Bucks County Department of Health, Retail Food Facility Program (a county-level health department, uncommon in PA where most retail food is state-licensed by PA Dept. of Agriculture) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Bucks County food-facility health permits run about $345–$1,200 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Bucks County Department of Health, Retail Food Facility Program (a county-level health department, uncommon in PA where most retail food is state-licensed by PA Dept. of Agriculture) 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 Bucks County Department of Health, Retail Food Facility Program (a county-level health department, uncommon in PA where most retail food is state-licensed by PA Dept. of Agriculture) issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in Bucks County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
1,430
food & drink establishments
22,911
industry jobs
$500M
annual payroll
$21,814
avg wage / worker
503 full-service restaurants
541 limited-service & fast food
75 bars & drinking places
197 snack & coffee bars
15 mobile food & trucks
▲ 1.5% change in establishments since 2022 (1,409 → 1,430).
The average foodservice wage here is $20 above the Pennsylvania average ($21,794); Pennsylvania has about 27,120 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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
Food Facility license (annual, by seating/size)
Food facilities with less than 50 seats $365
50 or more seats $545
take-out facilities (no seating) $345
any for-profit facility over 10,000 sq ft $1,200
facility licensed in conjunction with a PA Liquor License $545
From 2026 application SA-13 fee schedule (Rev; 11/25); License not transferable; all fees non-refundable; Act 62 requires a PA Sales & Use Tax license/exemption on file
Plan review — required
plan review is required for new/remodeled facilities (Bucks County Plan Review Application SA-85/SA-86) but the plan review fee is not listed on the SA-13 license fee schedule
confirm via the SA-85/SA-86 application or the Health Dept
State Dept of Agriculture (or the county health dept for Allegheny/Philadelphia/Bucks/Delaware/Montgomery) inspects to the PA Food Code; risk-based reports online, no letter grade posted.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile Food Unit (per vehicle or stand)
$345 per vehicle/stand
Requires SA-15 Commissary Verification Form identifying a licensed servicing/commissary facility
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 $690–$1,545 for Bucks County:
$345–$1,200 — food-facility permit
$345 — 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 Bucks County and Pennsylvania. The PA Department of Agriculture (eatSafePA) posts inspections for establishments under state jurisdiction plus participating local health departments, while some jurisdictions (e.g., Philadelphia, Allegheny) inspect on their own.
At about $345/year, Bucks County’s restaurant health permit is above the Pennsylvania median ($82) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 96% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 64th-lowest of 65 Pennsylvania 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 1,409 food & drinking establishments serve ~645,984 residents in Bucks County — one per ~458 residents, denser than the Pennsylvania average (one per ~525).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$345 annual health permit.
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 (PA UCC), 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 Bucks County Department of Health, Retail Food Facility Program (a county-level health department, uncommon in PA where most retail food is state-licensed by PA Dept. of Agriculture) (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
Hood fire suppression (IFC 2018 (PA UCC)): 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 PA UCC fire provisions. 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
Caterer/Commissaries licensed together at $545
Microbreweries, wineries, and distilleries (on-premises manufacture, no food prep) $345
Non-profit charitable orgs (not with a liquor license) and public/religious school cafeterias $115
Seasonal license (operate up to 180 consecutive days) $260
Bucks County is one of only a handful of PA counties with its own health department that licenses retail food directly
Equipment your Bucks 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.
Food facilities with less than 50 seats $365; 50 or more seats $545; take-out facilities (no seating) $345; any for-profit facility over 10,000 sq ft $1,200; facility licensed in conjunction with a PA Liquor License $545 These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Bucks County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: plan review is required for new/remodeled facilities (Bucks County Plan Review Application SA-85/SA-86) but the plan review fee is not listed on the SA-13 license fee schedule; confirm via the SA-85/SA-86 application or the Health Dept; (215-345-3318)
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Bucks County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Requires SA-15 Commissary Verification Form identifying a licensed servicing/commissary facility
Who issues food permits in Bucks County?
Food permits here are issued by Bucks County Department of Health, Retail Food Facility Program (a county-level health department, uncommon in PA where most retail food is state-licensed by PA Dept. of Agriculture). 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.