Restaurants and food trucks.
Calcasieu Parish food-facility health permits run about $50–$100 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $100–$1,000. Confirm the exact amount with Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health, Bureau of Sanitarian Services (state-administered) 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 Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health, Bureau of Sanitarian Services (state-administered) issues the health permit.
About 389 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 203,761. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
State flat-rate schedule; Class 7 covers restaurants, bars, meat markets, seafood markets, etc; LDH permits are administered statewide; there is no separate Calcasieu Parish health-department permit
Louisiana Dept. of Health inspects on a risk schedule and cites critical/non-critical violations — no grade or score; reports on the LDH online dashboard.
A mobile unit permitted in one parish does not need another permit or additional fee to operate in another parish (the vehicle must still be inspected by the local sanitarian); Some cities/parishes may require an additional local occupational permit
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
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.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | $100 (1st permit; $75 for 2nd-5th, $50 for 6th+) | Permitted as a Class 7 food establishment (LDH statewide schedule) |
| Bakery / food processing | $100 (Class 7) if food is prepared on site | Permitted as a Class 7 restaurant if it prepares food; if all items are prepackaged it is permitted as a grocery (Class 1-6 by revenue) |
| Bar / limited food service | $100 (1st permit; $75 for 2nd-5th, $50 for 6th+) | Bars are expressly included in Class 7 |
| Grocery / market with deli | By gross food revenue; Class 1 $75 (<$500,000); Class 2 $125 ($500,000-$1,000,000); Class 3 $250 ($1,000,001-$2,500,000); Class 4 $400 ($2,500,001-$5,000,000); Class 5 $500 (>$5,000,000) | Applies when 60%+ of gross revenue is retail food sales; Non-grocery stores selling food (<60%) use Class 6 at the same revenue tiers, with additional permits at $75 (2nd-5th) and $50 (6th+) |
| Temporary / seasonal event | $25 flat (special event / temporary permit); Fair or Festival $25 flat to the sponsor (individual stands permitted at no fee); Seasonal $10 per month (minimum $10) | Seasonal example: 1 month $10, 2 months $20, 3 months $30, +$10 each additional month |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | $100 (Mobile Unit, same as Class 7) | A mobile unit permitted in one parish operates in other parishes with no additional fee after local inspection |
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 Calcasieu Parish with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →