Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Skagit County food-facility health permits run about $150–$560 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $350–$725. Confirm the exact amount with Skagit County Public Health - Environmental Health (Food & Living Environment) 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 Skagit County Public Health - Environmental Health (Food & Living Environment) issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 3.2% change in establishments since 2022 (315 → 325).
The average foodservice wage here is $908 below the Washington average ($30,672); Washington has about 17,386 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.
2025 Schedule of Charges; Risk level assigned by menu/process complexity per WAC 246-215. Annual permit covers fixed, mobile, and independent catering operations; Up to 3% card-processing surcharge may apply
No grade or placard; Skagit provides inspection reports to operators and on request — not posted in a public online database.
Annual permits explicitly apply to fixed, mobile, and independent catering operations; Mobile units also need WA L&I approval and a commissary; separate mobile plan review applies
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 $820–$1,845 for Skagit 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 state 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 Skagit County Public Health - Environmental Health (Food & Living Environment) (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 state 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | $150 catering surcharge added to a fixed Risk Level permit; independent catering operations pay the Risk Level 1-3 fees ($320 / $475 / $560) | Independent catering operating from a commissary it does not own is charged 'Use Risk Level Fees' |
| Commissary / central preparation kitchen | $100 | Requires plan review and annual inspection; kitchen-for-hire serving other operators must hold this permit |
| Grocery / market with deli | Base Risk Level 3 permit $560 (deli) + $150 surcharge per additional distinct prep area (bakery RL1, meat/seafood RL2, packaged foods RL1) | Supermarket example totals $1,010 for four areas |
| Temporary / seasonal event | Single event: $95 (low-risk) / $170 (standard); Single seasonal location: $210 / $300; Multi-event/multi-location: $210 / $390; Umbrella permit (up to 10 booths) $375 | Food Sampler/Demonstrator $65; exempt-from-permit application review $35 |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | Uses the annual Risk Level fees: $320 (RL1) / $475 (RL2) / $560 (RL3) | Annual food establishment permit covers mobile operations; separate mobile plan review (Tier 1-3, $350-$725) applies |
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 Skagit 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 →