Test 12= Commercial Make-Up Air Systemsin Colorado

In summary, when your exhaust hood removes air from the kitchen, that air must be replaced. Without a dedicated make-up air system, your kitchen operates at negative pressure — causing doors to slam, combustion appliances to backdraft, and your HVAC system to work overtime. Colorado health codes and NFPA 96 require adequate make-up air for all commercial kitchen hood installations.

The short answer: make-up air volume must match your exhaust CFM. Hood Builder engineers calculate your exhaust hood's airflow requirements, then specify a make-up air unit sized to deliver 80–90% of that volume directly to the kitchen, with the remainder drawn from the dining area. Altitude adjustments are applied for Colorado high-elevation locations.

In practice, direct-fired units burn gas inside the airstream — highly efficient and ideal for Colorado's cold winters since nearly all heat transfers to supply air. Indirect-fired units use a heat exchanger, keeping combustion gases separate from supply air. Hood Builder helps you choose the right type based on your application, budget, and local code requirements.

In summary, yes. Hood Builder is a full-service contractor with 35 years of experience in commercial kitchen ventilation. We manage system design, equipment selection, permitting, installation, and final inspection — so you have a single point of accountability from start to finish.

In practice, most standard commercial make-up air installations are completed within one to three days once equipment is on-site. Hood Builder coordinates equipment lead times and schedules installation to minimize disruption to your kitchen operations.