Exhaust hoods
Grease hoods over cooking lines and condensate hoods over dishwashers and ovens, sized to the equipment beneath them.
Commercial Kitchen Hoods
Commercial kitchen hood installation in Hampton Roads.
A hood is only as good as the system around it: the exhaust fan pulling the air out, the make-up air bringing it back, and the gas line feeding the cooking line beneath it. We install all of it as one system, coordinate it with the other trades and inspectors, and balance it so the kitchen actually clears.
- Serving Hampton Roads since 2003
- 20+ years experience
- Master HVAC licensed
- Master Gas licensed
- Class A contractor
- Financing available
Before you replace anything
Make sure it’s the hood, not the air around it.
When a kitchen fills with smoke, the hood gets blamed first. Often the hood is fine. The exhaust fan is worn or slipping a belt, the make-up air unit isn’t running, or the kitchen is starved for air because nobody accounted for how much the hood removes.
We look at the whole kitchen exhaust system before recommending a new hood: fan performance, make-up air, controls, and how the hood relates to the cooking line under it. Sometimes a fan repair or a make-up air fix solves it for a fraction of the cost of new equipment.
Need service on existing equipment? Commercial HVAC Service & Maintenance
What we install
Kitchen ventilation we install.
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Exhaust duct
Duct from the hood to the fan, routed and installed for the application.
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Exhaust fans
Rooftop and wall exhaust fans, replaced or installed new, matched to the hood.
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Make-up air units
Tempered or untempered make-up air that replaces what the hood removes.
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Gas connections
Gas piping to the cooking line under our own Master Gas Fitter license.
Commercial Gas Lines -
Controls and interlocks
Hood, exhaust fan, and make-up air wired to run together, with coordination for fire suppression interlocks.
Project path
Replace a component or the whole system?
Kitchens change. A new menu adds a fryer, a new tenant brings a different cooking line, or a fan that’s run sixteen hours a day for a decade finally quits. Some of those need one component. Some need the whole system redesigned.
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One piece has worn out
Replace or upgrade a component
A new exhaust fan, a make-up air unit, added hood length, or corrected controls. The right answer when the system was designed properly and one piece has worn out or fallen behind.
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New or changed kitchen
New kitchen exhaust system
New restaurants, concept changes, and kitchens whose cooking line has outgrown the hood. Hood, duct, fan, make-up air, gas, and controls designed and installed together.
What’s included
What’s included in a kitchen hood project.
One contractor for the hood, the air, and the gas, instead of three subcontractors who each assume someone else handled the connection between them.
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Design and sizing
Hood length, exhaust airflow, and make-up air calculated for the cooking equipment actually going under it.
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Permits and plan review
Permits filed and plans coordinated with the building department and other reviewers.
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Hood and duct installation
Hood hung and secured, exhaust duct routed to the fan, and penetrations made through the roof or wall.
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Exhaust fan and make-up air
Equipment set, connected, and wired so the system runs together.
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Gas connections
Cooking line gas piping and connections under our Master Gas Fitter license.
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Startup and balancing
Exhaust and make-up air measured and balanced, interlocks tested, and the system verified with the cooking line running.
- Master HVAC licensed
- Master Gas licensed
- Commercial load calculations
- Air balancing
How we coordinate
One contractor for the hood, the air, and the gas.
Most kitchen hood installers hang the hood, connect the fan, and leave the rest to the owner: the make-up air, the gas, the fire suppression interlock, and the inspections. That’s how openings get delayed: an inspector finds the make-up air wasn’t sized, the suppression contractor can’t tie in, or the gas line was never pressure-tested.
We treat the kitchen as one system and coordinate the pieces that connect to it: the general contractor, the fire suppression contractor, the gas utility, and the building and fire inspectors. We schedule our work in the order the inspections need it, and we’re there when it’s inspected.
We can’t promise what an inspector will say. We can make sure our part of the job is done the way it needs to be done before they arrive.
Our Process
How a kitchen hood project works.
Clear scope, no surprise charges, and work scheduled around your opening date or your service hours.
Before we install anything
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We survey the kitchen
Cooking line, existing hood, fan, make-up air, gas, roof access, and any plans or equipment schedules you have.
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We design and coordinate
Hood, exhaust, and make-up air sized to the equipment, permits filed, and timing coordinated with the GC and other trades.
Installation
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We install the system
Hood, duct, exhaust fan, and make-up air set, connected, and secured.
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We connect the gas and controls
Cooking line gas piping, pressure testing, and interlocks wired between the hood, fan, and make-up air.
Before the doors open
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We balance and verify
Exhaust and make-up air measured and balanced with the cooking line running, so the hood captures what it should.
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We support inspections
On site for our portion of the inspections, with documentation for the owner and GC.
Make-up air, plainly
Why the kitchen door is hard to open.
A commercial kitchen hood removes a large volume of air every minute it runs. That air has to be replaced from somewhere. If a make-up air system doesn’t bring it back, the building pulls it in however it can: through the back door, the drive-through window, and the dining room.
That’s why doors are hard to open or slam shut, why the dining room is drafty in winter and humid in summer, and why the rooftop units serving the dining room can never seem to keep up. It’s also why the hood stops capturing smoke well: it can’t pull air out of a room that’s already starved for it. And with gas appliances in the kitchen, a building under heavy negative pressure can affect how flues and burners draw, which is a safety concern, not just a comfort one.
The fix isn’t a bigger exhaust fan. It’s balancing what goes out with what comes back in.
Opening a restaurant? Bring us in early.
Hood, exhaust, make-up air, and gas decisions shape the kitchen layout, the roof, and the inspection schedule. The earlier we see the plans and the equipment list, the fewer surprises there are before opening day.
Testimonials
Hear from our customers.
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Mike was very professional and thorough throughout the entire process. Haven’t felt with any HVAC service before Ductman and will never choose anything else now. Thank you for a great experience.
Robert Clark
Google review
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Everyone was respectful, a pleasure to work with, and they got the job done in a timely fashion with a great quality of work. My house heats even better now than before. 10/10 I absolutely recommend them.
James Maurmeier
Google review
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Furnace went out on what seems like the coldest day so far this year. Chris answered our call and promptly sent out a technician to review the issue and provide an estimate. They were able to order and install the part quickly for a reasonable price. I would definitely call them again if we had another HVAC issue.
Charisse
Google review
Our Work
Recent work
View Case Study : Custom exhaust system install for Norfolk International AirportCustom exhaust system install for Norfolk International Airport
View Case Study : Oversized unit right-sized after load calcOversized unit right-sized after load calc
View Case Study : Matched split system, 1980s ranchMatched split system, 1980s ranch
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do you install fire suppression systems?
We coordinate with the fire suppression contractor so the hood, its interlocks, and the suppression system tie together, and we wire the hood, exhaust fan, and make-up air to run together.
Why is my kitchen hood not pulling smoke?
Often the hood is fine. The exhaust fan is worn or slipping a belt, the make-up air unit isn’t running, or the kitchen is starved for air because nobody accounted for how much the hood removes.
What is make-up air, and do I need it?
A hood removes a large volume of air every minute it runs, and that air has to be replaced. Make-up air brings it back; without it the building pulls air in through doors and the dining room, and the hood stops capturing smoke well.
Can you replace an exhaust fan without replacing the hood?
Yes. If the system was designed properly and one piece has worn out, we replace that piece, whether it’s the fan, the make-up air unit, the controls, or the hood length.
Do you handle permits and inspections?
Yes. We file permits, coordinate plans with the building department, and are on site for our portion of the inspections.
Can you work overnight so we don’t close?
We schedule the work around your service hours, including after close when the job allows it.
Do you do the gas work for the cooking line?
Yes. Cooking line gas piping and connections are done under our own Master Gas Fitter license, and pressure-tested.
Get Started
Let’s look at your kitchen.
Tell us about the restaurant, the cooking line, or the opening date. We’ll survey the kitchen and put together a plan for the hood, the air, and the gas.