What Is a FOG Compliance Proof Packet?

When an LA Sanitation or LADBS inspector walks into your restaurant and asks about your grease trap, they are not asking philosophically. They want to see paperwork. Specific paperwork. Recent paperwork. And if you cannot produce it on the spot, the inspection escalates fast.

A "FOG compliance proof packet" is a complete document bundle that proves your grease trap or interceptor has been properly maintained. It is the answer to every question an inspector might ask, organized in one place, ready to hand over.

This guide explains what goes in a proof packet, why each piece matters, and how to make sure you always have one ready.

The Inspector's Mental Checklist

LA Sanitation inspectors are trained to verify a few things during a FOG inspection:

Was the equipment serviced recently? Within the 90-day maximum window, ideally more often based on volume.
Was the service performed by a licensed waste hauler? Unlicensed haulers create automatic violations.
Was the waste disposed of at a permitted facility? Dumping grease waste improperly is a serious environmental violation.
Is there a record of what was removed? Volumes, dates, conditions, photos.
Is the equipment in good working order? Baffles intact, lid sealing, no cracks or leaks.

A proof packet answers all five questions in one place. Without it, the inspector has to ask, you have to scramble, and the inspection turns into an investigation.

What Goes In a Proof Packet

A complete FOG proof packet contains seven core documents:

1. Waste Manifest

This is the most important piece. The waste manifest is the official record showing what was removed, by whom, and where it went. It must include:

Date and time of pump-out
Vendor name and license number
Volume removed (broken down by grease, water, and solids when possible)
Disposal facility name and permit number
Driver signature
Customer signature confirming the service

LA Sanitation considers the waste manifest the primary proof of service. Without it, no other documentation matters. With a missing manifest, the inspector treats the service as if it never happened.

2. Vendor Credentials

Inspectors verify that the vendor was licensed at the time of service. The packet should include:

Current business license
Waste hauler permit (issued by the appropriate authority)
Liability insurance certificate
Any specialty certifications (interceptor service, hazardous waste handling)

A vendor whose license expired between services creates a compliance gap. Even if the work was done, the documentation cannot prove it was done by an authorized hauler. GreaseGrid verifies vendor credentials before every job, so this is automatic in our proof packets.

3. Before and After Photos

Photos are not strictly required by LAMC Section 171, but they have become standard inspector evidence. A good proof packet includes:

Before photo showing the trap or interceptor at full capacity (the condition that triggered the service)
After photo showing the trap clean and properly closed
Photos of any damage, wear, or maintenance issues identified during service
Timestamps confirming the photos match the manifest date

Photos protect both the customer and the vendor. They prove the service was actually performed and they document the equipment's condition over time.

4. Service Date and Volume Record

A simple structured record tying everything together:

Date and time of service
Equipment identifier (which trap or interceptor, by location)
Volume removed
Estimated capacity reached at time of service
Vendor company and technician name

This is the data inspectors use to verify compliance with the 25% capacity rule. If your records show a trap was pumped at 30% capacity, that is a violation note. If they show the trap was pumped at 18%, you are in compliance.

5. Compliance Summary

A one-page summary formatted for quick inspector review. This is not technically required but it makes inspections go fast. The summary should include:

Restaurant name and address
Equipment type and capacity
Required pump-out interval
Last service date and next scheduled service date
Year-to-date pump-out count
Any compliance notes or issues

When an inspector picks up the summary, they should be able to determine compliance status in 30 seconds. That is the goal.

6. Service History (Recent)

The packet should reference the last 6 to 12 months of service history. Inspectors who see a clean monthly cadence move on quickly. Inspectors who see gaps, missed services, or irregular intervals dig deeper.

7. Disposal Facility Receipts

Some inspectors ask for receipts from the disposal facility, especially for high-volume operations. The receipt confirms that the waste actually arrived where the manifest claims it went. Vendors who do not provide disposal receipts create a documentation gap that inspectors notice.

Why Most Restaurants Fail Here

The proof packet does not exist as a default. Without an active system, restaurants accumulate documentation in fragmented ways: some manifests in email, some photos on a manager's phone, vendor licenses in a folder somewhere, no compliance summary at all. When an inspector arrives, the manager scrambles for an hour and produces a partial packet.

Partial packets fail inspections. Even if the underlying service was good, missing documentation looks like missing service.

This is the gap GreaseGrid was built to close. Every service we coordinate produces a complete proof packet within 24 hours, stored in your compliance vault, ready to download at any time. You do not assemble anything. The packet exists before the inspector arrives.

Common Documentation Gaps

The patterns we see in restaurants that come to us after a failed inspection:

Manifests stored only in email. Email gets deleted, archived, or lost. By the time you need a manifest from 18 months ago, it is gone. Proof packets in a permanent vault solve this.

No vendor credentials on file. The restaurant trusted that the vendor was licensed but never confirmed. When the inspector asks to see the license, neither the restaurant nor the vendor can produce it quickly.

Photos taken inconsistently. Some services have photos, some do not. Some photos are time-stamped, some are not. Inspectors notice inconsistency.

No service history. The restaurant has manifests for the last 3 services but cannot show the 9 services before that. Inspectors see a 6-month gap and assume the worst.

Wrong vendor signed the manifest. A subcontractor or temporary driver signed the manifest, but the licensed hauler is a different company. This creates a chain-of-custody question.

Disposal facility unclear. The manifest says "regional treatment facility" without naming it. The inspector cannot verify the waste went to a permitted location.

How to Build a Proof Packet System

If you do not currently have organized proof packets, the fastest path is to start with your next service:

Request a complete packet from your vendor for the next pump-out. Ask for manifest, photos, license copy, and disposal receipt.
Store everything in one place (cloud folder, vault system, or coordination platform).
Build the compliance summary template with your equipment details and required intervals.
Backfill from past services by asking your vendor for historical manifests. Most vendors keep records for at least 3 years.
Set a recurring reminder to verify the packet is complete after every service.

Or use a coordination platform that handles this automatically. GreaseGrid produces a complete proof packet within 24 hours of every pump-out, with no scrambling and no gaps.

What Happens During an Actual Inspection

Here is what a typical LA Sanitation FOG inspection looks like for a restaurant with proof packets ready:

Inspector arrives, asks for the most recent service records
Manager hands over the proof packet (or shows it on a tablet from the GreaseGrid portal)
Inspector reviews the manifest, verifies vendor license, glances at photos
Inspector physically inspects the trap or interceptor to confirm condition matches the records
If everything matches, inspection ends in 10 minutes with no findings

For a restaurant without proof packets:

Inspector arrives, asks for service records
Manager searches email, calls vendor, asks employees, finds partial documentation
Inspector waits, makes notes, asks more pointed questions
Inspector physically inspects the trap and finds either compliance or violation
Even with compliant equipment, documentation gaps generate findings
Inspection ends in 90+ minutes with corrective action notice

The difference is not the equipment. It is the documentation.

How GreaseGrid Handles This

Every service we coordinate produces a complete proof packet within 24 hours. The packet is stored in your compliance vault permanently and includes all seven documents listed above. Vendor credentials are verified before each service. Photos and manifests are uploaded by the vendor and validated automatically. The compliance summary is generated and updated after every pump-out.

You can download, email, or present the packet directly from your phone during an inspection. No scrambling, no gaps, no surprises.

Learn more about our proof packet service or request your first service.