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 Guilford County Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Public Health - Environmental Health (Food, Lodging & Institutions). Serves Greensboro and High Point. issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 3.4% change in establishments since 2022 (1,185 → 1,225).
The average foodservice wage here is $1,299 below the North Carolina average ($21,846); North Carolina has about 21,985 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.
Permitting follows the statewide NC Food Code and 15A NCAC 18A .2600, administered by Guilford County Environmental Health; Food & Lodging division: (336) 641-3771; manager Shelby McLean (336) 641-4811
Turnaround: specific turnaround not published; plan review required for all new or remodeled construction before permitting
Sanitation score converts to a required grade card — A 90-100, B 80-89, C 70-79 (below 70 cannot operate) — posted at the establishment and available online.
NC Mobile Food Units require an approved commissary/base of operation; Temporary Food Establishment (TFE) and Limited Food Service Establishment (LFSE) each $75. ServSafe testing $60
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 $300–$450 for Guilford 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.
Check the health-inspection history and violation scores for any food establishment in Guilford County and North Carolina. County health departments conduct inspections while NCDHHS aggregates food establishment sanitation scores in a statewide data portal.
North Carolina inspection lookup →U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Under 2018 North Carolina State Plumbing Code (IPC 2015 base), 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 North Carolina Plumbing Code, with FOG permits from 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 Guilford County Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Public Health - Environmental Health (Food, Lodging & Institutions). Serves Greensboro and High Point. (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (2018 North Carolina Fire Prevention Code (IFC 2015 base)): commercial cooking under a Type I hood needs a wet-chemical suppression system to NFPA 96, permitted and inspected by the local fire marshal. Kitchen hood suppression follows NFPA 96 under the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code, enforced by the local fire marshal. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Annual RPZ backflow testing is required by the local water system's cross-connection control program. 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 | — | Permit required for preparing high-risk food (meat, fish, eggs, cut leafy greens/fruit/vegetables/cheese) for immediate consumption (catering); NC state-issued permit; no county annual fee published |
| Pushcart/limited operation | — | Push carts require a Guilford County Public Health permit and must return daily to a permitted commissary; NC state-issued permit; no county annual fee published |
| Commissary/central kitchen | — | Referenced as base of operations for mobile units/push carts and for TFE food prep (TFE commissary permit allows prep up to 7 days before event); No separate county fee published |
| Temporary/seasonal/special-event | $75 (non-refundable) | Temporary Food Establishment (TFE) permit; operates <=21 days in one location tied to a fair/carnival/event; application due 30 days prior; Mobile units/push carts with a valid NC permit may qualify to operate a single-day event without the fee if approved |
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 Guilford 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 →