$30,000 STARTING CAPITAL
PRO — $30,000.
The "compete with HOODZ" tier. Branded box truck, two CECS credentials, fire suppression cert, and a second crew kit on deck. You can bid national chain work from launch.
THE PLAN
What this tier actually buys you
At $30k you walk into a restaurant group meeting looking like a regional player. A branded box truck with an onboard hot-water skid, two CECS credentials (owner + lead tech), fire suppression certification, and the cash reserve to front payroll on Net-45 chain accounts. The $30k tier's edge is not that you clean better — it's that you can credibly pursue accounts other operators can't. 45 days to first job feels slow compared to bootstrap, but the quality of the accounts you land in month 2 outearns bootstrap year one.
EQUIPMENT
The gear you need on day one
Cross-linked to the equipment page. Prices reflect the most recent range we've seen quoted to operators.
PRESSURE WASHER
Second Crew Kit (cold-water + PPE + containment)
Once you have demand for two crews a night, the economics of a second $3k starter kit on a used cargo van unlock 2x revenue without a hire-and-train freeze.
$3,500
HOT WATER
New Hydro Tek SS Series Hot-Water Skid
Bulletproof, 5+ year service life, higher GPM for faster job times. Warranty + parts availability matter at this scale.
$8,500–$14,000Where to buy →
CHEMICALS
Caustic Hood Degreaser Concentrate (5 gal)
Dilute 4:1 for soak, 10:1 for wash-down. One 5-gal jug handles ~15–25 standard hood jobs. Buy concentrate, never ready-to-use.
$85–$110Where to buy →
CONTAINMENT
Containment Tarp + Clamp Kit
Heavy-gauge poly tarps, magnetic clips, 3M blue tape, and plastic sheeting. Seal off the kitchen before the first trigger pull.
Why: Kitchens getting slimed with runoff is the #1 reason an operator gets fired before their second job. Containment is non-negotiable.
$180–$240Where to buy →Wet/Dry Recovery Vacuum + Berm
Captures rinse water on rooftops where you can't let grease-laden water hit storm drains.
Why: Municipal inspectors write real fines for storm-drain violations. Recovery = compliance.
$600–$1,200
PPE
Caustic-Rated PPE Kit (per tech)
Tyvek CHF suit, nitrile-over-neoprene gauntlet gloves, full-face splash goggles, P100 half-mask respirator, steel-toe rubber boots.
Why: Caustic degreaser splash on skin or eyes is a medical emergency. Buy real PPE, not dishwashing gloves.
$150–$180 per techWhere to buy →
LADDERS ACCESS
12-ft Fiberglass A-Frame Ladder
Fiberglass (not aluminum) for electrical safety near rooftop power. 12-ft reaches most hood plenums without extension.
$180–$240
VEHICLE
Branded Box Truck with Onboard Skid
14–16 ft box truck with a permanently-mounted hot-water skid, water tank, containment tarp racks, chemical lockers, and a generator. Pulls up looking like a national chain.
Why: Commercial buyers (restaurant groups, property managers) trust a marked truck over a trailer. This is the capital move that unlocks multi-location accounts.
$18,000–$28,000 used + upfit
DOCUMENTATION
General Liability — $1M / $2M
Non-negotiable. No restaurant will hire you without a COI. NEXT Insurance or Thimble can get you covered in under an hour.
$55–$120 / monthWhere to buy →NFPA 96 Cleaning Certification Stickers
Dated stickers you affix after each clean. Fire marshals open the hood and look for these first.
$25 per 100Where to buy →Jobber / Housecall Pro CRM
Schedule, quote, invoice, take card payments, and photo-log every job. Replaces three tools.
$39–$89 / monthWhere to buy →Professional website + Google Business Profile optimization
Simple 4-page site (home, services, service area, contact) plus a fully-populated GBP with 25+ photos. Most $10k-tier operators win 40% of jobs from GBP alone.
$1,500–$3,000 one-timeCECS Training + Exam for Owner + Lead Tech
Two CECS credentials is the minimum to bid national chain work or get onto large property-management vendor lists.
$3,500–$4,500 (travel + tuition + exam)Where to buy →NAFED Fire Suppression Certification
Stacks onto hood cleaning cleanly. Inspect + test the Ansul system on the same rooftop visit and double your invoice.
$650–$1,500Where to buy →
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products and training we'd point a new operator toward anyway — the affiliate relationship doesn't buy a listing.
CREDENTIALS
Certifications this tier calls for
Get these pre-launch if you can. They're sales tools as much as they are credentials.
IKECA
IKECA Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist (CECS)
The most widely recognized hood cleaning certification in North America. CECS proves you understand NFPA 96, safe chemical use, containment, and documentation.
Cost: $475 member / $675 non-member
OSHA-authorized trainer
OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety
Basic jobsite safety card. Every tech should have one. Many commercial property managers now require OSHA 10 before a vendor sets foot on site.
Cost: $60–$125 online
NAFED
NAFED Kitchen Fire Suppression Technician
Training + test for Ansul and Amerex kitchen suppression systems. Pairs well with CECS because the same job site needs both — and stacking scopes is how small operators build margin.
Cost: Tuition varies by course; ~$650 typical
Power Washers of North America
PWNA Environmental Wash Contractor (EWC)
Wastewater-capture certification. Becomes mandatory the moment you work rooftops in any municipality with storm-drain rules — which is most of them.
Cost: $395
MARKETING
The moves that land accounts at this tier
Stack-ranked. Do them in order. Don't skip to the fun ones until the first three are done.
- 1
Hire a freelance SDR or fractional sales rep to run outbound to restaurant groups in your metro. $2–4k/month, expect 3–5 qualified meetings per month.
- 2
Google Ads for "commercial hood cleaning [city]" plus the 3 adjacent suburbs. Budget $1,500–$2,500/month. Expect 8–15% conversion at this tier because your website and truck back up the ad.
- 3
Chain vendor-list applications. Darden, Inspire Brands, Focus Brands, and regional restaurant groups all maintain approved-vendor lists. Apply to every list in month 1.
- 4
Attend your state restaurant association annual convention. One booth + personal introductions = the fastest route to multi-location accounts.
- 5
Document every job with professional photos + video. Cut a 60-second reel quarterly for social proof.
LICENSING & INSURANCE
The paperwork, in order
- ✓Everything from the starter tier
- ✓State fire-equipment-distributor license if you service suppression systems
- ✓DOT for box truck
- ✓Worker's comp (mandatory with employees)
- ✓Potentially S-Corp election for tax efficiency — talk to a CPA
WHAT COMES NEXT
The upgrade path
Year 2 is either (1) add a third crew and hire a dedicated sales rep, or (2) acquire a smaller competitor for $25–75k to inherit their recurring accounts. The pro tier is the first tier with real acquirer optionality.
COMPARE
Browse the other tiers
READY TO LOCK IN THE PLAN?
Drop your email and we'll send the full $3k / $10k / $30k PDF comparison — the exact equipment list, phone numbers for the insurance carriers, and the 10-account target-list template.
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