Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Durham County food-facility health permits run about $75 annually. Plan review runs about $200–$250. Confirm the exact amount with Durham County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health Division 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 Durham County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health Division issues the health permit.
About 748 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 336,892. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Locally administered by Durham County Environmental Health under the NC Food Code; NC's model is plan-review-fee-based rather than an annual permit fee; inspections and A/B/C grade cards follow
Turnaround: Allow up to ~4 weeks (per NC state EHS plan-review guidance)
Sanitation score converts to a required grade card — A 90-100, B 80-89, C 70-79 (below 70 cannot operate) — posted at the establishment and available online.
Durham County EH reviews and permits the unit; a City of Durham business/vending authorization and commissary agreement are also required
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 | no annual permit fee (NC); the one-time Mobile Food Unit/Push Cart/Caterer plan review is $250 | Caterers are grouped with mobile units/push carts on Durham's plan-review schedule |
| Commissary / central preparation kitchen | not separately priced; a commissary must itself be a permitted food establishment (no annual permit fee in NC) and plan review applies ($250 new) | No distinct commissary line on the Durham fee schedule |
| Bakery / food processing | retail bakeries and food processing/retail food sales are regulated by the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), not county Environmental Health | Authority is NCDA&CS; a bakery with on-site food service/seating is permitted by Durham County EH (plan review $250, no annual fee) |
| Bar / limited food service | $75; Limited Food Service Establishment permit (NC state-set fee) | The Limited Food Service Establishment permit is NC's one flat permit fee; a full bar serving meals is a food service establishment (plan review $250, no annual fee) |
| Grocery / market with deli | grocery/market retail food is regulated by NCDA&CS, not county EH; an in-store deli with seating is permitted by Durham County EH (plan review $250, no annual permit fee) | Split authority: retail food = NCDA&CS; deli food service = county EH |
| Temporary / seasonal event | $75; Temporary Food Event Permit | Per Durham County Environmental Health fee schedule; qualifying nonprofits may be exempt |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | no annual permit fee (NC); one-time Mobile Food Unit/Push Cart/Caterer plan review is $250. Commissary required | Mobile units must return daily to an approved commissary |
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 Durham 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 →