The short answer: In most restaurant build-outs, the kitchen hood system and the grease interceptor are two of the biggest single line items, and two of the most likely to be missing from an early budget. Whether you need them, and how big they have to be, depends mostly on your menu, your cooking equipment, and your local sewer agency. Published 2026 cost guides range from a few thousand dollars to well into five figures for each one, so the only reliable number comes from pricing your actual menu in your actual space.
“It was not required to have a grease trap.” That’s how one owner on the PMQ Think Tank pizza forum described the space he was leasing. The last tenant, an ice cream shop, never needed one. Then the city told him his pizza place would need a 500 to 1,000 gallon unit.
That story repeats in a lot of build-outs. The space looks like it’s ready for a restaurant, the rent works, and then the hood and the interceptor show up in the bid. Let’s look at what triggers each one, what drives the price, and what to check before you sign a lease.
Why do these two items cost so much?
Because neither one is just a piece of equipment. A hood system usually includes the hood, grease filters, ductwork that runs to the roof, an exhaust fan, makeup air, and a fire suppression system. A grease interceptor usually means cutting concrete or asphalt, excavating, setting a tank, running new drain lines, and restoring the floor or parking lot afterward. Both need approvals from more than one agency, and both are hard to change once the kitchen is built.
When does a restaurant need a Type I hood?
Under the 2025 California Mechanical Code, which took effect January 1, 2026, a Type I hood (the grease hood) is required over commercial cooking appliances that produce smoke or grease. The code lists examples such as deep-fat fryers, broilers, grills, hot-top ranges, ovens, barbecues, and rotisseries.
There are limited exceptions, such as certain listed appliances designed for reduced emissions or recirculating systems that meet specific standards. Whether your equipment qualifies is a question for your design team and the building department, not something to assume from a product brochure.
A few other rules come along with a Type I hood in California:
- Fire suppression. The 2025 California Fire Code requires cooking equipment that produces grease-laden vapors to have an approved automatic fire-extinguishing system, such as a wet chemical system meeting the UL 300 standard. The code also says existing systems must comply with UL 300, and that systems must be serviced at least every six months.
- Makeup air. California’s retail food law requires cooking equipment to have mechanical exhaust ventilation, and it requires replacement air to be supplied at the same rate the air is exhausted.
- Separate reviews. The health department, the building department (mechanical permit), and the fire department typically each review some part of the system.
The key point: your menu decides your hood. A cafe with a small countertop setup may face very different requirements than a burger place with a charbroiler and two fryers.
When does a restaurant need a grease interceptor?
The 2025 California Plumbing Code says that where the local authority determines that waste pretreatment is required, an approved grease interceptor must be installed. In practice, that means your local sewer agency and building department decide whether you need one, what type, and how big.
That’s why the answer changes from one city to the next. For example, Los Angeles County Public Works’ restaurant pretreatment guidelines, for the areas it serves, list triggers such as:
- Seating for 150 or more
- Grills, fryers, woks, or barbecues
- Significant takeout, delivery, or drive-thru sales
- Connection to small or low-slope sewer lines, or a location in an area with known grease problems
Those same guidelines set a minimum size of 750 gallons for gravity interceptors, with sizing based on the plumbing fixtures that drain to it. They also allow smaller hydromechanical units in some cases where there isn’t room or slope for an in-ground tank, if the agency approves.
Other cities follow their own programs. In Long Beach, the Bureau of Environmental Health runs a grease management program and inspects food facilities for maintenance and monitoring. In the City of Los Angeles and other cities, check with the local sewer or sanitation agency. Requirements vary, so get the answer in writing for your address.
A few plumbing rules affect the layout too. Under the California Plumbing Code, dishwashers can’t discharge into a grease interceptor, and toilets and other fixtures carrying human waste can’t drain through it. Each fixture that does drain to it must be trapped and vented.
What does each one cost?
The published numbers are all over the place. Most online cost guides are national, unsourced, and vague about what’s included. Use them to understand the range, not to set a budget.
| Item | Published 2026 range | Source and what it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Type I hood system, small restaurant | $8,000 to $15,000 | RestaurantLaunchpad (2026), national estimate, unsourced |
| Complete Type I hood system, large or complex | $35,000 to $80,000 or more | RestaurantLaunchpad (2026), national estimate, unsourced |
| Turnkey hood with duct, roof fan, tempered makeup air, and suppression | $20,000 to $55,000 | KitchenEquipmentTrader (August 2026), national, “commonly quoted” figures |
| Hood fire suppression system alone | $2,000 to $6,500 | KitchenEquipmentTrader (August 2026), scales with hood length |
| New restaurant grease interceptor, installed | $5,000 to $15,000 | Oil Guyz Southern California guide (April 2026), a grease-service company, unsourced |
| In-ground interceptor reported by owners | About $15,000 total; others report $10,000 to $20,000 for installation alone | PMQ Think Tank forum posts, undated anecdotes |
Those wide ranges reflect real differences in what’s being priced.
What drives the price up or down?
| Cost driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Your heaviest cooking appliance | One charbroiler or fryer line can raise the duty level of the whole hood, which can mean a bigger fan, more makeup air, and larger duct |
| Length of the cook line | The hood has to cover the line, and suppression cost scales with hood length |
| Path to the roof | Long duct runs, multiple floors, or a roof that needs reinforcing add cost; some landlords limit roof penetrations |
| Makeup air | Tempered (heated or cooled) makeup air costs more than untempered |
| Interceptor size and type | Sizing is based on fixtures and flow; a large in-ground tank costs more than a small hydromechanical unit, if the agency allows one |
| Where the interceptor goes | Excavating a parking lot, a traffic-rated cover, utilities in the way, or groundwater all add cost |
| Existing equipment in a second-generation space | A reusable hood or interceptor can save money, but only if it’s the right size, code-compliant, and in good condition |
| Agency reviews | Health, building, fire, and sewer agency reviews can each add time and fees |
Can I reuse the hood or interceptor from the last restaurant?
Sometimes, and it can be a real savings. But “the space already has a hood” is one of the most expensive assumptions in restaurant leasing. Before you count on existing equipment, ask:
- Is the hood big enough for your cook line and your heaviest appliance?
- Does the fire suppression system meet UL 300, and is it current on its six-month service?
- Is there makeup air, and does it work?
- Is the grease interceptor the size your sewer agency requires for your menu and fixtures?
- Is the interceptor in good condition, and are pumping records available?
- Were the hood and interceptor permitted and finaled?
Our post on turning a retail space into a restaurant covers what else changes when a space wasn’t built for food service in the first place.
What should I check before I sign the lease?
Hoods and interceptors are much easier to plan for before the lease is signed than after. Use this checklist with your broker, landlord, and design team.
- Write down your full menu and every cooking appliance you plan to use.
- Ask the landlord whether a hood, duct shaft, roof penetration, or grease interceptor already exists, and for any permits or drawings.
- Confirm the landlord will allow roof penetrations and an interceptor location (inside or outside).
- Ask the local sewer agency whether your use will need an interceptor, and what size and type.
- Get the hood system and the interceptor priced as separate line items, not buried in a lump sum.
- Ask who pays for each one in the lease or work letter, and whether any tenant improvement allowance can be used.
- Plan for ongoing costs too: hood cleaning, suppression service every six months, and interceptor pumping.
When to handle it yourself, and when to bring in a pro
On your own: finalize your menu, list your equipment, collect what the landlord has on file, and call the local sewer agency with your basic plans.
With a design team and licensed contractor: sizing the hood and interceptor, coordinating plans with the health, building, and fire departments, and pricing the work line by line. Hood suppression work in California generally has to be done by a properly licensed specialty contractor, and our guide to hiring a licensed contractor for a restaurant build-out explains which licenses apply and what to ask.
Frequently asked questions
Does every restaurant need a Type I hood? No. California’s Mechanical Code requires one over commercial cooking appliances that produce smoke or grease, such as fryers, grills, and broilers. Your menu and equipment decide, with limited exceptions for certain listed appliances.
Does every restaurant need a grease interceptor? Not always. The local authority decides whether pretreatment is required, based on factors like your cooking, fixtures, seating, and the sewer line serving the building.
How much does a restaurant hood system cost? Published 2026 guides range from under $15,000 for a small, simple system to $35,000 to $80,000 or more for large or complex ones. Your appliances, hood length, and roof access drive the price.
How much does a grease interceptor cost? Published guides and owner reports range from about $5,000 to $20,000 or more installed, depending on size, type, location, and site conditions.
Can I use a smaller grease trap inside instead of a big tank outside? Sometimes. Some agencies allow hydromechanical units when there isn’t room or slope for an in-ground tank, but they must approve it first.
Planning a restaurant build-out?
The hood and the interceptor are easiest to budget when they’re priced early, from your real menu, in the space you’re considering, while you can still negotiate with the landlord.
De Sisto Construction, Inc. is a California licensed general contractor (CSLB #803545) serving greater Los Angeles and Orange County since 2001. Our commercial work includes tenant improvements and restaurants, and we guide permitting, inspections, and code-compliance coordination with step-by-step outlines and line-item project costing. Learn more about our commercial tenant improvement services.
Want your hood and grease interceptor priced before you sign a lease? Give us a call at 562-425-1050 or email us at info@desistogc.com (dcidirect.net)