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 Whatcom County Health and Community Services, Environmental Health Division issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▼ 0.5% change in establishments since 2022 (556 → 553).
The average foodservice wage here is $4,028 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.
Permit fee varies by menu (simple/moderate/complex) and seating capacity; amounts are not listed on the county website ('contact our office to determine the cost')
No letter grade; results shown as Approved / cited / serious / closed categories in an online search of the last 5 years.
Mobile units and push carts require a plan review packet and an approved commissary/servicing area
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 $304.50–$844.20 for Whatcom 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 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 Whatcom County Health and Community Services, Environmental Health Division (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bar / limited food service | tavern permit (Unified Fee Schedule code UFS 1546) dollar amount is not published online; set by the Whatcom County Council; Contact 360-778-6000; source https://www.whatcomcounty.us/1933/Unified-Fee-Schedule | Whatcom County breaks out taverns as a separate permit category but does not publish the fee amount |
| Temporary / seasonal event | Temporary Food Establishment permit amount is not published online; contact 360-778-6000; source https://www.whatcomcounty.us/3236/Food-Related-Permits | Temporary food establishment permits are issued for events/fairs; fee not listed on the county website |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | annual mobile-unit/pushcart permit amount is not published online; plan review is $422.10 (first hour) + $152.25/hr; source https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/2023/Mobile-Unit-Plan-Review-Packet-PDF | Mobile units and push carts require a plan review packet and an approved commissary/servicing area |
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 Whatcom 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 →