Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
San Joaquin County food-facility health permits run about $364 annually. Plan review runs about $179–$537. Confirm the exact amount with San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department (EHD) 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 San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department (EHD) 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 (1,251 → 1,294).
The average foodservice wage here is $3,676 below the California average ($28,902); California has about 88,778 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.
By seating: 1-20 seats $364; 21-50 $373; 51-100 $394; 101+ $443. Bar without food prep $304. Amounts are from the published FY2021-22 EHD fee schedule (most recent PDF located); confirm current-year figures with EHD as they may have since been adjusted
No letter-grade or color-placard program identified; San Joaquin posts inspection results online.
Food Vehicle/Cart limited food prep $197; Food Vehicle/Cart prepackaged only $125; Mobile Food Preparation Unit (MFPU) $270; Limited Food Vehicle (produce/fish) $125. FY2021-22 schedule figures
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 $740–$1,098 for San Joaquin 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 UPC, 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 California 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 San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department (EHD) (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (IFC): 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 California Fire Code enforced 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 |
|---|---|---|
| commissary/shared/central kitchen | $358 | Commissary (MFPU & Food Prep) PE 1680 $358; Commissary (Vehicle/Cart) PE 1681 $248. Effective July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027 |
| bar/tavern | $304 | Bar without Food Preparation (PE 1621) $304. Restaurant/Bar with seats billed under Restaurant/Bar 1-20 seats $364, etc |
| market/grocery with deli | $537 | Retail Market >1000 ft2 (Two or more preparation Departments) PE 1619 $537; >1000 ft2 one prep dept (1617) $341; <1000 ft2 one prep dept (1616) $268; 301-2000 ft2 prepackaged only (1615) $306. Deli = a preparation department |
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | $179 | Temporary Event (PE 1695) $179; Temporary Food Site/Stationary MFPU (1697) $179; Temporary Incidental Food (1699) $90; Temporary Event Vendor fee included in event fee |
| pushcart/limited or low-risk operation | $197 | Food Vehicle Cart, limited food prep (PE 1633) $197; Food Vehicle/Cart prepackaged only (1634) $125; Satellite Food Distribution Facility (1690) $119; Produce Stand roadside (1607) $224 |
| caterer | — | No distinct caterer permit line; catering typically permitted via Commissary/Mobile Food categories |
| bakery | — | No distinct bakery category; permitted under Food Establishment (by sq ft/seating) tiers |
| food processing/wholesale | — | No retail food processing/wholesale permit in EHD food program (dairy processors handled under separate Dairy Program) |
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 San Joaquin 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 →