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BIZBITE

Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning

NFPA-driven recurring cleans for restaurants that cannot risk a fire

Bottom line

Worth studying, but do not buy without strong local proof.

Commercial kitchen hood cleaning companies degrease exhaust hoods, ducts, fans, and rooftop equipment for restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, and ghost kitchens. The niche is compliance-driven: customers need documented cleanings to satisfy fire code, insurance, and landlord requirements.

Acquisition score
Margin · multiple · SBA data
57Strong
Avg revenue
$550K/yr
$150K–$2.2M range
Profit margin
22%
~$121K SDE
Multiple
2–4.5×
of SDE
Est. buy price
$242K–$545K
startup: $18K–$140K

How It Works

Crews clean kitchen exhaust systems after hours, remove grease from hoods and ducts, service rooftop fans, document before-and-after photos, apply compliance stickers, and schedule the next monthly, quarterly, or semiannual cleaning based on cooking volume.

BizBite verdict

Watch / verify

Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning has enough high-level data for a first look, but BizBite has not assigned a category-specific operating model yet. Treat the score as preliminary.

57Strong
low data confidence · 40/100medium financing fit

Why it may work

  • No strong positives yet. More verified data needed.

Be careful

  • !Source link status has not been verified yet
  • !No last-checked date yet
  • !No SBA category enrichment yet
  • !No category operating model yet
  • !Low data confidence

Deal Calculator

Priced off $121K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?

2.27×
DSCR · Lender-comfortable
Purchase multiple — 3.0× SDE ($365K)
Category range: 2×–4.5× SDE
Down payment — 10% ($37K)
SBA minimum equity injection is 10% for change-of-ownership
Interest rate — 10.50%
Typical SBA 7(a) range: 9.5–12% (prime-based)
Loan term — 10 years
Standard SBA 7(a): 10 years for business acquisition
Purchase price
$365K
3.0× of $121K SDE
Cash to close
$47K
$37K down + ~3% closing
Debt service
$4K/mo
$53K/yr on $329K loan
Cash-on-cash
143%
cash back in ~9 mo
Debt service coverage · what the lender sees
2.27×+$6K/mo after debt
Most SBA lenders want ≥1.25× coverage; 1.5×+ is a strong file.

SDE = revenue × margin estimate for this niche; it includes owner compensation, so budget your salary out of cash flow. Excludes working-capital injection, capex reserves, and taxes. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower.

Pros

  • +Recurring compliance demand from food-service accounts
  • +After-hours work reduces customer disruption
  • +Documentation and fire-risk reduction create sticky accounts
  • +Can cross-sell filters, fan belts, access panels, and small repairs

Cons

  • -Night work is hard on staffing
  • -Grease-heavy jobs are messy and safety-sensitive
  • -Pricing pressure can appear in dense restaurant markets

Best For

Operators comfortable with route density, B2B compliance selling, and managing overnight field crews

Operating Costs

Costs include vans, pressure washers, degreasers, containment, PPE, insurance, disposal, labor, and rooftop safety gear. Margin depends on route density, crew utilization, and converting one-off cleans into recurring service schedules.

Where to Buy

Startup Financial Projection – Hood Cleaning KPIs

Industry KPI guide citing 15–25% healthy margin ranges for commercial kitchen hood cleaning

Financial Modelslab – Hood Cleaning KPIs

Guide emphasizing recurring quarterly subscriptions as the stability lever for hood cleaning operators

BizBuySell – Cleaning Businesses

Marketplace for comparable specialty cleaning and janitorial service acquisitions

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via Startup Financial Projection – Hood Cleaning KPIs
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