How to Measure Your Grill Before You Book a Cleaning

Before anyone can give you a straight answer on a grill cleaning, they need one number: how wide the grilling surface is. It takes about two minutes, a tape measure and a cold grill. Here is how to get it right, so the price you expect matches the price you get.

Why width is the number that matters

Cleaning is priced by the width of the grilling surface. That makes sense once you have seen the inside of a few grills. A wider grill has more grates, more flavorizer bars or heat plates, more burners, a bigger firebox and a larger hood to degrease. More surface means more hours of work and more parts to take apart and put back together. Width is the simplest honest way to measure that.

The size bands on the pricing page of this site are 24 to 28 inches at $345, 29 to 34 inches at $375, 35 to 39 inches at $425 and 40 to 45 inches at $475. Grills over 45 inches are $12 per linear inch. Larger grills may include an additional cost, and a grill with a rodent infestation needs a full cleaning that adds $75. The size, the age and the overall condition of the grill all play into the cost, which is why a free estimate is available.

How to measure, step by step

• Make sure the grill is off, the gas is closed and the grates are cool.
• Open the hood fully so you can see the whole cooking surface.
• Run the tape measure along the cooking grates from the far left edge to the far right edge, in a straight line across the front.
• Measure only the cooking surface. Leave out the side shelves, the side burner, the hood handle and any warming rack hanging off the end.
• Write the number in inches, rounded to the nearest half inch.
• Measure a second time along the back of the grates to confirm the number.

If your grates do not run in a clean line, for example because a searing station or a rotisserie burner sits at one end, measure the full span of the grilling area that the burners sit under. When in doubt, take a photo of the open grill with the tape in place and send it along with your request.

Built-in or freestanding

On a freestanding grill, the cart is wider than the cooking surface, and the side shelves make the whole thing wider still. Do not measure the outside of the cart. On a built-in grill that sits in an outdoor kitchen, do not use the countertop cutout either. The cutout is larger than the grill head by design, and the grill head is larger than the grates. The grates are the number that counts.

The model name can be misleading. A grill sold as a 36 inch may be named for the cabinet or the cutout and not the cooking surface, and brands do not all use the same convention. Trust your tape measure over the name on the badge.

What if you land near the edge of a band

A grill that measures 28 and a half inches, or 34 and a half, sits in the gap between bands. Measuring twice helps, and a photo helps more. Tell us the number you found and let the estimate settle it. It is much better to sort the size out before the appointment than on the day, when the crew is standing at your grill with the hood open.

Two grills in one yard

Plenty of South Bay backyards have a main grill and a smaller one, or a built-in with a freestanding grill parked next to it. Measure each one separately and treat each as its own size. Mention both when you book so the appointment is set up for the right amount of work.

Other details worth having when you book

• The brand and model, if you can find the tag. Common spots are the inside of the cabinet door, the back of the grill and the frame near the gas connection.
• The rough age of the grill and whether it has been cleaned before.
• Anything that is not working, such as an igniter that will not spark or a burner that lights unevenly.
• Whether you have noticed any sign of rodents or pests inside the grill or the cabinet.
• Your address and whether a morning or afternoon appointment suits you.

That last item matters because the work happens at your home. We do all of our cleaning and repairs at your home or business, so the booking form asks for your address and a preferred morning or afternoon, and the visit is built around that.

A quick recap

• Measure across the cooking grates only, side to side, in inches.
• Skip the shelves, the cart, the hood and the countertop cutout.
• Measure twice, and take a photo with the tape in place.
• Match your number to the bands: 24 to 28, 29 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 to 45, and over 45.
• Mention a second grill, any rodent signs and anything that is not working.

South Bay Grill Cleaning cleans and repairs grills at your home across the South Bay. If your measurement lands in a gray area, call (310) 994-8408 and we will help you sort out the size and the estimate.