Skip to main content
foodservicenerd
Local permits & fees

Broome County, NY Food Facility Permits & Fees

Restaurants and food trucks.

Broome County Health Department, Environmental Health Services · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Broome County food-facility health permits run about $150–$450 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $100. Confirm the exact amount with Broome County Health Department, Environmental Health Services 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 Broome County Health Department, Environmental Health Services issues the health permit.

The restaurant market in Broome County

What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.

475
food & drink establishments
7,868
industry jobs
$165M
annual payroll
$21,028
avg wage / worker
  • 161 full-service restaurants
  • 145 limited-service & fast food
  • 57 bars & drinking places
  • 62 snack & coffee bars
  • 3 mobile food & trucks

▲ 1.1% change in establishments since 2022 (470 → 475).

The average foodservice wage here is $9,649 below the New York average ($30,677); New York has about 52,317 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.

Last verified: 2026-08-17 — we re-confirmed the serving authority, its contact, and that the fees below match the current published schedule. Fee schedules may carry an earlier effective date (shown per fee); local ordinances & amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date? Report an update →

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Permit to Operate a Food Service Establishment
  • High Risk $450 / Medium Risk $300 / Low Risk $150 (annual), Oct 2025 schedule
  • source https://broomecountyny.gov/sites/default/files/dept/hd/pdfs/Food%20Fee%20Schedule%2010.2025.pdf

AUTHORITY: county-administered under the NY State Sanitary Code (10 NYCRR Part 14); Fees are risk-based (High/Medium/Low); All permits are annual; no seasonal permits are issued; Late fee $75 (applied to new facilities if first operation is within 21 calendar days of a complete application)

Plan review — required

  • $100 (Floor Plan Review)
  • source https://broomecountyny.gov/sites/default/files/dept/hd/pdfs/Food%20Fee%20Schedule%2010.2025.pdf

Plan-review details & forms →

Reach the department

Office225 Front Street, Binghamton, NY 13905

Inspection grading

Routine inspection — no public letter grade

State/local health departments inspect to the NYS Sanitary Code; violations listed in the statewide online database, no letter grade (NYSDOH does not support grading).

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Service Establishment
  • Charged by risk tier
  • mobile food units are cited as MEDIUM risk ($300)
  • source https://broomecountyny.gov/sites/default/files/dept/hd/pdfs/Food%20Fee%20Schedule%2010.2025.pdf

Mobile food units fall under the same risk-based schedule as fixed establishments; the fee schedule lists 'some mobile food units' as examples of medium-risk operations

How to apply

Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.

What it costs in permit fees to open here

The government permit & plan-review fees below total roughly $550–$850 for Broome County:

  • $150–$450 — food-facility permit
  • $100 — plan review
  • $300 — food-truck permit

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.

Look up a restaurant’s inspection score

Check the health-inspection history and violation scores for any food establishment in Broome County and New York. NYSDOH publishes food service establishment inspection data statewide except New York City, which runs its own restaurant grading system.

New York inspection lookup →

How Broome County’s permit cost compares

At about $150/year, Broome County’s restaurant health permit is about the New York median ($150) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 66% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 13th-lowest of 31 New York counties by permit cost.

Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.

Local food-service market

About 470 food & drinking establishments serve ~196,077 residents in Broome County — one per ~417 residents, denser than the New York average (one per ~445).

U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).

Budget the permit stack

Start with ~$150 annual health permit + $100 plan review.

Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.

Grease trap & FOG requirements

Under IPC 2018 (Plumbing Code of NYS 2020), 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 where grease-laden waste is produced, sized under the state plumbing code, with the FOG discharge permit issued by the local 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 Broome County Health Department, Environmental Health Services (contact above).

Fire suppression & backflow

Hood fire suppression (IFC 2018 (Fire Code of NYS 2020)): commercial cooking under a Type I hood needs a wet-chemical suppression system to NFPA 96, permitted and inspected by the local fire marshal. Commercial kitchen hood suppression follows NFPA 96 and is permitted and inspected by the local code/fire official under the Fire Code of NYS. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.

Backflow prevention: An annual RPZ/backflow assembly test is required under state cross-connection control rules and administered by the public water supplier. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.

Watch out for

  • New York permits food service establishments at the COUNTY level under State Sanitary Code Part 14; Broome County Health Dept sets its own risk-based fees
  • Risk tiers: High (complex prep/cooling/reheating; roasted meats, sauces, casseroles) $450; Medium (rapid turnover; fast food, pizza, subs, some retail bakeries, some mobile units) $300; Low (no time/temperature-controlled foods; bars/taverns, concession counters, ice cream shops) $150
  • Temporary (1-7 days) $75; Floor Plan Review $100; Late Fee $75. No seasonal permits
  • Fee schedule dated October 2025

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
Bar / limited food service$150 (Low Risk, annual); source https://broomecountyny.gov/sites/default/files/dept/hd/pdfs/Food%20Fee%20Schedule%2010.2025.pdfBars/taverns, concession counters and ice cream shops are cited as examples of low-risk establishments (no time/temperature-controlled foods)
Temporary / seasonal event$75 (Temporary, 1-7 days); source https://broomecountyny.gov/sites/default/files/dept/hd/pdfs/Food%20Fee%20Schedule%2010.2025.pdfNo seasonal permits are issued (all permits annual); $75 late fee if the event starts within 3 business days of a completed application
Pushcart / mobile vendingCharged by risk tier; mobile food units are cited as MEDIUM risk ($300 annual); source https://broomecountyny.gov/sites/default/files/dept/hd/pdfs/Food%20Fee%20Schedule%2010.2025.pdfMobile units are not a separate fee line; the schedule places 'some mobile food units' in the medium-risk tier

Equipment your Broome County plan review will check

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.

Nearby counties

Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Broome County with its neighbors.

How to open: typical permitting sequence

This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.

  1. Confirm whether Broome County or another local jurisdiction (city/district) handles your exact address.
  2. Confirm zoning and permitted use.
  3. Prepare your menu and scaled plans.
  4. Include an equipment schedule with ANSI/NSF spec sheets.
  5. Submit water-heater and hood documentation.
  6. Pay plan-review fees.
  7. Respond to plan-check corrections.
  8. Obtain Environmental Health plan approval.
  9. Obtain building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals.
  10. Schedule rough-plumbing, pre-final and final health inspections.
  11. Pay the operating-permit / application fees.
  12. Receive approval before storing or preparing food.

Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →

Frequently asked questions

How much is a food permit in Broome County?

High Risk $450 / Medium Risk $300 / Low Risk $150 (annual), Oct 2025 schedule; source https://broomecountyny.gov/sites/default/files/dept/hd/pdfs/Food%20Fee%20Schedule%2010.2025.pdf These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.

Is plan review required in Broome County?

Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: $100 (Floor Plan Review); source https://broomecountyny.gov/sites/default/files/dept/hd/pdfs/Food%20Fee%20Schedule%2010.2025.pdf

Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Broome County?

In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Mobile food units fall under the same risk-based schedule as fixed establishments; the fee schedule lists 'some mobile food units' as examples of medium-risk operations

Who issues food permits in Broome County?

Food permits here are issued by Broome County Health Department, Environmental Health Services. See the department site for current details.

Are city building and fire approvals separate?

Yes — building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals are always separate from the health permit and are often handled by different offices.
Sources: broomecountyny.gov · broomecountyny.gov · broomecountyny.gov · www.health.ny.gov · observed 2026-08-10