<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1200 340" role="img" aria-label="What Does a Commercial Kitchen Hood and Grease Trap Really Cost in a Buildout? — PULSE Buildouts"><rect width="1200" height="340" fill="#EBE9DE"/><rect width="14" height="340" fill="#C0531F"/><text x="58" y="116" font-family="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" font-size="32" font-weight="800" letter-spacing="3" fill="#C0531F">PULSE BUILDOUTS · COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE</text><text x="56" y="198" font-family="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" font-size="60" font-weight="800" fill="#2b2b2b">Save money.

Don&#8217;t get screwed.</text><text x="58" y="258" font-family="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" font-size="30" font-weight="600" fill="#6b5b4d">Leases, TI, NNN &amp; buildouts — negotiated in your favor</text><g transform="translate(1010,86)" fill="none" stroke="#C0531F" stroke-width="9" stroke-linejoin="round"><rect x="20" y="40" width="150" height="130"/><line x1="20" y1="40" x2="95" y2="6"/><line x1="170" y1="40" x2="95" y2="6"/><rect x="50" y="80" width="36" height="36"/><rect x="104" y="80" width="36" height="36"/><rect x="74" y="128" width="42" height="42"/></g></svg>

What Does a Commercial Kitchen Hood and Grease Trap Really Cost in a Buildout?

Direct Answer

A complete Type I hood system — the grease-rated exhaust hood every fryer, griddle, and char-broiler legally requires — runs $20,000–$50,000 installed for a typical restaurant, and that's *before* the grease trap. Add the Ansul (wet-chemical) fire suppression system at $4,000–$10,000, make-up air (MAU) units at $8,000–$25,000 to replace the air the hood exhausts, and rooftop exhaust fans and ductwork at $6,000–$20,000, and a full Type I package lands at $35,000–$80,000+. The grease trap is a separate, sneaky cost: a small under-sink hydromechanical interceptor runs $500–$3,000, but most jurisdictions now require an exterior in-ground gravity grease interceptor (GGI) sized at 1,000–2,000+ gallons, which costs $10,000–$40,000+ installed because it means excavation, plumbing, and sometimes tearing up a parking lot.

The number that wrecks budgets is make-up air — people forget that exhausting 3,000–8,000 CFM out the roof requires pulling that much *tempered* air back in, and a heated/cooled MAU unit plus its gas and electrical hookups can add $15,000–$30,000 by itself. The money move that saves the most: if your menu doesn't produce grease-laden vapor, design around a Type II hood instead — Type II (for steam, heat, and moisture only, like ovens and dishwashers) costs a fraction, often $5,000–$15,000, with no Ansul and far simpler ducting.

And make the landlord deliver the grease interceptor and the roof penetration/structural support as base-building work — these are permanent building infrastructure, not your decor.

Type I vs Type II — The Decision That Sets The Budget

This single classification drives tens of thousands of dollars. Get it right at menu design, not at permitting.

• Type I hood — required over equipment producing grease-laden vapors: fryers, griddles, char-broilers, ranges, woks, salamanders. Requires welded grease-tight ductwork, Ansul suppression, make-up air, and regular NFPA 96 cleaning. Cost: $20,000–$50,000 for the hood, $35,000–$80,000+ all-in with MAU, fans, ducts, and Ansul.
• Type II hood — for heat and moisture only: ovens, steamers, dishwashers, no grease. No Ansul, no grease duct, simpler MAU. Cost: $5,000–$15,000 installed.

The trap operators fall into: putting a single fryer on the menu and triggering the entire Type I package. If you can run a fryer-free or convection-oven menu, you may legally qualify for Type II and save $30,000–$60,000. Have your kitchen designer and the local mechanical code official confirm the classification before you order equipment.

Full Cost Breakdown

The full Type I plus interceptor itemized:

• Type I hood (canopy, baffle filters): $20,000–$50,000
• Ansul wet-chemical suppression: $4,000–$10,000 (plus annual inspection ~$300–$600)
• Make-up air unit (tempered): $8,000–$25,000
• Rooftop exhaust fan(s) + welded grease duct: $6,000–$20,000
• Roof curb, penetration, structural support, fire-rated chase: $5,000–$20,000
• Gas and electrical connections, controls, interlocks: $4,000–$12,000
• Grease interceptor: $500–$3,000 (under-sink) or $10,000–$40,000+ (exterior in-ground)
• Permits, mechanical engineering, balancing report: $5,000–$15,000

All-in Type I + exterior interceptor: roughly $60,000–$150,000+. This is why a commercial kitchen is the most expensive square footage in any buildout.

Why The Grease Trap Is A Hidden Trap

The interceptor itself is rarely the worst part — it's where it has to go. Most municipalities require an exterior in-ground gravity grease interceptor sized by fixture count and flow (commonly 1,000–2,000 gallons, sometimes larger). Installing it means:

• Excavation and concrete in the parking lot or sidewalk: a chunk of the $10,000–$40,000.
• Re-trenching the kitchen waste line to route grease-bearing drains through the interceptor (and *only* those — sanitary/restroom waste must bypass it).
• Possible utility/easement conflicts if the building's sewer lateral runs somewhere inconvenient.
• Ongoing pump-outs at $150–$500 per service, every 1–3 months.

If the building has never housed a restaurant, assume there's no interceptor and budget for the full exterior install — and make it a landlord-delivered condition.

Make The Landlord Pay (And Don't Get Screwed)

The grease interceptor and exhaust infrastructure are permanent building improvements that outlive your lease — frame them that way.

Push the grease interceptor and roof work to base building. An in-ground interceptor stays with the building forever; the roof curb, structural support, and exhaust penetration are part of the structure. A landlord marketing a space as restaurant-ready should deliver these.

If they won't fund them outright, amortize the cost into rent at 6–9% instead of paying cash up front.

Demand a clear delivery condition in writing. Get the lease to specify exactly what the landlord delivers: interceptor (and size), gas service (and BTU capacity), electrical service, HVAC stub, roof structural capacity for the curb, and grease waste line. Vague "vanilla shell" language lets a landlord hand you a space that needs $80,000 of infrastructure you assumed was included.

Get a real F&B TI allowance. Restaurant TI allowances commonly run $50–$100+ per square foot — sometimes far higher for a desirable tenant. Have the landlord fund and amortize anything above the allowance.

Confirm roof and gas capacity before signing. A roof that can't structurally carry the exhaust fans and MAU, or a gas service too small for your equipment BTUs, becomes a $20,000–$60,000 surprise. Make adequacy a landlord representation in the lease.

Cap CAM and exclude capital costs. Negotiate a 3–5% cap on controllable CAM, exclude roof/structure/parking replacement, and reserve an audit right — kitchens get hit hard on operating-expense pass-throughs.

Strike or cap the restoration clause. At lease end, restoration could force you to remove the hood, cap the gas, demo the duct, and abandon the interceptor — $15,000–$50,000+. Negotiate that you may leave the infrastructure (it benefits the next tenant) and cap any restoration obligation.

Free rent through the long buildout. A full kitchen takes 4–8 months with health/fire/mechanical permitting. Negotiate 4–8 months of abated rent covering it.

FAQ

How much does a commercial kitchen hood cost installed? A Type I hood runs $20,000–$50,000 for the canopy alone, and $35,000–$80,000+ all-in once you add Ansul suppression, make-up air, exhaust fans, and welded grease duct. A Type II hood (heat/moisture only, no grease) is far cheaper at $5,000–$15,000.

Do I need a Type I hood or can I use a Type II? Type I is legally required over any equipment producing grease-laden vapor (fryers, griddles, char-broilers). Type II covers heat and moisture only (ovens, steamers, dishwashers). Designing a fryer-free menu to qualify for Type II can save $30,000–$60,000 — confirm the classification with the mechanical code official before ordering equipment.

What does a grease trap or interceptor cost? A small under-sink hydromechanical trap is $500–$3,000. An exterior in-ground gravity interceptor (often required at 1,000–2,000+ gallons) is $10,000–$40,000+ because of excavation and re-plumbing — and it should be landlord-delivered base-building work.

Why is make-up air such a big cost? A Type I hood exhausts 3,000–8,000 CFM out the roof, and code requires you to replace that air with tempered make-up air. A heated/cooled MAU unit plus its gas/electrical hookups adds $8,000–$25,000 — a line operators routinely forget until permitting.

Who should pay for the grease interceptor and roof work? The landlord. These are permanent building improvements that benefit every future tenant. Make them base-building delivery conditions, or amortize them into rent at 6–9% rather than paying cash, and strike any clause forcing you to remove them at lease end.

Sources

• NFPA 96, *Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations* — Type I hood, duct, and cleaning requirements.
• International Mechanical Code (IMC), Chapter 5 — Type I vs Type II hood classification and make-up air requirements.
• RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data — hood, MAU, exhaust, and grease interceptor unit pricing.
• Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) / EPA pretreatment guidance — grease interceptor sizing and gravity vs hydromechanical requirements.
• CBRE, *U.S. Restaurant & Retail Figures* — restaurant TI allowance benchmarks and delivery conditions.
• Cushman & Wakefield, *Restaurant Buildout Cost Guide* — kitchen infrastructure and base-building negotiation norms.
• JLL, *Food & Beverage Tenant Trends* — TI structures and amortization for restaurant tenants.
• BOMA International, *Operating Expense (CAM) Standards* — controllable expense caps and audit rights.