Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
New Castle County food-facility health permits run about $100 annually. Plan review runs about $50–$250. Confirm the exact amount with Delaware DHSS, Division of Public Health - Office of Food Protection (Health Systems Protection) 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 Delaware DHSS, Division of Public Health - Office of Food Protection (Health Systems Protection) issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 2.5% change in establishments since 2022 (1,233 → 1,264).
The average foodservice wage here is $2,076 below the Delaware average ($25,220); Delaware has about 2,229 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.
State-administered: Delaware has no county health departments; the DPH Office of Food Protection issues permits statewide, including all of New Castle County (Wilmington); Annual, non-refundable fee is due only after the facility is approved for an operating permit; Churches, schools, fire companies and other non-profits are exempt from fees; (Delaware DPH page blocked automated re-fetch 2026-08-10; figures carried from official DPH schedule.)
Turnaround: Plans reviewed within 60 working days, in order received
Division of Public Health Office of Food Protection inspects to the FDA Food Code; searchable online report listing shows critical/priority violations, no letter grade.
Mobile units must undergo plan review and typically operate from an approved commissary; a separate DE business license and any municipal vendor permit also apply
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 $200–$600 for New Castle 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 New Castle County and Delaware. Delaware DHSS Office of Food Protection runs a statewide Food Establishment Inspection Report lookup.
Delaware inspection lookup →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.
Under Delaware Regulations Governing a Detailed Plumbing Code (IPC-based), 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 for food establishments under Delaware's state plumbing code, with FOG discharge 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 Delaware DHSS, Division of Public Health - Office of Food Protection (Health Systems Protection) (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (Delaware State Fire Prevention Regulations (NFPA 1 / NFPA 101, 2021)): 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 follows NFPA 96 under the Delaware State Fire Prevention Regulations, enforced by the State Fire Marshal. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Annual RPZ backflow assembly testing is required 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.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | $100/yr (Public Eating Place permit) | Delaware permits a caterer as a Public Eating Place at the flat $100 annual fee; 'Caterer Without Premises' has its own plan-review track before the operating permit is issued |
| Commissary / central preparation kitchen | not a separately priced category; a commissary is permitted as a Public Eating Place ($100/yr) or Commercial Food Processor ($30/yr) depending on activity; Confirm with the Office of Food Protection | No distinct commissary fee line on the DE schedule |
| Bakery / food processing | $30/yr (Commercial Food Processors); a retail bakery serving the public is a Public Eating Place ($100/yr) or Retail Food Store ($100/yr) | Delaware's flat schedule prices commercial food processors at $30; retail bakeries fall under eating-place/retail-store at $100 |
| Bar / limited food service | $100/yr (Public Eating Place permit) | A bar serving food is permitted as a Public Eating Place at the flat $100 fee; not a separate category |
| Grocery / market with deli | $100/yr (Retail Food Store permit) | Grocery/market is a Retail Food Store ($100/yr); an in-store deli/food-prep area is covered under the same or a Public Eating Place permit |
| Temporary / seasonal event | $0 (Temporary Food Establishment permit; no fee) | DE Temporary Food Establishment permits carry no fee; non-profits are exempt from fees generally |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | Mobile Food Unit permit requires plan review ($50-$250 by sq ft); Confirm with the Office of Food Protection (302-744-4546) | Mobile units undergo plan review and generally require an approved commissary |
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 New Castle 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 →