Kitchen Exhaust Fan Installation Cost
Installing a kitchen exhaust fan or range hood typically costs $300 – $800 in labor when the wiring and any ductwork are already in place. Running new ducting to the outside adds $300 – $1,200. A ducted hood vents grease and moisture outdoors, while a recirculating hood filters and returns air to the room, and that choice drives much of the price. Here is the breakdown.
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| Job type | Installed range | What is involved |
|---|---|---|
| Replace an existing range hood | $150 – $400 | Same spot, existing duct and wiring reused |
| Install a range hood, ducting in place | $300 – $800 | New hood, existing duct path and power |
| New install with ducting to outside | $600 – $2,000 | Hood plus a fresh duct run and wall or roof cap |
| Recirculating (ductless) hood | $200 – $600 | No duct run; charcoal filter returns air to the room |
| Over-the-range microwave with vent | $200 – $500 | Combo unit; ducted or recirculating |
| Line item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The hood or fan unit | $80 – $1,000+ | Basic up to high-CFM and designer hoods |
| Labor | $150 – $400 | Mounting, leveling, connecting power and duct |
| New duct run | $300 – $1,200 | Path to an exterior wall or through the roof |
| Exterior vent cap | $75 – $250 | Wall cap or a roof cap with flashing |
| New electrical circuit | $150 – $400 | Only if no power exists at the hood location |
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Ducted vs recirculating: the choice that drives cost
A ducted (vented) hood captures grease, smoke, steam, and cooking odors and pushes them outdoors through a duct and an exterior cap. It is the more effective option by a wide margin because it actually removes heat and moisture from the kitchen rather than recycling them. If the duct path already exists, a ducted hood installs in the $300 – $800 range; if a new duct run to the outside is needed, that adds $300 – $1,200.
A recirculating (ductless) hood pulls air through a charcoal filter and blows it back into the room. It does not remove heat or moisture and is less effective at clearing odors, but it needs no duct, which makes it cheaper and simpler at $200 – $600 installed. It is the practical choice for interior kitchens or apartments where running a duct outside is not feasible. The charcoal filters are a recurring cost and need replacing every few months.
The range hood angle: sizing and CFM
A range hood should be at least as wide as the cooktop below it, and ideally a few inches wider on each side to catch the plume from the outer burners. For airflow, a common guideline is roughly 100 CFM per linear foot of cooktop for an electric range, and more for gas, where the standard rule is about 100 CFM per 10,000 BTU of burner output. A powerful gas range can call for a 600 to 900 CFM hood. The same CFM-per-area thinking shows up when sizing a bathroom exhaust fan or an attic ventilation fan.
High-CFM hoods of 400 CFM and up may require make-up air in tightly sealed homes, a code provision that brings replacement air into the house so the powerful fan does not depressurize the kitchen and backdraft a furnace or water heater flue. That make-up air system is its own line item and a reason to confirm the requirement before buying an oversized hood.
Hood styles and what they cost to install
Under-cabinet hoods mount beneath the cabinet over the range and are the most common and least expensive to install. Wall-mount chimney hoods and island hoods are more visible and usually heavier, taking more time to mount and often more duct because of where they sit. An over-the-range microwave with a built-in vent doubles as a hood and is a budget-friendly combo, though its fan is weaker than a dedicated hood. A combo unit draws more current than a plain hood, which is one reason a microwave can trip its breaker on a shared circuit.
Downdraft vents, which rise behind or beside the cooktop, are the most involved because the ducting routes down through the floor or cabinet base. They suit islands where an overhead hood is unwanted, but the install runs higher and the capture is less effective than an overhead hood that sits in the rising plume.
Venting rules and where the duct goes
Like a bathroom fan, a kitchen hood that vents must terminate outside, through a wall cap or a roof cap, never into the attic or a wall cavity. Kitchen exhaust carries grease, and a duct that dumps into the attic deposits flammable grease on framing and traps moisture, a fire and mold risk both. Use smooth rigid metal duct rather than flexible foil, because grease clings to ridged surfaces and the smooth duct moves air better.
The shorter and straighter the run, the better the hood performs, so the simplest and strongest installs put the range on or near an exterior wall. A range on an interior wall or an island means a longer duct, sometimes up through the roof, which is where the $300 – $1,200 ducting add comes from. If the hood location has no power, expect a new outlet or circuit, and a high-CFM hood paired with a microwave often warrants its own dedicated circuit.
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