In short: PUB says every food establishment needs a grease trap and recommends cleaning by a licensed general waste collector at least once every two weeks. Kitchen exhaust ducts must be kept clean under SFA's food hygiene rules and SCDF's Fire Code. We found no published prices, so compare scoped quotes.
Kitchen exhaust and grease trap cleaning keeps fat, oil and grease out of the public sewers and out of the ducts above your stoves. In Singapore, PUB requires grease traps at food establishments and recommends fortnightly cleaning by a licensed general waste collector, while SFA’s food hygiene rules and SCDF’s Fire Code require kitchen exhaust ducts to be kept clean and maintained. Most F&B operators hire a contractor on a schedule for one or both jobs, and keep the records for inspections.
Who hires these contractors
- Restaurants, cafes and coffee shop stalls with daily frying, wok cooking or grilling.
- Central kitchens, caterers and food factories with large traps and long duct runs.
- Hawker centre and foodcourt operators that manage shared traps.
- Landlords and building managers with F&B tenants.
- New outlets that need a trap or exhaust system serviced before opening.
What the work covers
Scope differs between contractors, so compare the services line by line.
Grease trap services
- Pumping out grease, sludge and food waste, and removing it for disposal
- Cleaning the screen chamber, strainer basket and inner ring
- Checking for damage, missing covers and blocked outlets
- Service reports after each visit, for your records
- Optional trade effluent sampling through an accredited laboratory
Kitchen exhaust services
- Degreasing hoods, filters, ducts, fans and the exhaust outlet
- Access panels where ducts cannot be reached
- Before and after photos and a service report
- Checks on fans, belts and any air-cleaning equipment
Related work
- Flushing the private sewer and drain lines
- CCTV inspection of underground sewers
- Plumbing repairs to the trap or chambers
If you are also setting up a food safety system, see food safety consultants. For general kitchen and dining area cleaning, see cleaning for F&B.
What it costs in Singapore
We did not find grease trap or exhaust cleaning contractors in Singapore publishing their prices on their own websites when we checked in October 2026, so we cannot give a reliable price range. The main cost drivers are:
- Trap size and number. A small stall trap costs less to service than several large traps at a central kitchen.
- Frequency. Fortnightly or weekly contracts are usually priced per visit over a term.
- Waste volume. Heavy frying and wok cooking fill traps and ducts faster.
- Duct length and access. Long or high runs, missing access panels and work at height add time.
- Timing. Night or after-hours work so the kitchen keeps operating.
- Bundling. Grease trap, exhaust, sewer flushing and sampling on one contract.
- GST. Check whether the quote includes the 9% GST.
Use our tools to plan other running costs for your outlet.
Singapore rules buyers should know
Grease traps (PUB)
PUB’s grease trap page says all establishments that handle food, including restaurants, coffee shops and hawker centres, require grease traps, and that owners must get NEA’s and PUB’s approval before installing one. Traps take only kitchen wastewater, must be easy to reach for maintenance, and are sized to BS EN 1825. Its maintenance table recommends:
- Cleaning the trap: a licensed general waste collector, at least once every two weeks, or more often if the load is high
- Cleaning or flushing the private sewer: a sanitary contractor, at least once every six months
- CCTV inspection of the private sewer: a PUB-registered CCTV contractor, at least once every five years
- Visual inspection of chambers and traps: a licensed plumber, at least once every five years
PUB also asks operators to check the trap daily, repair damage immediately, and make sure effluent meets the Sewerage and Drainage (Trade Effluent) Regulations, with samples taken by accredited laboratories and reports kept for inspection. Details are in PUB’s Code of Practice on Sewerage and Sanitary Works.
Kitchen exhaust ducts (SFA)
A written reply on kitchen exhaust duct maintenance from February 2023 says that under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations, administered by SFA, foodshop and foodstall operators must keep the kitchen exhaust ducts of their licensed premises clean, properly maintained and in good working order. SFA inspects and takes enforcement action.
Fire safety (SCDF)
The Ministry of Home Affairs’ reply on fire safety for hawker centres and food establishments says cleaning requirements for kitchen exhaust ducts in eating establishments are regulated under the Fire Code. Owners or occupiers who do not maintain the duct may be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.
How to choose a contractor
Ask for a site visit and a written scope before you sign a term contract.
Questions to ask:
- Are you a licensed general waste collector, and can we see the licence?
- Where is the grease and sludge taken for disposal?
- What does each visit include, and how long does it take?
- Do you clean the full duct run to the outlet, or only the hood and filters?
- What report and photos do we get after each visit?
- Can you work outside our operating hours?
- Who handles sewer flushing, CCTV inspection and effluent sampling?
- What is the contract term, and how are missed visits handled?
If you are renovating the kitchen, plan trap and duct access with your contractor. See office renovation for F&B.
Red flags
- No licence to collect and dispose of grease trap waste
- Quotes over the phone with no site visit for a large or complex system
- No service report or photos after each visit
- “Hood only” cleaning sold as full exhaust duct cleaning
- Enzymes or additives offered as a replacement for pumping out the trap
- Long lock-in contracts with no clear terms for missed visits
How FYAdvisers matching works
- Describe your need. Tell us about your kitchen, grease trap, exhaust system and how often you need servicing.
- Free concierge consultation. A concierge contacts you to confirm your needs, budget and timing.
- We introduce one to five providers. With your consent, we introduce you to the number of contractors you choose, up to five.
- Meet and decide. Providers reach out directly with questions and quotes. You choose whether to work with any of them.
Matching is free for you. Providers pay FYAdvisers to receive introductions. We only share your details with your consent.
Frequently asked questions
How does matching work?
You describe your premises, the type of grease trap and exhaust system, how much cooking you do and whether you need one-off or scheduled cleaning. A concierge then contacts you to confirm the details and, with your consent, introduces you to the number you choose (one to five) of contractors that handle that kind of work. They contact you directly, and you decide whether to go ahead with any of them.
Is it free?
Yes. It is free for businesses requesting a match. Providers pay FYAdvisers to receive introductions.
How often must a grease trap be cleaned in Singapore?
PUB's grease trap page recommends cleaning by a licensed general waste collector at least once every two weeks, or more often if your fat, oil and grease load is high. It also recommends daily visual checks by your own staff, flushing the private sewer at least every six months and a CCTV inspection at least every five years.
How often should kitchen exhaust ducts be cleaned?
The official pages we checked say exhaust ducts must be kept clean, properly maintained and in good working order under SFA's food hygiene rules and SCDF's Fire Code, but did not state a frequency. Ask the contractor which Fire Code requirement applies to your system and keep the service records.
How much does grease trap cleaning cost in Singapore?
We did not find contractors publishing prices on their own websites when we checked in October 2026. Cost depends on trap size and number, how often it is cleaned, waste volume, access, and whether exhaust duct and hood cleaning are bundled. Ask for a written, itemised quote and a contract term.