Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Beaufort County food-facility health permits run about $100 annually. Plan review runs about $100. Confirm the exact amount with South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture (SCDA), Retail Food Safety & Compliance - state-administered statewide since 7/1/2024 (transferred from SC DHEC) 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 South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture (SCDA), Retail Food Safety & Compliance - state-administered statewide since 7/1/2024 (transferred from SC DHEC) issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 4.8% change in establishments since 2022 (522 → 547).
The average foodservice wage here is $5,283 above the South Carolina average ($21,640); South Carolina has about 10,923 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.
Statewide uniform schedule administered by SCDA; Gross food sales exclude alcohol and general merchandise; Late penalties: +$50 (30-59 days past due), +$100 (60+ days); Sources: https://agriculture.sc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/AnnualInspectionFees2025.pdf; https://agriculture.sc.gov/divisions/consumer-protection/retail-food-safety/retail-food-establishment-fees/
A grade decal (A >87 pts, B 78-87, C <78) is posted at the main entrance with a QR code linking to the SC Food Grades online inspection reports.
Mobile food establishments are permitted under the same statewide retail food schedule
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 $200–$1,750,551 for Beaufort 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 Beaufort County and South Carolina. South Carolina publishes retail food grades and inspection reports statewide in the SC Food Grades application.
South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina Plumbing Code, with FOG permits from the local sewer utility.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture (SCDA), Retail Food Safety & Compliance - state-administered statewide since 7/1/2024 (transferred from SC DHEC) (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (2021 South Carolina Fire 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 South Carolina Fire 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 water utility's 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Commissary / central preparation kitchen | $100 initial permit fee plus gross-sales annual inspection fee ($100-$450) | Shared Use Operations/Commissary permitted under R.61-25 Chapter 9; same statewide schedule |
| Bakery / food processing | $100 initial permit fee plus gross-sales annual inspection fee ($100-$450) | Retail food processors (bottling/canning for direct-to-consumer sale) permitted under the same statewide schedule |
| Grocery / market with deli | $100 initial permit fee plus gross-sales annual inspection fee ($100-$450) | Grocery/convenience stores that prepare or package food on-site; fee based on gross food sales (excludes alcohol and general merchandise) |
| Temporary / seasonal event | handled via Event Authorization (Form D-1717) for temporary food establishments, community festivals, and seasonal series; a separate fee is not published in the annual inspection schedule | SCDA Regulation 61-25 Chapter 9-8/9-9/9-11 |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | $100 initial permit fee plus gross-sales annual inspection fee ($100-$450) | Mobile food establishments permitted under R.61-25 Chapter 9-1; same statewide schedule |
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 Beaufort 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 →