Wisconsin DATCP, Division of Food and Recreational Safety · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department 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 Wisconsin DATCP, Division of Food and Recreational Safety issues the health permit. Wisconsin sets food-establishment fees at the state level through Wisconsin DATCP, Division of Food and Recreational Safety, EXCEPT in counties/cities that run their own health department (which set their own fees). Confirm which applies to your exact address.
The restaurant market in Columbia County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
165
food & drink establishments
1,820
industry jobs
$38M
annual payroll
$20,992
avg wage / worker
69 full-service restaurants
48 limited-service & fast food
26 bars & drinking places
20 snack & coffee bars
▲ 3.8% change in establishments since 2022 (159 → 165).
The average foodservice wage here is $652 above the Wisconsin average ($20,340); Wisconsin has about 13,939 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: 2026-08-18 — 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 establishment permit / license (state-set)
{'
note'
: '
State (DATCP) annual license fee for a Retail Food Establishment
Serving Meals
Tiered by operational complexity.'
, '
prepackaged'
: 105, '
simple'
: 230, '
moderate'
: 330, '
complex'
: 540, '
unit'
: '
USD/year'
}
Set at the state level by Wisconsin DATCP, Division of Food and Recreational Safety; a single statewide fee schedule for counties without their own health department; Effective Fee schedule form F-fd-101 Rev; 02/2022 (amounts current as of the DATCP fee schedule PDF observed 2026-08-21); fees last restructured under the 2020 ATCP 75 revision
Plan review — check locally
{'
note'
: "
DATCP calls this the '
Pre-Inspection Fee'
(charged for a new establishment / pre-opening review)
How inspection results are scored/posted here is pending verification — ask the department.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile food establishment (state-set)
{'note':
"
Mobile retail food establishments serving meals pay the same tiered license fees as fixed establishments
each mobile tier also carries the same pre-inspection fee
A '
Mobile Base
No Food Prep'
base unit is $45. Transient (special-event) serving-meals fees are lower: Prepackaged $45, Non-TCS $75, TCS $170."
, '
prepackaged'
: 105, '
simple'
: 230, '
moderate'
: 330, '
complex'
: 540, '
mobile_base_no_food_prep'
: 45, '
unit'
: '
USD/year'
}
State-set mobile-food fee; confirm commissary and local requirements
How to apply
See the department site above.
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 $45–$170 for Columbia County:
$45–$170 — 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.
Local food-service market
About 159 food & drinking establishments serve ~58,091 residents in Columbia County — one per ~365 residents, denser than the Wisconsin average (one per ~430).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Grease trap & FOG requirements
Under Wisconsin Plumbing Code (SPS 382), 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 Wisconsin plumbing code, with FOG limits set by the municipal 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 Wisconsin DATCP, Division of Food and Recreational Safety (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
Hood fire suppression (Wisconsin adopts the IFC via SPS 314): 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 through Wisconsin's fire and building codes, 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.
Equipment your Columbia 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.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Confirm whether Columbia County or another local jurisdiction (city/district) handles your exact address.
Confirm zoning and permitted use.
Prepare your menu and scaled plans.
Include an equipment schedule with ANSI/NSF spec sheets.
Submit water-heater and hood documentation.
Pay plan-review fees.
Respond to plan-check corrections.
Obtain Environmental Health plan approval.
Obtain building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals.
Schedule rough-plumbing, pre-final and final health inspections.
Pay the operating-permit / application fees.
Receive approval before storing or preparing food.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a food permit in Columbia County?
{'note': 'State (DATCP) annual license fee for a Retail Food Establishment; Serving Meals; Tiered by operational complexity.', 'prepackaged': 105, 'simple': 230, 'moderate': 330, 'complex': 540, 'unit': 'USD/year'} These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Columbia County?
Plan review may apply; check locally with the department. Typical fees: {'note': "DATCP calls this the 'Pre-Inspection Fee' (charged for a new establishment / pre-opening review); Tiered to match the license level.", 'prepackaged': 130, 'simple': 320, 'moderate': 470, 'complex': 770, 'unit': 'USD (one-time, new establishment)'}
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Columbia County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. State-set mobile-food fee; confirm commissary and local requirements
Who issues food permits in Columbia County?
Food permits here are issued by Wisconsin DATCP, Division of Food and Recreational Safety. 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.