A commercial kitchen site survey should establish whether the premises can support the proposed menu, equipment and extraction route before you commit to expensive design or installation work. The survey is not just a room measurement: it should test the building, utilities, planning position, neighbours, access and maintenance constraints as one connected project.
The most important checks
- What food will be cooked, on which appliances and at what intensity?
- Is there a practical route for extract ductwork to reach a suitable discharge point?
- Can enough replacement air be introduced without causing draughts or pressure problems?
- Are the gas, electrical, water and drainage services adequate for the proposed equipment?
- Are homes, windows, balconies or other sensitive neighbours close to the proposed discharge?
- Does the landlord permit the required penetrations, roof work, plant and external ductwork?
- Will planning permission, listed-building consent or other approvals be needed?
- Can equipment be delivered, installed, cleaned, serviced and eventually replaced?
Start with the operation, not the empty room
A survey is only meaningful when it is based on a realistic operating brief. A coffee shop reheating pastries presents a different ventilation, odour and utility load from a fried-chicken takeaway, charcoal restaurant or production bakery.
Record:
- proposed menu and cooking methods;
- expected covers, meals or production volume;
- hours of operation;
- fuel types;
- a preliminary equipment schedule with manufacturer, model, dimensions and services where known;
- future equipment or menu changes that the business is likely to make.
This information affects almost every later decision. It influences canopy selection, extract volume, odour-control strategy, electrical capacity, gas demand, drainage and planning risk.
Survey the extraction route from appliance to atmosphere
Do not stop at measuring the canopy space. Trace a plausible route from the cooking appliances to the final discharge point.
Check:
- available ceiling voids, risers and roof routes;
- ownership and access rights along the complete route;
- structural obstacles and fire compartments;
- possible fan and filtration locations;
- space for access panels, cleaning and filter removal;
- external appearance and potential planning impact;
- nearby windows, air intakes, terraces and neighbouring buildings;
- safe access for installation and future maintenance;
- potential noise and vibration transmission into homes or quiet rooms.
The HSE's guidance on ventilation of kitchens in catering establishments explains that kitchen ventilation should remove cooking fumes at source, provide adequate air replacement and discharge safely. A route that looks short on a floor plan can become unworkable once access, fire separation, neighbour impact and maintenance are considered.
Check replacement air as carefully as extract
An extract fan removes air from the building. That air has to be replaced.
Record where replacement air could enter, whether a mechanical supply system is possible and how the system might interact with doors, open-flued appliances and adjacent rooms. Warning signs include doors that are already difficult to open, strong draughts, existing fans competing for air and a sealed or highly airtight unit.
The final design belongs with a competent ventilation designer. The survey's job is to expose the constraints early enough to design around them.
Gas and combustion considerations
If gas appliances are proposed, record:
- gas type: natural gas or LPG;
- meter and incoming supply location;
- visible pipe route and isolation points;
- existing appliance and interlock arrangements;
- proposed total appliance input from manufacturer data;
- whether combustion products are removed through a canopy or dedicated flue;
- any existing gas-safety records supplied by the operator or landlord.
Do not assume that an existing gas supply can serve a new cookline. Gas work and the final adequacy assessment must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer qualified for the relevant commercial catering categories. HSE guidance on gas safety in catering and hospitality is a useful starting point for dutyholders.
Electrical capacity and equipment connections
List every proposed electrical load, including equipment that is often omitted from early schedules:
- cooking appliances;
- extract and supply fans;
- odour-control equipment;
- dishwashers and glasswashers;
- refrigeration and ice machines;
- hot-water equipment;
- lighting, sockets and controls;
- fire-suppression or monitoring systems where applicable.
Record the apparent incoming supply, distribution-board locations, spare ways and access. Do not promise capacity from a visual inspection. A competent electrical assessment is needed, especially when high-load three-phase equipment is proposed.
Water, hot water and drainage
Survey the location and apparent capacity of incoming water, hot-water production, soil and waste connections, floor levels and possible falls.
Consider:
- hand-wash basins and food/equipment washing arrangements;
- dishwasher and glasswasher fill, waste and water-treatment requirements;
- combi-oven water quality and drainage requirements;
- condensate;
- floor drains where appropriate;
- grease-management requirements;
- access for cleaning blockages and maintaining traps.
Food-premises layouts need to support hygienic operation. The government's food-hygiene business guidance gives operators a starting point, but the exact layout should be checked with the relevant environmental-health and design professionals.
Delivery, workflow and maintenance access
Measure doors, stairs, lifts, corridors and turning spaces—not only the kitchen footprint. Record any weight, timing or loading-bay restrictions. Confirm how heavy equipment would reach its final position and how it could later be removed.
Inside the kitchen, test the proposed flow of:
- deliveries and storage;
- raw and ready-to-eat food;
- preparation, cooking and service;
- dirty returns and warewashing;
- waste leaving the kitchen;
- staff movement during the busiest service.
Equipment needs usable clearance for operation, cleaning and servicing. A unit that fits on a drawing can still be impossible to maintain once doors, panels and filters have to open.
Planning, landlord and neighbour checks
Before signing a lease, establish:
- the lawful use of the premises and whether the proposal changes it;
- planning history and existing conditions;
- whether external ductwork, plant or alterations need consent;
- listed-building or conservation-area constraints;
- landlord and freeholder approval requirements;
- restrictions on roof access or penetrations;
- proximity of noise- and odour-sensitive receptors;
- permitted operating and delivery hours.
Planning approval and building-regulation compliance are separate processes. Landlord approval does not replace either one.
A survey is not the finished design
A site survey records facts, constraints, assumptions and questions. It should not be presented as a ventilation design, gas certificate, fire strategy, structural survey or planning approval unless those services were explicitly commissioned from competent professionals.
Photograph each constraint, mark it on a plan and separate confirmed facts from assumptions. Missing information should remain visibly open rather than being guessed.
Use a repeatable survey framework
The KIG 221 Commercial Kitchen Site Survey Sheet provides a structured way to capture premises, utilities, extraction, layout and project constraints before decisions become expensive.
Sources and further reading
- HSE: Ventilation of kitchens in catering establishments
- HSE: Gas safety in catering and hospitality
- GOV.UK: Food hygiene for businesses
- GOV.UK: Approved Documents collection
This is general UK project guidance, not a site design, legal opinion or substitute for current standards, manufacturer instructions or competent assessments. Requirements vary by nation, local authority, building and operation. Last reviewed: 13 August 2026.