Determine when hood side-shields/end panels are required vs. recommended for a commercial kitchen exhaust hood

Steps

1. Check the specific hood's UL 710 listing and manufacturer installation instructions first, since side-shield/end-panel requirements are frequently governed by the individual hood's tested listing rather than a single universal NFPA 96 numeric rule
2. Evaluate any gap between the end of the hood canopy and an adjoining wall or appliance; industry guidance commonly recommends end panels when such a gap exists, but confirm the specific trigger dimension against the hood's listing/manufacturer instructions rather than assuming one fixed number applies in all cases
3. Confirm the hood canopy's overhang beyond the cooking equipment on open sides (commonly cited around a minimum of 6 inches) is met, since inadequate overhang is a related capture problem that side panels alone cannot fully fix
4. Where cross-drafts, foot traffic, or open architecture reduce capture performance, consider end panels as a mitigation even if not strictly triggered by a code minimum, and validate improvement with a capture-and-containment check (see ASTM F1704 route)
5. Document the basis for the final decision (listing requirement vs. AHJ discretion vs. performance-based judgment) since this varies by hood model and installation