Restaurants and food trucks.
Arlington County food-facility health permits run about $40 annually. Plan review runs about $40. Confirm the exact amount with Arlington County Public Health Division, Environmental Health Bureau (operated in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Health) before you budget.
Confirm the authority for your exact address. Some cities run their own health division, and building, planning, fire, sewer/grease and business-license approvals are separate even when Arlington County Public Health Division, Environmental Health Bureau (operated in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Health) issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 0.5% change in establishments since 2022 (617 → 620).
The average foodservice wage here is $6,842 above the Virginia average ($23,919); Virginia has about 17,549 food & drink establishments statewide.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 722, food services & drinking places) — establishments with paid employees. Some small-county payroll figures are withheld by Census for confidentiality.
AUTHORITY: Arlington runs its own local public health division; food establishment permits use Virginia's flat statewide $40 fee; Checks payable to 'Treasurer, Arlington County.' Effective July 1, 2026: $50 late-renewal fee and $100 re-inspection fee (for establishments that fail their pre-opening inspection)
VDH inspects to the Virginia Food Regulations; critical/non-critical violations listed in the statewide online portal, no letter grade.
Virginia does not fee-differentiate by establishment type; mobile units pay the flat $40 permit and require an approved commissary/servicing area
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
The government permit & plan-review fees below total roughly $120 for Arlington County:
That’s the paperwork only. Add buildout, equipment, deposits and licenses with the cost-to-open calculator. Fees change — confirm current amounts with the department.
Check the health-inspection history and violation scores for any food establishment in Arlington County and Virginia. Virginia VDH publishes food establishment inspections statewide via its online portal at inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/virginia.
Virginia inspection lookup →Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.
Under 2021 Virginia Plumbing Code (IPC 2021), food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. Grease interceptors are required under the Virginia Plumbing Code, with FOG permits from the local sanitation/sewer authority.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Arlington County Public Health Division, Environmental Health Bureau (operated in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Health) (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (2021 Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code (IFC 2021)): commercial cooking under a Type I hood needs a wet-chemical suppression system to NFPA 96, permitted and inspected by the local fire marshal. Kitchen hood suppression follows NFPA 96 under the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code, enforced by the local fire marshal. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Annual RPZ backflow testing is required by the local waterworks' cross-connection control program. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary / seasonal event | $40 (Temporary Food Establishment license); source https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Health/Temporary-Food-Establishment-Licenses | Fee applies as noted on the application; Checks payable to Treasurer, Arlington County |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | $40 (Virginia flat food establishment permit; mobile food unit); source https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Health/Food-Establishment-Licenses | Virginia does not fee-differentiate by establishment type; mobile units require an approved commissary |
Health-department plan review looks for specific, code-compliant fixtures. Compare spec-filtered options, then confirm counts and sizes with your local requirements. See the full list in what equipment a commercial kitchen requires.
Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Arlington County with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →