Quick Answer
Most Boston-area restaurant grease traps need service every 30 to 90 days, depending on capacity, daily volume, and waste profile. Your required interval and records are set by your local sewer authority or board of health, so confirm those first; measured fill rate then tells you whether you need to service more often.
Got the symptom we just described?
Don't wait it out — call Mr. Drain. We answer 24/7 and dispatch fast across Greater Boston.
How often should a Boston restaurant clean its grease trap? The honest answer is "as often as your trap actually fills" — and that's exactly what a properly designed maintenance schedule measures.
Start with your local requirements
Service limits and record-keeping are set locally. In Boston, read the Boston Water and Sewer Commission's commercial kitchen grease trap guidelines and confirm details with BWSC; elsewhere, ask your town's sewer department or board of health. Many kitchens end up somewhere between 30 and 90 days, and high-volume operations often more often.
What changes the interval
- Trap capacity (gallons)
- Daily covers and food volume
- Menu profile (fryer-heavy operations fill fast)
- Pre-treatment and staff practice
- Seasonal swings
Don't wait it out.
Drain problems get worse — and more expensive — the longer they sit. Call Mr. Drain now for a free evaluation.
Why "we'll just do it when we notice it" doesn't work
By the time you "notice it," the floor sink is holding water and the dishwasher is backing up. Reactive service is emergency service — at emergency rates, with kitchen downtime attached. Scheduled service avoids all of it.
How we set your interval
First service measures actual fill. Second service confirms the rate. From there, we set a schedule that stays inside your local requirement with margin to spare — and we adjust as your volume changes. Grease trap cleaning is one of our core commercial services across Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the legal minimum service interval in Boston?
What happens if I skip service?
Do small grease traps need service too?
Can you handle the manifest paperwork?
What if my schedule changes — busier season?
Stop guessing. Start fixing.
Mr. Drain is one call away — 24/7.
Family-owned since 1993. Free evaluations. Honest, upfront pricing across Boston, Greater Boston, the North Shore, and the South Shore.
