Keep, Move, Replace or Add: Auditing Your Equipment Before a Kitchen Renovation
Renovation Guide · Equipment
Keep, Move, Replace or Add: Auditing Your Equipment Before a Kitchen Renovation
A renovation is the best time to look at every piece of equipment. It is also the time when it is easiest to replace things that were fine, or keep things that will cause trouble.
Use the questions and worksheet below to give each piece one of four answers: keep, move, replace or add. Then take the finished list to your supplier and trades before anything is ordered.
Decide the Equipment Before the Building
The equipment list sets the electrical load, the gas demand, the drainage and the ventilation. If it changes after the walls are up, the building work changes with it.
Make the decisions piece by piece, based on condition, fit and what the new menu needs.
Who This Is For
Operators renovating or expanding who already have a working kitchen.
Four Decisions, One List
Every piece of equipment in the kitchen gets one of four answers.
Before the layout, utilities or approvals can be settled, you need to know what is staying, moving, going and arriving. This post gives you the questions and a worksheet to make each call.
The four answers
- Keep
- Move
- Replace
- Add
Keep
It works, it fits the new layout and it is not a source of problems. Low-wear equipment in good condition often belongs here.
Move
Still good, but the new layout needs it somewhere else. Check that the new spot has the utilities, clearances and ventilation it needs.
Replace
It is worn out, costs too much to keep running, or no longer suits the menu. Heat- and grease-heavy cooking equipment is where this often lands.
Add
The new menu or volume needs capacity you do not have. Check the utilities and hood coverage before you commit.
The Audit Questions
Seven questions settle most decisions.
Walk each piece of equipment through these questions with your chef and your service provider. The answers usually point clearly in one direction.
How to use this table
- Go piece by piece, not by category.
- Record the answer on the worksheet.
- Mark anything uncertain for a service check.
| Question | Why it matters | Points toward |
|---|---|---|
| How old is it, and how has it performed? | Age and service history show how much life is left and how much it costs to keep running. Sources differ on typical lifespans, so rely on your own service record | Keep if good, replace if not |
| Does it still suit the menu? | A piece that was right for the old menu can be the wrong size or type for the new one | Replace or add |
| Does it fit the new layout and workflow? | Equipment can be in good condition and still be in the wrong place for how the line now works | Move |
| What does it cost to run? | Energy use and maintenance add up. Newer units can be more efficient, but that alone rarely justifies replacing a sound one | Weigh against keep |
| What do its connections look like? | The gas, electrical, water and drain connections it needs must exist where it will sit | Move or replace |
| Would a repair make sense? | A common rule of thumb says to consider replacement when a repair costs around half the price of a new unit. It is a starting point, not a rule | Decide with your service provider |
| Is it recent? | Recently bought equipment is often worth keeping after a service check and calibration | Keep |
What Usually Gets Kept and What Usually Gets Replaced
Wear and connections explain most of the pattern.
Industry guidance generally distinguishes between low-wear equipment that stays, and heat- and grease-heavy cooking equipment that often goes. Use it as a starting point and check against your own equipment.
A caution
- Condition beats category. A well-kept fryer can outlast a neglected mixer.
- Sources differ on typical lifespans, so we do not give a number.
| Kind of equipment | Often | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cook-line equipment (ranges, fryers, griddles, charbroilers) | Evaluate for replacement | Heat and grease wear these out faster, and their gas, electrical and ventilation connections affect the whole line |
| Low-wear equipment (prep floor mixers, reach-in refrigeration at the bar) | Often keep | They tend to be in good condition and do not depend on the hot-line hookups |
| Valuable legacy equipment (a combi oven in good condition, for example) | Keep, and build around it | Replacing it can cost more than it gains. Confirm with a service check |
| Recently purchased equipment | Keep, after a service check | There is little reason to replace something new. Have it checked and calibrated |
| Equipment tied to the hot-line hookups | Evaluate as a group | If the hookups are changing, the equipment connected to them is affected too |
If You Are Moving Equipment
A move is a new installation.
Moving equipment means disconnecting it, relocating it and connecting it again in a spot that must supply everything it needs. Treat it like installing new equipment.
Check before you commit to a move
- Does the new spot have the right gas, electrical, water and drain connections?
- Are clearances and ventilation adequate?
- Who disconnects and reconnects it?
- Can it get through the doors and along the path?
Utilities
Confirm each connection exists where the equipment will sit, or can be run there.
Ventilation
Cooking equipment needs hood coverage in its new position.
Clearances
Check the manufacturer documents and local requirements for distances to walls and neighbouring equipment.
Reconnection
Have the connections made and tested by trades authorized in your province.
If You Are Adding Equipment
New capacity has to be supported by the building.
Adding a piece is rarely just about the piece. It changes your electrical load, your gas demand, your drains and sometimes your ventilation.
Before you add
- Add up the new electrical and gas load against what the building supplies.
- A grease-producing appliance can change what the ventilation must handle.
- Ask your gas utility early if you may need a bigger service.
Electrical
Check panel capacity against the combined load of everything you plan to run.
Gas
Size the supply against the combined connected load, not one appliance.
Water and drains
Steam and water-using equipment needs supply, drainage and sometimes water treatment.
Ventilation
Confirm hood coverage and make-up air for the new piece.
Printable Audit Worksheet
One page that keeps the decisions in one place.
Print this worksheet and fill in one row for every piece of equipment. Bring it to your supplier, your service provider and your contractor so everyone works from the same list.
Equipment Audit Worksheet · Russell Hendrix
| Equipment | Age and condition | Keep, move, replace or add | Utilities and notes | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Common Mistakes
Most audit errors come from deciding too fast or too late.
Taking the time to check each piece before the layout is set is cheaper than finding out afterwards.
Replacing by default
Low-wear equipment in good condition is often worth keeping.
Keeping by default
Old cook-line equipment can drag down the new layout and the new utilities.
Forgetting the connections
A piece that fits can still lack the right gas, electrical or drain connection.
Deciding after the walls are up
Rough-ins should match the final equipment list.
Guessing at condition
Ask your service provider to check anything you plan to keep or move.
Ignoring the menu
Equipment should be sized for the new menu, not the old one.
Leaving out lead times
Some equipment can take weeks or months to arrive.
No written list
If it is not on the worksheet, someone will assume something different.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the questions operators ask during a renovation audit.
How do I decide between repairing and replacing?
Ask your service provider for the repair cost and compare it to the price of a replacement. A common rule of thumb says to consider replacement when a repair costs around half the price of a new unit. It is a starting point, and age, energy use and fit to the new layout also matter.
How long should commercial kitchen equipment last?
Sources differ, and it depends heavily on the equipment, how it is used and how it is maintained. We do not give a single number. Your own service history is the best guide.
Can I reuse a piece of equipment in a new location?
Often, yes, if the new location supplies what it needs: the right connections, clearances and ventilation. Moving is a new installation, so have it reconnected and tested by trades authorized in your province.
Should I replace equipment I bought recently?
Usually not. Recently bought equipment is often fine after a service check and calibration.
What if I am not sure about the condition of a piece?
Have your service provider check it before the decision is final. A short check costs less than replacing something that was fine, or keeping something that fails.
What should I do first?
List every piece, record its age and condition, and mark what the new menu needs that you do not have. Then work through the questions on this page.
Where This Guidance Comes From
We built this from published guidance. We name it so you can read it yourself.
These are the public sources behind this post. Requirements for plan review, permits and inspections differ by province, city and health unit, so the health-unit pages are examples of how it works in some places, not a ruling for yours.
Always confirm locally
- Your local public health unit
- Your municipal building and fire departments
- Your gas, electrical and ventilation trades, who are authorized in your province
- Foodservice Equipment & Supplies: Remodel, repair, replace
- Mission Restaurant Supply: How to remodel your foodservice space without closing down
- Foodservice Equipment & Supplies: Understanding utility needs when adding foodservice equipment
- Mission Restaurant Supply: How to plan a kitchen that can grow with your operation
When to Involve a Specialist
Equipment decisions work best with the whole kitchen in view.
A specialist can review your audit, flag connection and ventilation questions for your trades and help balance the line before anything is ordered.
Bring in Sales when
- You are replacing more than one cook-line piece.
- Utility capacity is uncertain.
- You need a size or type not listed online.
- The menu is changing.
Audit First, Then Plan the Utilities
The equipment list is what the utilities, ventilation and approvals are built on.
Want the full sequence? The order-of-operations post shows where the audit fits.
