Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
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 Fresno County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health Division (Consumer Food Program) issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▼ 0.2% change in establishments since 2022 (1,734 → 1,730).
The average foodservice wage here is $4,438 below the California average ($28,902); California has about 88,778 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.
Annual food facility permit fees are set in the county Master Schedule of Fees (Environmental Health), enabled by Fresno County Code Ch; see Master Schedule of Fees (cited); Permits are non-transferable; a new owner must pay fees and obtain a Permit to Operate before operating
Turnaround: Plans reviewed in order received; initial review completed within 20 business days
No color placard or grade; facilities post a notice that reports are available, and Fresno posts inspection reports online daily.
Consumer Food Program permits and inspects mobile food vendors; mobile plan check must be completed before permitting
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 $1,063 for Fresno 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.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
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 California 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 Fresno County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health Division (Consumer Food 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. Type I hood fire suppression must meet NFPA 96 and the California 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 |
|---|---|---|
| caterer | $292 | 'Catering/Caterer' $292 per facility (Ord; 26-002, eff; 4/1/2026) |
| commissary/central kitchen | $450 | Commissary $450; Commissary (mobile units) $1,341; Commissary (mobile units secondary operation) $339; Commissary (compact mobile food operations) $487; Host Facility $163 |
| bakery | $603 | Bakery $603 location/year; Confectionery $531 |
| bar/tavern | $471 | Bar $471 location/year |
| market/grocery with deli | $1,005 | Market with Meat Department: 1-3,000 sq ft $1,005, >3,001 sq ft $1,266. Market without Meat Department: 1-500 sq ft $523, 501-3,000 $699, >3,001 $883. Meat Market $1,248 |
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | $285 | Community Event: Event Organizer Application Review $68 per event, Event Vendor $285 per unit/event; Swap Meet: 1-149 spaces $2,264, >149 spaces $4,525. Commercial Farmers Market $1,095 location/year |
| pushcart/limited operation | $83 | Pushcart Prepackaged $83 unit/year; Snack Bar: Pre-packaged $420, Limited Preparation $374, Full Preparation $394. Satellite Food Facility $513 |
| food processing/wholesale | $531 | No general wholesale/food-processing permit (state-regulated); Closest county permit: Confectionery (candy manufacturer) $531; Ice Plant Operator $251 |
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 Fresno 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 →