Restaurants and food trucks.
Rock County food-facility health permits run about $320–$770 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Rock County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division, acting as a licensing AGENT of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) under Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 75. As an agent, Rock County establishes and collects its own license fees; the department instructs applicants not to submit fees until amounts are verified by staff (608-757-5440). 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 Rock County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division, acting as a licensing AGENT of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) under Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 75. As an agent, Rock County establishes and collects its own license fees; the department instructs applicants not to submit fees until amounts are verified by staff (608-757-5440). issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▼ 0.3% change in establishments since 2022 (357 → 356).
The average foodservice wage here is $881 below the Wisconsin average ($20,340); Wisconsin has about 13,939 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.
Establishments are classified simple/moderate/complex per ATCP 75. Rock County regulates 600+ restaurants and 200+ retail food establishments as a state agent
Wisconsin DATCP/agent local health departments inspect under the Wisconsin Food Code (priority/core violations); no letter grade or score. Reports online via DATCP's inspection portal.
Mobile food trucks or carts require a license prior to operation, issued by Rock County as a DATCP agent
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 $320–$770 for Rock 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.
Under Wisconsin Plumbing Code (SPS 382), 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 Wisconsin plumbing code, with FOG limits set by the municipal sewer utility.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Rock County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division, acting as a licensing AGENT of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) under Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 75. As an agent, Rock County establishes and collects its own license fees; the department instructs applicants not to submit fees until amounts are verified by staff (608-757-5440). (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (Wisconsin adopts the IFC via SPS 314): 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 as adopted through Wisconsin's fire and building codes, inspected by the local fire authority. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Restaurants must install a testable backflow preventer (typically an RPZ) that is tested annually and reported to the local water utility. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery / market with deli | Rock County is a DATCP agent; retail-food (not-serving-meals) fees are set locally and not published online; Verify at (608) 757-5440 | State DATCP reference (state-licensed only): not-serving-meals categories range roughly $60-$685 by TCS status and gross-receipts tier |
| Bakery / food processing | food processing plants are licensed separately by DATCP (state), not by the Rock County agent program | See DATCP Food Processing Plant fee schedule for state-licensed processors |
| Temporary / seasonal event | temporary food stand fee set by Rock County agent program; not published online; Verify at (608) 757-5440 | Temporary food stands require a license prior to operation |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | mobile food truck/cart license fee set by Rock County agent program; not published online; Verify at (608) 757-5440 | Mobile restaurants/carts licensed by Rock County as a DATCP agent under ATCP 75 |
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 Rock 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 →