Why this is on our list at all
Updraft is not a grease-trap pumper. We do not own a vacuum truck and we do not haul fats, oils, and grease. Grease-trap pumping is a regulated waste-haul activity that requires a Houston-registered Special Waste Transporter under the Special Waste Program. We coordinate. We do the paperwork. We make sure the pumping happens on the same calendar as the hood cleaning so the kitchen gets one disruption per quarter, not two.
The 90-day rule, read carefully
City of Houston Code of Ordinances §47-512(b) says, roughly: every grease interceptor inside the incorporated city limits must be fully evacuated at least every ninety days unless an approved Notice of Waiver is on file. The waiver clause is the part most operators do not know exists. The waiver requires a quarterly measurement showing the interceptor is below 25% of its wetted height in floating materials, sediment, oils, and greases at the 90-day mark.
If your interceptor genuinely runs below the 25% mark at 90 days — which a small breakfast-only café might, for example — the waiver is worth filing. It can move you to a 180-day cycle. We will measure the interceptor on every quarterly visit and flag the math when it works.
What we file
The waiver application is short, three pages including the measurement attestation. We fill out the operator-side fields, attach our photographs and gauge readings, and forward the application to your designated registered transporter for their attestation. The transporter files with the city. We keep a copy in your operator portal.
The manifest
Every pump-out generates a hauler's manifest. Houston requires the manifest be retained for three years. We capture the manifest from the transporter the same day, archive it in your portal, and forward a copy to the operator's accountant for tax-record purposes (FOG hauling is deductible as a sanitation expense).
What this costs
The coordination work is included in your quarterly contract at no surcharge. The actual pump-out is billed by the registered transporter and varies by interceptor capacity — a typical 1,000-gallon interceptor pumps out for $260–$340 in the Houston market as of 2026. The waiver-filing fee is $40 to the city.
One sentence about FOG fines
The penalty range for a §47-512(b) violation is $250 to $2,000 per occurrence, plus the cost of an emergency pump-out. We have never had a client cited. We would prefer not to start.