Restaurants and food trucks.
Clark County food-facility health permits run about $28 annually. Plan review runs about $205–$820. Confirm the exact amount with Clark County Combined Health District (CCCHD), Food Safety 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 Clark County Combined Health District (CCCHD), Food Safety Program 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 (215 → 216).
The average foodservice wage here is $2,409 below the Ohio average ($20,628); Ohio has about 24,162 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.
All retail food businesses in Clark County require an FSO (food prep/service) or RFE (retail sale) license; Risk Level 3 & 4 facilities must have a Level Two certified food-protection manager; 25% late penalty on renewals; $28 state amount confirmed on the 2026 application form
Turnaround: Reviewed within 30 days of submitting plans + fee; plans due at least 30 days prior to construction
Ohio local health districts inspect under the Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code (risk-based, critical/non-critical violations); no letter grade or score.
Mobile units licensed same as fixed FSO/RFE by risk level; pre-operational inspection required
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 $261–$876 for Clark 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 Ohio Plumbing Code (based on 2021 IPC), 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 Ohio Plumbing Code, with FOG discharge limits enforced 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 Clark County Combined Health District (CCCHD), Food Safety Program (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (Ohio Fire Code (based on 2021 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 kitchen hood suppression follows NFPA 96 as adopted in the Ohio Fire Code and is inspected by the local fire authority. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Restaurants must install a testable backflow preventer (typically an RPZ) that is tested annually and reported to the local water utility. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | Catering is a checkbox add-on on the FSO/RFE license application and is classified as Risk Level 4 (off-site events); fee is set by risk level and not published online | Licensed as part of the FSO/RFE license; contact CCCHD 937-390-5600 |
| Bar / limited food service | Licensed as an FSO by risk level (typically Level 1-2 for beverages/limited non-TCS prep); fee not published online | |
| Grocery / market with deli | Licensed as a Retail Food Establishment (RFE) by risk level (a deli raises the risk level); fee not published online | RFE = retail sale of food; FSO = prepared for immediate consumption |
| Temporary / seasonal event | Temporary FSO/RFE license issued by CCCHD; fee not published online | Ohio caps temporary licenses; see CCCHD temporary brochure |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | Mobile FSO/RFE license by risk level; fee not published online; $28 state fee applies |
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 Clark 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 →