Restaurants and food trucks.
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 Washington County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health 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 (298 → 297).
The average foodservice wage here is $3,794 below the Maryland average ($25,328); Maryland has about 11,930 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.
Priority-based permit per COMAR 10.15.03; annual license fee amounts are not published on the county site (application PDF lists no fee); Contact Environmental Health 240-313-3400 or wchd.eh@maryland.gov for exact figures
Temporary event food vendor permit $25 (submit >=7 days prior; non-profits with 501(c)(3) exempt); Separate Mobile Food Unit packet exists; mobile fee not published
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 $75–$125 for Washington 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.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Under IPC (adopted via Maryland Building Performance Standards), 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 Maryland's adopted plumbing code, with FOG permits issued by the local sewer/wastewater authority.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Washington County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (Maryland State Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1 / NFPA 101)): commercial cooking under a Type I hood needs a wet-chemical suppression system to NFPA 96, permitted and inspected by the local fire marshal. Kitchen hood suppression follows NFPA 96 under the Maryland State Fire Prevention Code, enforced by the State Fire Marshal and local AHJ. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Annual RPZ backflow assembly testing is required by 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.
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 Washington County with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.