure and the spray pattern. To avoid over-spray, look for pressure washers with a psi (pounds per square inch) of 3,500 or less. Additionally look for a GPM (gallons per minute) of at least 4. The GPM will determine how quickly you can complete the job. Keep in mind that your washer must stand the test of time. A more expensive washer that outlasts a cheaper model may be more financially advantageous in the long run. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines on proper handling for maintaining your equipment.

     • 4

     Purchase a truck, trailer, coveralls, safety gear, buckets, gauges, a grease containment system, hinge kits, pumps, sprayers, guns, toolkit, vacuum system, mop, cloths, cleaning products, de-greaser, first aid kit, wands, hood stickers and steel toed boots.

     • 5

     Procure a list of restaurants in the local area, to include commercial kitchens on military bases and at schools. Contact each restaurant owner and inquire about their current hood cleaner, how often they get their ducts cleaned and how satisfied they are with the service. Describe your services, how you are certified and insured and explain why they should switch to you.

     • 6

     Design quality control surveys and follow up notices to be given to your customers.
     More Info: Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Consulting!

Kitchen-Exhaust-Cleaning-Information-Resources

The kitchen exhaust cleaning (KEC) industry – like most pressure washing specialties – seems to be separated into two primary types of contractors – those who make a dedicated effort to be professional, keeping up to date on training, technology and certifications, and those who are out to make a quick buck. What makes this industry unique, however, is that it can be a life and death difference.
“Kitchen exhaust cleaning is directly tied to fire, health and safety. Commercial kitchens are not properly maintained and serviced on a regular basis, the chance of fire in the grease duct system is greatly increased. A fire in the kitchen exhaust system can devastate a business through the loss of business, property and life.”
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, approximately 5,900 restaurant building fires occur in the U.S. annually, resulting in an average of 75 injuries and $172 million in property losses.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that most restaurant fires begin on kitchen cooking appliances then flare into the exhaust system. Keeping the system clean and free from combustible cooking byproducts such as oils, grease and fats, can significantly reduce the risk of fire.
The kitchen exhaust cleaning industry is virtually invisible, except when the services are either not performed properly or not performed at all.
So before moving forward into the KEC market, it’s important to understand that this industry has some unique challenges.
1. It’s Highly Competitive: “Everyone knows someone in the KEC field that is cheaper. Everyone in the field thinks that they are the only ones who can do a good job. And many customers think the lowest price entitles them to the highest quality work.
The need for KEC seems obvious – and it’s required by restaurant insurance companies – but unfortunately many restaurant owners do not understand the difference between those cleaning companies that truly understand the gravity of what they are dealing with, and those who are simply out to make a quick buck (at low-ball prices).
“It is a challenge to ask several times the price that a restaurant is already paying, but in most cases, this is what is needed to perform the work to standards in order to eliminate hazards.
2. There’s Increased Liability: “Although it is power washing, it is also very technical, with a high exposure and liability if you do things
Every system you touch and inspect – even if you never get the contract to clean it – becomes your responsibility if there is ever a fire in that facility. If you look at it or touch it, you need to know what you are looking and be extremely competent in your report. It is a matter of life safety.”
It’s Hard, Late-Night Work: “It’s not as easy as everyone starts off thinking it is. The long and late working hours. The going home dirty and smelling like burnt food. Dealing with night managers that are more interested in getting you out of their kitchen so they can go home, and the day managers calling you in the morning wanting to know why you only spent three hours on their job last night.”
Finding employees can be challenging as well, according to Tessaro, who pointed out that “not everyone is suited for graveyard shift work.” And finding at least one employee is technically a must for safety purposes, since ladder work is involved.
It’s Constantly Changing: Regulations for the KEC industry are continuously evolving, and cleaning companies must stay on top of these to stay legal. “Regulations and protocols change. What was acceptable as a procedure yesterday may not be acceptable – or even legal – today.”
Exhaust system technology is changing as well. “Right now, KEC is at a turning point where new technology is being brought into the field. They are turning kitchen exhaust systems into more technologically advanced operations that are not only helping with fire safety, but are also more environmentally friendly with
One of the biggest challenges KEC contractors face is learning how to clean exhaust systems, and how different types of cooking and grease impact the cleaning processes.
“For example, the difference between removing vegetable oil and soybean oil are humongous. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Also, the kind of cooking the restaurant does impacts the cleaning. If it’s a very high-heat, flash point cooking operation (e.g., Oriental), then the grease is very hard to remove, as opposed to a burger shop that’s just doing a hamburger on the flat grill.”
Despite the challenges, however, KEC is still an appealing market to many, particularly because the restaurants’ insurance companies require cleaning, which means repeat customers.
There is good money to be made when done correctly. “Although it has become more competitive, there’s still definitely a huge potential market may eventually spread nationwide.
Although certification does mean more government regulation, the experts interviewed all agree that the positives of certification outweigh the negatives as long as the industry can self regulate.