Cost & commercial
Get three quotes for the same kitchen and they can differ by hundreds of pounds. The spread is rarely about greed - it is about scope. A cheap quote and an expensive one are often pricing two different jobs, and only one of them is a compliant clean.
The short answer
Get three quotes for the same kitchen and they can differ by hundreds of pounds. The spread is rarely about greed - it is about scope. A cheap quote and an expensive one are often pricing two different jobs, and only one of them is a compliant clean.
The detail
The first variable is how much of the system is in scope. Some quotes cover the canopy and filters only; others cover the full path - canopy, plenum, the entire duct run, the riser and the fan. TR19 Grease compliance means the whole system, so a canopy-only price will always look cheaper while leaving most of the fire risk untouched inside the duct.
Access is the second. A short duct with panels every couple of metres is quick; a long run with few or no access points needs panels cut and fitted, and a roof fan needs height access. The same square metre of duct can cost very differently depending on how hard it is to reach, and that is legitimate, not padding.
Certification is the third, and the easiest to hide. A proper clean ends with a TR19 Grease certificate, before and after photographs from matched positions and micron readings. Producing that paperwork takes time and competence, so a quote that omits it undercuts one that includes it - until an insurer asks to see it.
Grease load and timing finish the picture. A neglected system needs heavier mechanical work than a maintained one, and overnight work to avoid closing during service costs more than a daytime slot. Two contractors reading the same kitchen differently on these points will land pounds apart before either has cut a corner.
What it means for you
Put the quotes on the same footing before comparing. Ask each contractor to state the exact scope - which components, how much duct, and whether a TR19 Grease certificate with photographs and readings is included. Once scope is equal, a genuine price difference is usually small and explained by access or region.
Be wary of the outlier. A quote far below the others is almost always cleaning less of the system, skipping the certificate, or both. The saving is real on the day and expensive later, when a fire officer or insurer finds an undefendable system behind a tidy canopy.
Phoenix Duct Clean quotes the full system explicitly and shows what compliance costs, so you are comparing like for like rather than a real clean against a wipe-down dressed up as one.
The service behind the guide
Sibling guides
canopy-only vs full system · whether a budget clean cleans anything · frequency by cooking volume
Questions
Almost always because it covers less of the system - a canopy-only clean rather than the full duct and fan - or it leaves out the TR19 Grease certificate. Level the scope across all quotes and the genuine difference usually shrinks to access and region.
Not automatically. Price should track scope, access and certification, not brand. Ask each contractor to spell out what is included; the right quote is the one that covers the full system and documents it, at a fair figure.
The components in scope, the length of duct being cleaned, whether access panels need fitting, and whether a certificate with before and after photographs and micron readings is provided. Vague quotes hide the variables that matter.
Yes. A maintained system needs a routine degrease; a neglected one needs heavier mechanical cleaning and sometimes a second visit. Regular cleaning keeps each job - and each quote - smaller.
Two or three is sensible, but only if they are quoting the same scope. Three prices for three different jobs tell you nothing; three prices for a full certified clean tell you the fair rate for your kitchen.
Phoenix Duct Clean · by the numbers
Call and get a full-system quote you can compare line for line, certificate included.