Restaurant and Commercial Kitchen Inspections
A restaurant is a small building containing a very demanding industrial process. Heat, grease, steam and water are produced continuously in one concentrated area, and everything in that area wears faster than it would anywhere else in a commercial building. That’s why a restaurant inspection is weighted heavily toward the back of house.
Our commercial inspections are led by Collin Nowak, a CCPIA Certified Commercial Property Inspector (#3223) and TREC-licensed Professional Inspector (#20772), working across Texas since 2013.
The kitchen exhaust system
The hood, ductwork and exhaust fan are the most consequential assembly in the building, and grease accumulation in them is the reason commercial kitchen fires spread the way they do. We observe and report on the condition of the hood and visible ductwork, grease accumulation, the exhaust fan, and the presence and general condition of the suppression system serving the hood.
Be clear on where that stops. Hood suppression systems are certified and tagged by licensed fire-protection specialists, and hood and duct cleaning is a specialist trade with its own documentation. An inspection reports observed condition. If a lender, insurer or landlord needs current certification, that is a separate document and we will tell you so in the report.
The other half of exhaust that gets forgotten is make-up air. A kitchen pulling large volumes of air out needs it replaced, and a building that can’t do that ends up negatively pressurised, which shows up as doors that won’t close properly, poor comfort out front, and pilot and draft problems on gas appliances.
Grease interceptors and drainage
Floor drains, sloped floors, and the grease interceptor or grease trap take everything the kitchen produces. We report on visible condition, evidence of backup or standing water, and drainage that isn’t carrying away as it should. A sewer camera inspection of the main line can be added, and on an older restaurant building carrying decades of grease it’s usually a sensible addition rather than a luxury.
Interceptor sizing and permitting requirements are set by the local authority and vary between jurisdictions in central Texas, so if a change of use or a menu change is planned it’s worth confirming those separately.
Utilities sized for a kitchen, not an office
Two constraints decide whether a space can actually run the concept somebody has in mind, and both are worth knowing before closing rather than after:
- Gas service and supply. Whether the incoming service and piping can carry the appliance load intended.
- Hot water capacity. A commercial kitchen and a three-compartment sink consume hot water at a rate a domestic-sized system cannot sustain. Undersized hot water is one of the more common surprises in a space converted to food service.
We also document electrical service and distribution, panels and visible wiring, and the plumbing supply and waste systems.
Walk-in coolers and freezers
Walk-ins are observed for visible condition of the box, panels, door and gaskets, floor, and evidence of moisture, ice buildup or condensation problems. Refrigeration equipment itself, and any diagnosis of a system that isn’t holding temperature properly, is work for a licensed refrigeration technician.
Thermal imaging is genuinely useful here, and it’s included. Failed insulation in a walk-in panel, moisture tracking behind FRP wall panels, and a refrigeration line sweating where it shouldn’t all show as temperature patterns before they show as visible damage.
Surfaces, structure and the front of house
Constant moisture and cleaning chemicals are hard on a building. We look at floor and wall finishes in wet areas, evidence of water damage behind and beneath fixtures, ceiling condition under the kitchen and any roof penetrations serving exhaust equipment, and the structure and finishes out front.
Life safety gets attention across the whole building — egress paths, exit signage, emergency lighting, and extinguisher presence and condition — because assembly occupancy carries more people than the same square footage of office would.
What an inspection is not
It is not a health department inspection and it does not certify compliance with the food code. It is not a code compliance certification, an ADA audit, or an environmental assessment. Fire suppression, fire alarm, refrigeration and specialty cooking equipment are certified and serviced by licensed specialists in those trades, and tenant-owned equipment is generally outside scope.
Full detail on inclusions and exclusions is on our commercial inspection FAQ.
Who orders a restaurant inspection
Buyers of an existing restaurant, operators taking a lease on a second-generation space, and lenders financing either. The second-generation case is the one where an inspection pays for itself most often, because a space that looks turnkey can carry a tired hood system, an undersized water heater and a grease line that needs attention, and none of that is visible on a walkthrough.
Scope is agreed per property before work starts, and your proposal states the scope, fee and delivery date up front. The process is on our commercial inspections page, with scope detail on commercial inspection services.