Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Larimer County food-facility health permits run about $338–$894 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $96–$580. Confirm the exact amount with Larimer County Department of Health & Environment (LCDHE), Environmental Health - 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 Larimer County Department of Health & Environment (LCDHE), Environmental Health - 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.
▲ 0.8% change in establishments since 2022 (869 → 876).
The average foodservice wage here is $2,007 below the Colorado average ($28,457); Colorado has about 13,675 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.
Fees follow the Colorado statewide retail food fee schedule (effective CY2026; increasing in later years); LCDHE, 1525 Blue Spruce Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524; (970) 498-6775
Turnaround: specific turnaround not published; Colorado law requires plans approved before construction/remodel/takeover
No letter grades; Larimer posts restaurant/grocery inspection results online.
LCDHE distinguishes 'mobile units' (service from inside the unit) from 'carts' (service from outside); Commissary agreement required; for multi-day events commissary must be within 60 min/60 miles; HB25-1295 added statewide mobile reciprocity
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 $772–$1,955 for Larimer 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.
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 adopted 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 Larimer County Department of Health & Environment (LCDHE), Environmental Health - Food Safety Program (contact above).
Hood fire suppression: 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 fire code adopted 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 | $481 / $538 / $581 | Larimer retail food licensing follows the Colorado statewide fee schedule (SB 25-285, 2026 fees for licenses issued on/after Sept 1, 2025); Caterers licensed by seating like restaurants: 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 $538, 200+ $581 |
| Market / grocery with deli | $469 / $894 | 2026 statewide schedule: grocery with deli $469 (<15,001 sq ft) / $894 (>15,000 sq ft); grocery without deli $244 / $441 |
| Limited food service / pushcart | $338 | Limited food service establishment 2026 fee $338 (statewide); Larimer food safety page lists pushcarts among mobile/pushcart units |
| Commissary / central kitchen | — | No separate commissary license category; commissaries are licensed as retail food establishments; Vendors at multi-day events must operate from an approved commissary within 60 minutes / 60 miles of the event, with a written commissary agreement filed with the vendor application |
| Bakery | — | Retail bakeries licensed as retail food establishments; wholesale/manufacturing bakeries fall under CDPHE Manufactured Food, not the county retail program; No standalone bakery fee published |
| Food processing / wholesale | — | Food processors/manufacturers regulated by CDPHE Manufactured Food & Consumer Packaged Goods program, not Larimer County retail food licensing; Larimer food safety page lists 'food processors' among regulated operations but publishes no county fee |
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 Larimer 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 →