Davis County Health Department - Environmental Health Division · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Davis County food-facility health permits run about $225–$1,200 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $300–$1,500. Confirm the exact amount with Davis County Health Department - Environmental Health Division 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 Davis County Health Department - Environmental Health Division issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in Davis County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
533
food & drink establishments
11,253
industry jobs
$210M
annual payroll
$18,646
avg wage / worker
121 full-service restaurants
273 limited-service & fast food
6 bars & drinking places
86 snack & coffee bars
21 mobile food & trucks
▲ 4.1% change in establishments since 2022 (512 → 533).
The average foodservice wage here is $2,506 below the Utah average ($21,152); Utah has about 6,174 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 →
Locally administered by Davis County Environmental Health; Annual operating permit fee is set by risk category; a full-service restaurant is typically Risk 3-4. Paid fees cover up to two on-site inspections before the permit is issued
Plan review — required
$750 (Plan Review)
$1,500 Site Review fee applies instead if plans are not submitted and approved before construction begins
No letter grades; Davis County posts searchable restaurant inspection reports online.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile Food Business (food truck) permit - Tier 1 / Tier 2
$200 (Tier 1)
$350 (Tier 2)
plus a $350 plan review fee for both tiers
Davis County breaks food trucks into Tier 1 and Tier 2. Utah's statewide mobile food reciprocity may reduce duplicate local review for units already permitted in another Utah jurisdiction; a commissary is required
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 $725–$3,050 for Davis County:
$225–$1,200 — food-facility permit
$300–$1,500 — plan review
$200–$350 — 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.
How Davis County’s permit cost compares
At about $225/year, Davis County’s restaurant health permit is below the Utah median ($250) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 78% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 14th-lowest of 29 Utah 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 512 food & drinking establishments serve ~373,207 residents in Davis County — one per ~729 residents, sparser than the Utah average (one per ~589).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$225 annual health permit + $300 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, 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 state plumbing 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 Davis County Health Department - Environmental Health Division (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
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 state fire code enforced by local fire officials. 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.
Watch out for
Locally administered; Davis County Health Department (Salt Lake metro / Farmington) runs its own food program (not state-administered)
Annual operating permit fee is risk-based: Risk 1 $225 up to Risk 5 $1,200
Plan review $750 is a strong incentive to submit plans before construction; otherwise a $1,500 site-review fee applies
Separate Temporary Food and Seasonal Food permit tracks exist; confirm those fees on the respective Davis County pages
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Temporary / seasonal event
Davis County operates separate Temporary Food and Seasonal Food permit tracks (own application pages), but the fee amounts were not published on the food-establishments fee page; Confirm with Davis County Environmental Health (801-525-5120)
Temporary and Seasonal are distinct permit types in Davis County
Pushcart / mobile vending
$200 (Food Truck Tier 1); $350 (Food Truck Tier 2); plus $350 plan review (both tiers)
Davis County breaks food trucks into two tiers; a commissary is required
Equipment your Davis 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.
$225 (Risk 1); $350 (Risk 2); $475 (Risk 3); $600 (Risk 4); $1,200 (Risk 5) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Davis County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: $750 (Plan Review); $1,500 Site Review fee applies instead if plans are not submitted and approved before construction begins; $300 Limited Plan Review (renovations); $300 Change of Ownership
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Davis County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Davis County breaks food trucks into Tier 1 and Tier 2. Utah's statewide mobile food reciprocity may reduce duplicate local review for units already permitted in another Utah jurisdiction; a commissary is required
Who issues food permits in Davis County?
Food permits here are issued by Davis County Health Department - Environmental Health Division. 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.