The HoodOps Journal

Real Talk About Running a Hood Cleaning Business

No gatekeeping. No fluff. Practical knowledge from operators who've been on the roof.

How to Start a Hood Cleaning Business

Kitchen exhaust cleaning has a low barrier to entry and a high barrier to staying. The credential, the gear, the insurance, the cadence, and where the first ten accounts come from.

September 29, 2026Read more →

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NFPA 965 min read

Grease Depth Is the Record

Every hood cleaning company runs the same four steps. What makes a record defensible is the grease depth logged before and after — the number that makes the record real.

September 24, 2026Read more →

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Industry3 min read

ServiceTitan vs ServiceTrade vs Jobber vs Housecall Pro for Hood Cleaning — What None of Them Do

Every one of these platforms schedules and invoices. None of them produces the NFPA 96 record. Six questions to ask in any demo.

September 24, 2026Read more →

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Industry12 min read

Best Hood Cleaning Software in 2026 — An Honest Comparison

The KEC software market has more options than ever. We compare ServiceTrade, QuoteIQ, Smart Service, HoodClean Pro, Jobber, Housecall Pro, and HoodOps — with honest assessments of each, including our own.

June 5, 2026Read more →

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Pricing7 min read

How to Price a Hood Cleaning Job Without Leaving Money on the Table

Most hood cleaning companies underprice because they use flat rates instead of time-based pricing. Here is a framework built on door-to-door billing, cooking type multipliers, and NFPA 96 frequency scheduling that any KEC company can apply.

April 2, 2026Read more →

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NFPA 965 min read

NFPA 96 Table 12.4 — The Frequency Guide Every Hood Cleaner Should Know by Heart

NFPA 96 Table 12.4 defines four cleaning frequencies for kitchen exhaust systems. Understanding what determines each one is foundational to running a compliant hood cleaning operation.

March 28, 2026Read more →

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Industry6 min read

Why We Built HoodOps — And Why the Industry Needs Purpose-Built Software

After 25 years in enterprise IT and building a hood cleaning company from scratch, Arthur Haggerty could not find software that understood the trade. So he built it.

March 20, 2026Read more →

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Operations5 min read

The Hidden Cost of Paper-Based Compliance Records

When a fire investigator asks for your service records and they are in a filing cabinet, the clock starts ticking on a liability problem most hood cleaning companies never see coming.

March 14, 2026Read more →

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Growth8 min read

How to Grow Your Hood Cleaning Business from 1 Truck to 5

Every KEC company hits the same scaling inflection points. When to hire, when to add trucks, when to stop doing every job yourself, and how to use technology as leverage instead of overhead.

March 7, 2026Read more →

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NFPA 966 min read

What Fire Marshals Actually Look for During an Inspection

The fire marshal inspection is not a mystery. Understanding their checklist helps KEC companies set their clients up for success and build stronger relationships with local fire authorities.

February 28, 2026Read more →

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Industry5 min read

The Case for Sharing Knowledge in Hood Cleaning

The hood cleaning industry is secretive and territorial. But companies that share knowledge raise the bar for everyone, and a rising tide of professionalism lifts every boat.

February 20, 2026Read more →

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Operations5 min read

EvidLY + HoodOps: How Your Cleaning Data Becomes Your Competitive Advantage

Every job completed in HoodOps feeds into your client's EvidLY compliance timeline. This flywheel turns your work into verified compliance intelligence — making you irreplaceable.

February 14, 2026Read more →

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