Commercial kitchen extract and grease-duct cleaning to TR19 standard is a UK business you could start with £5-15k in capital, with a realistic year-one revenue of £20-50k and first revenue in 0-4 weeks. It scores 7/10 Opportunity and 6/10 Validation Depth on the startup.compare framework.
Commercial kitchen extract systems need periodic professional cleaning to the TR19 Grease standard to support Fire Safety Order compliance and, critically, to keep buildings insurance valid. National facilities-management firms serve larger chains; the independent long tail of restaurants, cafés, pubs and takeaways is the segment most likely to be non-compliant or using an uncertified cleaner, leaving the operator one uninspected duct fire away from an invalidated claim.
Named commercial insurers require a valid TR19 certificate to maintain cover or pay a fire claim, and EHO and fire-authority enforcement continues under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 across insurance renewal cycles.
Regulatory position: Medium: TR19 Grease certification evidences Fire Safety Order and insurer-policy compliance (not statutory); waste carrier registration for grease-waste disposal.
£5-15k of real cash to first customer. Technical bar: Some. Regulatory position: Medium: TR19 Grease certification evidences Fire Safety Order and insurer-policy compliance (not statutory); waste carrier registration for grease-waste disposal.
£20-50k, derived from price times reachable buyers, not asserted. Margin profile: Medium. Time to first paid work: 0-4 weeks.
Named commercial insurers require a valid TR19 certificate to maintain cover or pay a fire claim, and EHO and fire-authority enforcement continues under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 across insurance renewal cycles.
Size the local independent-hospitality base and estimate the genuine non-compliance rate before acting. Confirm which named insurers require TR19 evidence as a condition of cover in the target area, and the standard price per clean by duct size, to firm up the revenue basis. Binding leg: Demand-evidence/Revenue basis.
Binding leg: Demand-evidence/Revenue basis. Sources: Insurer compliance guidance (Aviva named) · Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 · ONS Business Demography 2024.