How often should a restaurant clean its grease trap?

For most full-service restaurants the trade waste agreement sets it at monthly, sometimes every two months for a smaller venue. Fryer-heavy menus get the tighter interval. The figure in your trade waste agreement is the legal one.

What size grease trap does a restaurant need?

Most full-service restaurants run a 2,000-litre or 3,000-litre trap. Smaller venues with a tight menu can get away with 1,000 litres; a busy steakhouse or seafood restaurant usually needs 3,000 litres or larger.

Can I switch contractors mid-contract?

Yes. Most trade waste agreements set the frequency and the licensed-transporter requirement, not the contractor. You can re-quote any time. Many restaurants re-quote every 12 months because the spread between contractors is wide.

By venue type

Grease trap cleaning for restaurants

What restaurants actually pay for a planned grease trap clean, the practical interval most operate to, and the three reasons restaurants commonly run their traps too hard.

Why restaurants' traps fill up the way they do

Sustained dinner and lunch service every week pushes a heavy daily fat, oil and grease load through the trap.
Most restaurant menus combine fryers, grills and saute lines, which produce more oil per cover than a cafe or bakery.
Multi-room kitchens often share one trap that was sized for the original menu, not the current volume.

Typical size and frequency for a restaurant

Typical trap size

2,000 to 3,000 litres

Typical interval

Monthly to every two months

Frequency is set per venue in the trade waste agreement. The figures above are practical starting points; the agreement is the rule. See how often should a trap be cleaned for the underlying logic.

What it costs

$320 to $480 for a planned 2,000L clean.

Restaurants sit at the higher end of the planned-clean range because traps are bigger and the contractor is on site longer per pump-out. Recurring monthly contracts typically come in 15 to 20 per cent below ad-hoc bookings.

Full pricing by city and trap size: grease trap cleaning cost.

Getting quotes

Submit the venue address, your contact details and the trap details you know. Skip what you do not know, the contractor will confirm on site. Up to three licensed contractors quote, typically the same business day. Free for venues.

Frequently asked

How often should a restaurant clean its grease trap?: For most full-service restaurants the trade waste agreement sets it at monthly, sometimes every two months for a smaller venue. Fryer-heavy menus get the tighter interval. The figure in your trade waste agreement is the legal one.
What size grease trap does a restaurant need?: Most full-service restaurants run a 2,000-litre or 3,000-litre trap. Smaller venues with a tight menu can get away with 1,000 litres; a busy steakhouse or seafood restaurant usually needs 3,000 litres or larger.
Can I switch contractors mid-contract?: Yes. Most trade waste agreements set the frequency and the licensed-transporter requirement, not the contractor. You can re-quote any time. Many restaurants re-quote every 12 months because the spread between contractors is wide.