Is “NFPA 96 Certified” a real thing?
No. And you will find that phrase on most hood cleaning websites in Houston, including some very established ones. Here is why it is wrong, why it is so common, and what to look for instead.
NFPA says so itself, in every standard it publishes
NFPA writes fire codes and standards. NFPA 96 is the Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations. What NFPA does not do — and it says this in the disclaimers printed inside every edition — is certify anybody:
The NFPA has no power, nor does it undertake, to police or enforce compliance with the contents of NFPA Standards. Nor does the NFPA list, certify, test, or inspect products, designs, or installations for compliance with this document. Any certification or other statement of compliance with the requirements of this document shall not be attributable to the NFPA and is solely the responsibility of the certifier or maker of the statement.
NFPA — Important Notices and Disclaimers Concerning NFPA Standards
So a company describing itself as “NFPA 96 Certified” is describing a credential that the issuing body says it does not issue.
What NFPA 96 actually requires
Section 12.6.1 requires the system to be cleaned by “properly trained, qualified and certified person(s) acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.” Read that carefully: the certifier is a third party or your local fire marshal. Never NFPA.
Why almost everyone says it anyway
Mostly it is copied language, not bad faith. It has been on hood cleaning websites for twenty years and new companies copy it from old ones. There is also a real credential that muddies it: the Power Washers of North America sells an “NFPA Technician Certification Test” — a PWNA credential named after the standard. That is probably the origin of the confusion across the whole market.
It is still inaccurate, and it is a compliance claim made to a buyer who is relying on it.
What is real
| Credential | Issuer | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| CECT — Certified Exhaust Cleaning Technician | IKECA | Individual. 100-question exam, 2 hours, 70% to pass. Renewed every two years. |
| CECS — Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist | IKECA | Individual, senior. 150 questions, 3 hours. Renewed annually. |
| CESI — Certified Exhaust System Inspector | IKECA | Individual. 95 questions, 75% to pass. |
| ANSI/IKECA C10-2021 | IKECA, ANSI‑accredited | Not a credential — the cleaning methodology standard, which the 2021 IFC names by reference at §606.3.3.2. |
Note two things. Certification is individual — a company cannot be IKECA-certified. Membership is corporate — and IKECA states in writing that it warrants the performance of no individual or company either way.
The honest version of the sentence
- “Cleaned in accordance with ANSI/IKECA C10-2021.”
- “Cleaned to NFPA 96 requirements.”
- “Our technician holds IKECA CECS #_____ — verify it at IKECA's credential search.”
- “NFPA 96 Certified.”
- “NFPA 96 certified technicians.”
- “IKECA-certified company.” (Certification is individual.)
- “ANSI/IKECA C13.” (The standards are C10, I10 and M10. C13 does not exist.)
Where we stand today
We do not currently hold an IKECA certification, so there is no certification claim anywhere on this site. Not “certification in progress” either — that is still a claim, and this whole site is built on not making ones you can't check.
What we can point you at today: Texas SOS file 0805989748, our certificate of insurance, and every certificate we have issued. The full list is here.
Verified against the 2021 IFC as adopted by the City of Houston, and against NFPA's published disclaimers. Last checked 3 September 2026.