City of Midland Health Department - Environmental Section (city-administered within City of Midland; Texas DSHS covers areas of the county with no local ordinance) · 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 City of Midland Health Department - Environmental Section (city-administered within City of Midland; Texas DSHS covers areas of the county with no local ordinance) issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in Midland County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
425
food & drink establishments
8,015
industry jobs
$217M
annual payroll
$27,097
avg wage / worker
138 full-service restaurants
154 limited-service & fast food
26 bars & drinking places
67 snack & coffee bars
20 mobile food & trucks
▲ 2.2% change in establishments since 2022 (416 → 425).
The average foodservice wage here is $4,014 above the Texas average ($23,083); Texas has about 60,229 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 →
Restaurant / food-facility permit
Food Establishment Permit
annual food establishment permit fee is not published online
the City of Midland Health Department requires an application and fee submitted before pre-inspections
Texas (TFER) demerit-based inspection: score = 100 minus demerits, fail above 30 demerits; administered by the local health authority, reports public.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile Food Unit / Vendor Permit
$100 (City vendor permit, includes food vendors)
$100 vendor permit issued by Development Services; mobile food units are pre-inspected by appointment on Monday mornings; Beginning July 1, 2026, mobile food units operating in Texas must obtain a state license from Texas DSHS (SB 1008 / HB 2844, 89th Legislature), superseding most local mobile permits
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 $100 for Midland County:
$100 — 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 416 food & drinking establishments serve ~177,108 residents in Midland County — one per ~426 residents, denser than the Texas average (one per ~566).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Grease trap & FOG requirements
Under 2015 UPC and 2015 IPC (state-adopted minimum; municipality selects), food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. Restaurants must install an approved grease interceptor under the state-adopted plumbing code, with discharge governed by the local sewer authority's FOG program.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with City of Midland Health Department - Environmental Section (city-administered within City of Midland; Texas DSHS covers areas of the county with no local ordinance) (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
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. Commercial kitchen hood suppression must meet NFPA 96 and the locally adopted International Fire Code, enforced by the local fire marshal (no single mandatory statewide edition). See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Backflow prevention assemblies (typically an RPZ) require annual testing by a certified tester through the local water utility'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.
Watch out for
City of Midland self-administers retail food permitting within the city
Statewide mobile food unit permitting moves to Texas DSHS effective July 1, 2026 (SB 1008 / HB 2844)
Restaurant permit fee schedule is not posted online; must be obtained from the Health Department
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Temporary / seasonal event
temporary food event permit required at least 72 hours before the event; fee not published online
City of Midland Health Department; Environmental Section
Pushcart / mobile vending
$100 (City vendor permit; includes food vendors)
Issued by Development Services; mobile units pre-inspected Monday mornings; Statewide DSHS mobile license required from July 1, 2026
Equipment your Midland 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.
annual food establishment permit fee is not published online; the City of Midland Health Department requires an application and fee submitted before pre-inspections; contact (432) 681-7613 / environmentalservices@midlandtexas.gov These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Midland County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: City of Midland does not publish a separate plan-review fee online; plan/menu review is required for new and remodeled establishments under Texas Food Establishment Rules (25 TAC 228)
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Midland County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. $100 vendor permit issued by Development Services; mobile food units are pre-inspected by appointment on Monday mornings; Beginning July 1, 2026, mobile food units operating in Texas must obtain a state license from Texas DSHS (SB 1008 / HB 2844, 89th Legislature), superseding most local mobile permits
Who issues food permits in Midland County?
Food permits here are issued by City of Midland Health Department - Environmental Section (city-administered within City of Midland; Texas DSHS covers areas of the county with no local ordinance). 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.