Commercial kitchen requirements: the checklist

Ventilation and fire

• Type I hood over all grease-producing equipment (fryers, ranges, griddles, charbroilers), with ductwork to the roof and a UL 300 fire-suppression system.
• Type II hood over heat-and-steam equipment like dishwashers and some ovens.
• Make-up air to replace what the hoods exhaust — without it the kitchen runs hot and doors whistle.
• Clearances to combustibles and access panels for duct cleaning per NFPA 96.

Plumbing and grease

• Grease interceptor sized to the fixture load, per the local FOG program — under-sized traps are a common reason older spaces can't be re-permitted as-is.
• Three-compartment sink for wash/rinse/sanitize, plus a separate food-prep sink with an indirect (air-gapped) drain.
• Dedicated handwash sinks — within reach of every work area, with soap and towel fixtures; inspectors fail kitchens over this constantly.
• Mop/service sink, backflow prevention on carbonators and hose bibs, and hot water capacity sized to the fixture count.

Surfaces, storage, and equipment

• Floors: smooth, durable, non-absorbent (quarry tile or troweled epoxy), with coved bases at walls.
• Walls and ceilings: cleanable and non-absorbent in food and dish areas — FRP, tile, or washable panels.
• Commercial equipment listed to NSF/ANSI standards, on legs or casters for cleaning underneath.
• Refrigeration that holds 41°F or below with visible thermometers; adequate dry storage off the floor.
• Lighting at code intensities with shatter-resistant covers over food areas.

The plan-review trap

In every DMV jurisdiction, the health department reviews kitchen plans before you build. Owners who design first and submit later end up rebuilding on paper — or worse, in the field. Design against this checklist, submit early, and treat reviewer comments as free consulting.