Exhaust Fan / Range Hood CFM Verification Checklist PDF

Full QC Checklist+

Verify input/method selection, pre-installation planning, installation, and post-installation verification for a bathroom fan or range hood.

✓20 Inspection Points

✓4 Verification Categories

✓Inputs & Method Selection+

Correct calculator mode selected (Bathroom vs. Kitchen) for the actual room being sized
Bathroom: square footage measured for the actual room, and separate shower/tub fixtures accurately identified (a jetted tub selected as jetted, not also marked as a separate standard tub)
Ventilation Type (Intermittent vs. Continuous) selected deliberately for how the fan will actually be operated, not left at the default
Kitchen: cooktop/range width measured at the actual cooking surface, not the cabinet or countertop width around it
Kitchen: fuel type and BTU rating confirmed against the actual appliance's spec sheet or nameplate, not guessed

✓Before Installation+

An HVI (Home Ventilating Institute) certified fan/hood selected, with independently verified CFM — not just the manufacturer's advertised rating
Duct routing planned with the shortest run and fewest elbows practical, sized against the manufacturer's own duct table and equivalent-length limits for the selected CFM
If kitchen required CFM exceeds 400, checked whether IRC M1503.6 makeup air applies to this home's specific fuel-burning appliances, and planned for it if so
Bathroom: fan location confirmed to actually ventilate the wet zone (near the shower/tub), not just centered in the room for symmetry
Duct confirmed to terminate outdoors through a proper wall/roof cap, not into an attic, soffit, or wall cavity

✓Installation+

Duct diameter sized appropriately for the selected fan/hood's actual CFM, not left at whatever diameter was on hand
Electrical circuit and wiring confirmed adequate for the selected unit, with GFCI protection where required near wet areas
Fan/hood securely mounted to structural framing (ceiling joists or cabinet framing), not drywall or cabinet material alone
Exterior vent cap installed with a functioning backdraft damper and insect screen
If a makeup air system was installed, confirmed it's wired to activate automatically and simultaneously with the range hood, not as a separate manual switch

✓After Installation+

Actual delivered airflow verified at the register/vent with a flow hood or anemometer, not just assumed from the unit's rated CFM
Noise level (in sones) confirmed acceptable in practice, especially for a bathroom fan sized larger than the room previously had
If installed, makeup air system activation verified in practice (turns on automatically with the hood, not just on paper)
Maintenance schedule established (range hood grease filter cleaning, bathroom fan housing/blade cleaning), not treated as a one-time installation task
Bathroom: mirror fogging, lingering odor, or visible condensation confirmed to actually clear within a reasonable time after showering, not just assumed resolved because a correctly-sized fan was installed

Inspection Notes+

Use the latest approved drawings, specifications, and site measurements.

Complete all critical checks before proceeding to the next work stage.

Record deviations and confirm rectification where required.

Inspection Notes

Use the latest approved drawings, specifications, and site measurements.

Complete all critical checks before proceeding to the next work stage.

Record deviations and confirm rectification where required.

Use it after collecting the project inputs and again before approving or closing the relevant work stage.

No. It supports verification but does not replace approved drawings, specifications, codes, manufacturer requirements, or professional inspection.