School, church or daycare kitchen upgrade
Institutional kitchens often run old hoods that were fine for warming food but not for frying or griddle work. We match the hood to how the kitchen is used today.
Serving Highland Park & nearby Northbrook, Glenview
Commercial Kitchen Hood Installation in Highland Park, IL
Type I and Type II exhaust hoods, grease duct, exhaust fans and makeup air installed for restaurants and food-service kitchens in Highland Park.
- Serving restaurants and kitchens in Highland Park ZIP 60035
- Work scheduled around service hours
- Paperwork ready for inspectors
Hood and ventilation problems we solve for Highland Park kitchens
Opening a new restaurant, swapping a cook line or failing an inspection on an old hood all land on the same question: what ventilation does this kitchen need? Our crews size, permit and install Type I and Type II hoods in Highland Park, with duct, fan and makeup air sized to the equipment underneath.
Landlord or property manager requirements
Property managers often need roof work, curb details and contractor insurance in hand before a hood goes in. We prepare that paperwork alongside the permit set.
Grease dripping from the hood or fan
Grease running down the hood seams or out of the roof fan points to failed filters, leaking duct joints or a fan without proper grease containment. We find the source and seal it.
Grease odor reaching neighbors
Cooking odor drifting into neighboring units or a patio usually means the discharge is too low or too close to air intakes. We review the fan location and termination.
Doors whistle and the kitchen is under heavy negative pressure
Strong negative pressure drags cold air through every gap, can backdraft gas appliances and weakens hood capture. We add or rebalance makeup air to match the exhaust.
Smoke rolls out past the hood
When smoke and heat escape the canopy, the hood is undersized, the fan is weak or there isn't enough makeup air. We measure the system and fix the part that's short.
Dish area full of steam and heat
If the dish room fogs up and the ceiling tiles are stained, the space needs dedicated exhaust. We size and install a Type II hood for it.
Taking over a space with a used hood
A second-generation restaurant space often comes with a hood of unknown history. We inspect it, check the duct and fan, and tell you whether it can be reused for your menu.
Scope of work
- System design and sizingHood length and type, exhaust volume, duct size and makeup air are sized to the equipment and cooking load.
- Roof penetration and curbA cut through the roof, a fan curb and flashing done so the roof stays watertight.
- Hood hangingWe set the hood on threaded rod or brackets anchored to the structure, square to the cook line.
- Grease duct installationWelded, liquid-tight grease duct with cleanout access, sloped toward the hood and kept clear of combustibles.
- Exhaust fan installationAn upblast exhaust fan on a hinged base with grease containment, wired to the hood controls.
- Start-up and airflow checkWe run the system with the line hot and confirm capture, pressure and controls.
- Inspections and closeoutFinal inspections attended, corrections made and the permit closed.
What goes into the system
Wall canopy and island hoodsWall hoods sit against a back wall over a cook line; island hoods hang over a free-standing line and need more overhang.
Stainless and galvanized constructionStainless for durability and cleaning in the kitchen, with gauges and seams meeting the listing.
Duct wrap and rated enclosuresListed grease duct wrap or a fire-rated shaft where the duct passes through floors, ceilings or near combustibles.
Type I hoodRequired over cooking that makes grease-laden vapor; it connects to a welded grease duct.
Baffle filtersRemovable baffle filters that slide out for washing; mesh filters are not accepted on grease hoods.
Before and after: kitchens near Highland Park
Before
Installed
DetailHighland Park kitchen, commercial kitchen: commercial kitchen hood installation
This one is a commercial kitchen near Ravinia District. The reason for the call: a hood that let smoke roll into the kitchen. The result: a new stainless type I exhaust hood with fire suppression nozzles over the cook line. Work included hood hanging, grease duct installation, plus inspections and closeout.
Before
AfterNorthbrook kitchen, commercial kitchen: commercial kitchen hood installation
A commercial kitchen in Northbrook, a typical kitchen for Northbrook. The reason for the call: a hood that let smoke roll into the kitchen. The result: a new stainless type I exhaust hood with fire suppression nozzles over the cook line. The job covered exhaust fan installation, start-up and airflow check, plus inspections and closeout.
Commercial Kitchen Hood Installation in Northbrook →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a restaurant kitchen in Highland Park
The same hood degreased to bare stainless with an inspection sticker area.
Commercial Hood Cleaning in Highland Park →
Before
AfterGrease Trap Installation & Cleaning in a cafe kitchen, Highland Park
Finished: the same interceptor pumped and the lid closed, service hose coiled on the truck.
Grease Trap Installation & Cleaning in Highland Park →
Before
AfterHighland Park kitchen, postwar Cape Cod: kitchen remodeling
Cabinets in white uppers and dusty blue lowers with matte black pulls, bright white quartz counters, a terracotta-look square tile backsplash, black-and-white checkerboard tile flooring and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips.
Kitchen Remodeling in Highland Park →How the project goes
- Call with your equipment listSend the equipment schedule, floor plan or a few photos of the line and the roof.
- Site surveyA visit to measure the line and see how exhaust and makeup air can run.
- Written proposal and permitsAn itemized scope in writing, followed by the permit set for the village and fire department.
- InstallationHood, duct, fan and makeup air go in, often scheduled around your build-out or off-hours.
- Testing and inspectionStart-up, airflow check, final inspections and the permit closed.
Commercial Kitchen Hood Installation questions from Highland Park businesses
What is the difference between a Type I and Type II hood?
A Type I hood handles grease and smoke from fryers, griddles, ranges and broilers; it has grease filters, welded duct and fire suppression. A Type II hood handles heat and steam from dish machines and some ovens.
Why do I need makeup air?
Every cubic foot the hood pulls out has to come back in. Without makeup air the kitchen goes negative, doors fight you, hoods lose capture and gas appliances can backdraft.
Can you reuse the hood that came with my space?
Sometimes. We check its type, size, condition, duct and suppression against your equipment and tell you whether it can stay.
Do I need a permit to install a restaurant hood?
Always. We prepare the drawings, file the mechanical permit and handle plan review comments from the building and fire officials.
What code does a commercial hood have to meet?
NFPA 96 is the standard for commercial cooking ventilation, adopted alongside the mechanical code your village enforces. It covers hoods, grease duct, clearances, fans and suppression.
Do I need a Highland Park-registered contractor for hood installation?
The City publishes contractor requirements on its Building Division page (new building codes effective March 1, 2026). We take care of that before work starts.
Do you work in my part of Highland Park?
Yes. Our crews work across Highland Park, including Ravinia District, Downtown Highland Park, Port Clinton, St. John's — ZIP 60035 — and nearby Northbrook, Glenview, Buffalo Grove.
Working in Highland Park
- Downtime costs you covers, so Highland Park work is booked around your slow days and closing times.
- When a permit is required, we prepare the submittal for the Highland Park building department and meet the fire inspector on site.
- Insurance certificates, site access and landlord requirements are sorted out before work starts.
Ravinia DistrictDowntown Highland ParkPort ClintonSt. John's
ZIP 60035
Commercial Kitchen Hood Installation nearby
Other kitchen services in Highland Park
Commercial Hood CleaningHood, duct and roof fan degreased to bare metal, after hours.
Grease Trap Installation & CleaningTraps and interceptors installed, cleaned and logged for inspectors.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.
Cabinet RefacingNew doors and fronts on your existing cabinet boxes.