Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Clackamas County food-facility health permits run about $602–$1,256 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $809–$998. Confirm the exact amount with Clackamas County Public Health Division, Environmental Health Program 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 Clackamas County Public Health Division, Environmental Health Program issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 1.0% change in establishments since 2022 (902 → 911).
The average foodservice wage here is $57 below the Oregon average ($26,591); Oregon has about 11,223 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.
County-adopted rates; Rates increase starting 2027 ($990 / $1,096 / $1,203 / $1,419; Limited Service $680)
Turnaround: up to 10 working/business days after submission
Oregon uses a 100-point sanitation score (pass at 70); score/placard posted and results online.
Four mobile classes (I-IV); Commissary license $895 (through 2026); Rates rise in 2027 (Classes I-IV $860-$1,015; commissary $1,011)
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 $1,934–$3,152 for Clackamas 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.
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 UPC, food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. A grease interceptor sized to the Oregon plumbing specialty code is required, with a municipal sewer-authority FOG discharge permit.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Clackamas County Public Health Division, Environmental Health Program (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (IFC): 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 hood suppression must meet NFPA 96 and the Oregon fire code enforced by the local fire authority. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: An approved backflow preventer with a certified annual test is required by the local water purveyor. 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 | $895 (commissary, through 2026); $1,011 starting 2027; source https://www.clackamas.us/publichealth/ehfees | County-adopted rate |
| Bar / limited food service | $602 (Limited Service, through 2026); $680 starting 2027; source https://www.clackamas.us/publichealth/ehfees | County-adopted rate |
| Temporary / seasonal event | Single Event $253; Intermittent & Seasonal $253 ($236 if 7+ days notice); temporary plan review $95 (through 2026); source https://www.clackamas.us/publichealth/ehfees | Rates rise 2027 (Single Event $286; plan review $107) |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | Mobile Units/Food Carts Classes I-IV $761-$898; plan review $523-$712 (through 2026); source https://www.clackamas.us/publichealth/ehfees | Four mobile classes; Rates rise 2027 (Classes I-IV $860-$1,015) |
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 Clackamas 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 →