Taking over a space with a used hood
Before you sign a lease on a space with an existing hood, we can look at the system and say what it will take to make it work for your equipment.
Serving St. Charles & nearby Geneva, West Chicago
Commercial Kitchen Hood Installation in St. Charles, IL
Type I and Type II exhaust hoods, grease duct, exhaust fans and makeup air installed for restaurants and food-service kitchens in St. Charles.
- Commercial kitchens across St. Charles ZIP 60174, 60175
- Nights, early mornings and closed days
- Coordination with the fire and health inspectors
Hood and ventilation problems we solve for St. Charles kitchens
A commercial hood is a system, not a box on the wall: the canopy, the welded grease duct, the roof fan, makeup air and a fire suppression system all have to work and pass inspection together. We install that system for restaurants, cafes, bakeries and institutional kitchens in St. Charles, built to NFPA 96 and the village's mechanical code.
School, church or daycare kitchen upgrade
Community kitchens change use over the years. We review the equipment, the existing hood and the code requirements and recommend the right system.
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.
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.
New restaurant needs a hood before opening
A new food establishment can't get its occupancy or health approval without a working, inspected hood over grease-producing equipment. We plan the system around your equipment list and get it permitted.
Adding a fryer or charbroiler under the wrong hood
Sliding a fryer or broiler into a spot meant for an oven often puts it outside hood coverage or past what the fan can pull. We check the length, the airflow and the suppression coverage first.
Converting a non-food space into a kitchen
Turning retail or office space into a restaurant means a new roof penetration, a full duct run and makeup air from scratch. We design the system to fit the building.
Smoke rolls out past the hood
Smoke spilling into the kitchen means capture has failed. Common causes are too little overhang, a tired fan belt or a building starved for replacement air.
What we handle on site
- Site survey and equipment reviewA walk of the kitchen and roof with your equipment schedule in hand, to see what the system has to cover.
- Roof penetration and curbRoof opening framed, curb set and flashed to carry the exhaust fan.
- Hood hangingThe canopy is hung level from the structure with the overhang the equipment needs.
- Grease duct installationWelded, liquid-tight grease duct with cleanout access, sloped toward the hood and kept clear of combustibles.
- Fire suppression coordinationWe coordinate with your licensed fire suppression contractor on nozzles, piping and gas shutoff interlocks.
- 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.
Systems and components
Baffle filtersRemovable baffle filters that slide out for washing; mesh filters are not accepted on grease hoods.
Makeup air unitUntempered or heated makeup air, depending on volume, climate and how the space is used.
Duct wrap and rated enclosuresFire protection for duct runs that can't keep open clearance to building materials.
Type II hoodA heat and condensate hood for dish machines, steamers and ovens that don't produce grease.
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.
Commercial Kitchen Hood Installation before and after — St. Charles homes
Before
Installed
DetailA St. Charles cafe kitchen: before and after
The site: a cafe kitchen in St. Charles. What bothered the owners most: an exhaust system that had been written up at inspection. The result: a new stainless type I exhaust hood with fire suppression nozzles over the cook line. Work included roof penetration and curb, hood hanging, plus start-up and airflow check.
Before
AfterCommercial Kitchen Hood Installation in a restaurant kitchen, Batavia
This one is a restaurant kitchen in Batavia. The reason for the call: an exhaust system that had been written up at inspection. Finished kitchen: a new stainless type I exhaust hood with fire suppression nozzles over the cook line. The job covered site survey and equipment review, grease duct installation, plus start-up and airflow check.
Commercial Kitchen Hood Installation in Batavia →
Before
AfterA St. Charles commercial kitchen: before and after
The same hood degreased to bare stainless with an inspection sticker area.
Commercial Hood Cleaning in St. Charles →
Before
AfterA St. Charles bakery kitchen: before and after
What changed: the same interceptor pumped and the lid closed, service hose coiled on the truck.
Grease Trap Installation & Cleaning in St. Charles →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1980s two-story in St. Charles
Cabinets in deep olive with unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls, charcoal concrete-look quartz counters, a white 3x12 tile in a stacked pattern backsplash, gray wood-look porcelain plank flooring and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights.
Kitchen Remodeling in St. Charles →From survey to sign-off
- 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 permitsYou get a written, itemized proposal, then we prepare the drawings and file for permits.
- 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 St. Charles businesses
Do you work on school, church and daycare kitchens?
We do. Whether it's a cafeteria line or a church kitchen used for events, we plan the right hood type and get it permitted.
Who approves a new restaurant hood in St. Charles?
The village building department issues the mechanical permit and inspects the work, the fire department reviews and tests suppression, and the health department reviews new food establishments.
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.
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.
How long does a hood installation take?
It depends on the size and the route. The paperwork and hood lead time usually set the schedule more than the install does.
Who inspects kitchen hoods and fire safety in St. Charles?
Fire Prevention Bureau, (630) 377-4457, [email protected]. We schedule the inspection and have the paperwork ready.
What is the St. Charles building department phone number?
Permits go through Building Division, Community Development, 2 E. Main St., phone (630) 377-4406. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
St. Charles contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
No registration fee; contractor requirements (general contractor certificate of insurance, with City as certificate holder) must be submitted before a permit is issued. We take care of that before work starts.
Do you work in my part of St. Charles?
Yes. Our crews work across St. Charles — ZIP 60174, 60175 — and nearby Geneva, West Chicago, Batavia.
Working in St. Charles
- We plan St. Charles jobs around your service hours, including early mornings, nights and closed days.
- Permits, plan review and inspections go through Building Division, Community Development, 2 E. Main St. and the fire department when the job needs them.
- We handle the paperwork landlords and property managers ask for: insurance, access times and scope sign-off.
ZIP 60174ZIP 60175
Commercial Kitchen Hood Installation nearby
Other kitchen services in St. Charles
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.