Grease Trap Cleaning Schedule Planner
Build a 12-month grease trap cleaning schedule with projected annual costs based on your kitchen volume, trap size, and service region. Print or save for your FOG compliance records.
Use the Planner for Timing and Budget
This planner calculates a service interval, 12-month schedule, and projected annual budget. After the schedule is set, use the printable FOG maintenance checklist to verify inspections, completed pump-outs, manifests, staff practices, and records between service dates.
Stop Guessing When Your Next Cleaning Is Due
Most grease trap violations happen not because operators skip cleaning entirely — but because they don't have a documented schedule and let intervals stretch too long. Municipal FOG inspectors want to see a written cleaning log. A printed schedule you can keep in your maintenance binder costs nothing and demonstrates good-faith compliance.
This planner calculates your recommended cleaning frequency based on kitchen volume and trap size, then builds a full 12-month calendar with projected costs per visit and an annual total. Enter your details below to generate your schedule.
Note: Cleaning frequency recommendations are based on the 25% rule (clean when FOG + solids reach 25% of liquid capacity) and typical accumulation rates by kitchen type. Your actual interval may need adjustment based on observed fill rates. Always confirm minimum required frequency with your local FOG ordinance.
Build Your Cleaning Schedule
Select your trap size, kitchen type, and region — your 12-month plan generates instantly.
Your 12-Month Cleaning Schedule
Cleanings / Year
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Recommended annual service visits
Annual Total
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Mid-range estimate for your region
Cost Per Visit
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Scheduled contract rate estimate
12-Month Service Calendar
Compliance Notes for Your Setup
Use the Planner for Timing and Budget
This planner calculates a service interval, 12-month schedule, and projected annual budget. After the schedule is set, use the printable FOG maintenance checklist to verify inspections, completed pump-outs, manifests, staff practices, and records between service dates.
How Cleaning Frequency Is Determined
The 25% rule — the industry-standard threshold used by most US municipalities and adopted in many Canadian FOG ordinances — states that a grease trap must be cleaned when the combined depth of fats, oils, grease, and settled solids reaches 25% of the trap's total liquid capacity. How quickly you reach that threshold depends on two variables: how much FOG your kitchen generates per day, and how large your trap is.
A high-volume kitchen (fast food, institutional cafeteria, buffet) generating large quantities of fried food and meat waste will fill a trap faster than a low-volume cafe. A 1,500-gallon interceptor in a high-volume operation may need monthly service. The same trap in a cafe might go 90 days between cleanings.
The schedule planner above applies conservative accumulation rate estimates by kitchen type to the selected trap size and calculates how many cleanings per year are needed to stay consistently below the 25% threshold. It then applies regional pricing data to project annual costs.
Keep your printed schedule in your FOG compliance binder alongside your service reports and waste manifests. If a municipal inspector visits, a documented schedule with completed service records demonstrates proactive compliance — which can be the difference between a warning and a fine.
Cleaning Frequency — Common Questions
Based on the 25% rule, municipal FOG ordinance requirements, and contractor data.
The 25% rule states that a grease trap must be cleaned when the combined depth of FOG (fats, oils, grease) and settled solids reaches 25% of the trap's total liquid capacity. It's the most widely adopted threshold in US municipal FOG ordinances and most Canadian provincial guidelines. A trap operating above 25% is considered in violation in most jurisdictions, regardless of whether there's a visible blockage or backup.
Many do. Some municipalities specify a minimum cleaning frequency regardless of actual fill level — typically quarterly (every 90 days) for food service operations, with high-volume operations sometimes required to clean monthly. Dallas, NYC, and Los Angeles all have mandatory minimum frequencies in their FOG ordinances. Even if your trap hasn't hit the 25% threshold, you may still be required to clean on schedule. Check your local FOG ordinance or ask your contractor what's required in your jurisdiction.
In some jurisdictions, yes — if your contractor measures and documents the fill level at each visit and the measurement shows you're consistently below 25%, you may be able to apply to your municipality for an extended interval. This requires documented measurement history over at least 3–4 service visits. In jurisdictions with mandatory minimum frequencies, no extension is possible regardless of fill level. Never extend intervals unilaterally without documentation — if inspected and found above 25%, the fine applies regardless of your interval history.
Keep a FOG compliance binder with: (1) your printed cleaning schedule, (2) a service report from every cleaning showing date, contractor name, licence number, measured FOG depth before and after service, and gallons removed, (3) the waste manifest for each service showing chain of custody from your trap to the approved disposal facility, and (4) a copy of your grease trap permit or approval if your jurisdiction requires one. Most municipalities require you to retain these records for a minimum of 3 years and make them available on request.
Missing a single cleaning by a few weeks rarely triggers immediate enforcement, but it's a documentation gap that can complicate your position if you're inspected during that window. If a missed cleaning results in a blockage or FOG discharge to the sewer, the consequences scale up significantly — fines, mandatory corrective action orders, and in repeat cases, suspension of your food service permit. The safest approach is to reschedule within the same month rather than skipping to the next scheduled date.
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