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INSTALLATION REALITIES

Pre-Installation Checklist: What Dealers Must Confirm Before Equipment Ships

A working commercial kitchen installation checklist for Canadian foodservice dealers. Use it before the truck leaves the warehouse.
Maintained by Celco.
The Celco service team has reviewed thousands of installation jobs across Canada since 1975. The same five site details decide whether an install goes smoothly. Every one of them is confirmable at the quote stage.

Most installation problems are site-related, not equipment-related. A convection oven shows up in a kitchen with the wrong gas pressure. A walk-in cooler arrives at a doorway that it cannot fit through. A fryer is staged under a hood that does not move enough air. These are all things a dealer can catch before the truck rolls.

This checklist provides a five-point verification you can run before confirming the order. Walk through it once, and you know the site is ready.

What Should a Dealer Confirm Before a Commercial Kitchen Install?

A dealer should confirm five things before equipment ships: utility specs, physical access, clearances, ventilation capacity, and the installer of record. Each item has a one-page answer. Confirm all five, and the install runs clean.

The rest of this guide breaks each item into a field check you can run by phone, by drawing, or with a site visit. Use it as a script. Read it back to the operator if you have to.

Utilities: Gas, Electric, and Water

Utilities are the most common site mismatch. The unit is built to a spec sheet. Confirming the site matches the spec sheet is the single highest-value check a dealer can run.
  • Gas supply: Confirm the fuel type (natural gas or propane), the line size at the connection point, and the manifold pressure available at peak demand. A six-burner range that requires 7-inch W.C. on natural gas will not perform on a starved 4-inch line. Ask whether other gas appliances run on the same branch. Get the answer in writing from the operator or their mechanical contractor.
  • Electrical service: Confirm voltage, phase, amperage, and breaker availability. A three-phase 208V unit cannot land on a single-phase 240V panel without a transformer. Ask whether the panel has a free breaker slot of the right size. Confirm whether a disconnect switch is required by the local electrical authority. In Canada, electrical work is regulated by provincial codes enforced by bodies such as the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) in Ontario and equivalent provincial authorities elsewhere. Gas work in Ontario is regulated by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), which adopts CSA B149.1 with Ontario amendments.
  • Water and drain: Confirm supply line size, static pressure, and water hardness. Ice machines, dishwashers, and steamers each have their own tolerance. Confirm the drain type (gravity, pumped, or air-gap) and whether a floor drain is within reach. Ask about the local water profile. A steamer or ice machine sent to a hard-water region runs best with a softener or filtration system sized to the local conditions.

Why this matters: Matching utilities up front means the unit fires correctly on day one, runs at full capacity, and stays in warranty from the start.

Space and Physical Clearance

A unit that fits the floor plan on paper still needs a clear path into the building.
  • Path of travel: Measure every doorway, hallway, elevator, and turn between the loading dock and the final position. Compare against the crated dimensions, not the uncrated ones. A 42-inch reach-in cooler through a 36-inch service door needs a plan B. Ask whether stairs are involved. Ask whether a rigger's crew is needed.
  • Final footprint: Confirm the equipment fits the wall position with the manufacturer's required clearances on every side. Most cooking equipment needs side clearance for service access and rear clearance for venting and gas connections. Refrigeration needs front clearance for condenser airflow and rear clearance for the coil to breathe.
  • Floor capacity and finish: Heavy equipment on a sub-grade floor or a tile that cannot be re-sealed needs a weight check first. Ask about floor type and weight rating before you ship a 1,200-pound tilting kettle into a converted retail space.

Why this matters: Confirming path-of-travel and clearances means the delivery goes straight to position, on schedule, on the first attempt.

Ventilation and Make-Up Air

Ventilation is the most valuable thing to verify. It is also the most commonly under-checked.
  • Hood capacity: Confirm the existing hood can handle the new appliance line-up. Each piece of cooking equipment has a heat load and a required exhaust CFM. A new charbroiler produces significantly more heat and grease-laden vapour than a flat-top, so the hood needs to be rated accordingly. Verifying hood capacity up front keeps the kitchen compliant at inspection.
  • Make-up air: Exhaust without matched make-up air pulls a vacuum on the building. Doors will not open. Pilot lights will go out. In cold provinces, unheated make-up air will freeze the kitchen. Confirm the make-up air unit is sized to within roughly 80 to 90 percent of the exhaust rate, and that it is heated for winter operation.
  • Code compliance: Canadian commercial kitchen ventilation is governed by NFPA 96, as adopted by provincial fire codes, with equipment listings often referencing CSA Group standards. Confirm the proposed install will pass the local AHJ before the unit ships. Ask the operator whether their hood was inspected after the last menu change.

Why this matters: A verified hood and make-up air system means the installation passes fire inspection on the first try, and the kitchen stays comfortable for staff year-round.

Installer of Record and Start-Up

A factory-authorized start-up protects the warranty and gives the operator a clean commissioning record from day one.
  • Authorized installer: Confirm who is doing the gas connection, the electrical connection, and the start-up commissioning. For most cooking and refrigeration equipment, the manufacturer requires a factory-authorized service agency to start the unit and file the warranty registration. Using a factory-authorized agent keeps the warranty intact and provides a documented commissioning record for everyone.
  • Start-up scheduling: Confirm the start-up appointment is booked before the unit ships, not after. Authorized agents in remote Canadian regions are often booked two to three weeks out. Booking a start-up early means the unit is commissioned and producing revenue as soon as it lands.
  • Documentation: Confirm the operator has access to the manual, the warranty card, and the installer's start-up sheet. Handing those over on day one gives the operator everything they need to manage the unit independently.

Why this matters: A proper commissioning means the warranty is active from day one and the operator has a trained point of contact for any future service needs.

Site Sign-Off Before Shipping

The last step is the cheapest one and the most often skipped. Get a written confirmation from the operator or the GC that the five categories above are confirmed. A two-line email is enough. It confirms everyone is aligned on site readiness before the equipment ships.

A five-minute checklist sets up a smooth install. Dealers who verify the site before shipping consistently deliver on time, on spec, and on budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is responsible if a commercial kitchen installation fails?
Responsibility depends on what failed. If the equipment is defective, the manufacturer covers it under warranty. If the site is out of spec, the operator and their contractors are responsible for the fix. The dealer sits in the middle and absorbs whichever party will not. A documented pre-install checklist moves the dealer out of the middle.
Run it before the order is placed, not after. The checklist exists to catch problems while the quote is still editable. Running it after deposit forces hard conversations about cancellations, restocking fees, and delivery delays.
The Celco service team supports dealers across Canada with phone-based site review and, in many regions, in-person surveys for complex installs. Contact your Celco regional rep to scope a survey before quoting.
Treat refusal as a risk signal. Document the conversation, note the unconfirmed items in the quote, and price in a contingency for rework. An operator unwilling to confirm site conditions is usually the same operator who calls about the install on day one.

About the Author

This guide is maintained by Celco, a Canadian foodservice equipment supplier serving dealers, consultants, and foodservice operators since 1975.

For over five decades, Celco has supported foodservice equipment dealers across Canada by providing access to equipment solutions for a wide range of commercial foodservice applications. The company works across restaurant, healthcare, institutional, C-store, and grocery environments, helping dealers evaluate equipment options for diverse operational needs.

This guide draws on decades of industry experience, collaboration with dealers and manufacturers, and observations from foodservice equipment projects across Canada. With a portfolio that includes Celcold®, Celcook®, and leading equipment brands from around the world, Celco brings practical insight into the equipment needs of foodservice operations.

Get the Pre-Install Checklist as a One-Pager

Every item on this page is also available as a printable one-pager you can hand to an operator or take to a site visit. Download it from the Celco Dealer Toolkit and bring it to your next quote.
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Celco has supported Canadian foodservice dealers for over fifty years. Use the Dealer Toolkit before the truck leaves the warehouse, not after.

Talk to a Celco specialist before your next installation.