Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
San Mateo County food-facility health permits run about $1,460 annually. Plan review runs about $1,922–$3,798. Confirm the exact amount with San Mateo County Health - Environmental Health Services (EHS) 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 San Mateo County Health - Environmental Health Services (EHS) issues the health permit.
About 1,988 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 726,353. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Risk-tiered, effective 1/1/2026. Cat 1 (coffee house/bar/minimal handling) $820; Cat 2 food prep 0-50 seats $1,460 / 51+ seats $2,044; Cat 3 food prep 0-50 seats $2,594 / 51+ seats $2,788. New fee schedule Board-approved 12/10/2024, phased in
San Mateo posts green/yellow/red placards (program launched Jan 2016); inspection reports online.
Risk Cat 1 pre-packaged cart $439 / pre-packaged truck $489; Risk Cat 2 limited preparation unit $1,174 / full preparation unit $1,804. Fees effective 1/1/2026
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.
A code-compliant kitchen in San Mateo County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
| Building / plans | City of Redwood City – Community Development Dept, Building Division (Permit Center) · 650-780-7350 |
| Fire marshal | Redwood City Fire Department – Fire Prevention / Fire Marshal |
| Zoning / planning | City of Redwood City – Community Development Dept, Planning Services · 650-780-7234 |
| Sewer / grease | City of Redwood City Public Works – Wastewater / Silicon Valley Clean Water (FOG program) |
| Business license | City of Redwood City – Finance Dept, Business License |
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| caterer | $1,539 | Caterer or Rental Kitchen Operator at Permitted Facility (Risk Category 2) $1,539; Catering Operation at Host Facility $259. Fee schedule effective Jan 1, 2026 |
| commissary/shared/central kitchen | $2,555 | Commissary (Risk Category 3) $2,555 |
| bar/tavern | $820 | Coffee House / Bar / Minimal Handling (Risk Category 1) $820 |
| market/grocery with deli | $1,397 | Market under 2,000 sq ft: Risk Cat 1 $603 / Cat 2 $1,397 / Cat 3 $1,869. Over 2,000 sq ft: Cat 1 $698 / Cat 2 $1,607 / Cat 3 $1,968. Deli handling raises risk category |
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | $328 | Temp Event Coordinator (1-19 booths) $328; Temp Event Vendor with prep $213-$263 |
| pushcart/limited or low-risk operation | — | Low-risk handled via Risk Category 1 tiers; no separate pushcart line published in fetched schedule |
| bakery | — | Not published as a distinct category; risk-category-based permitting applies |
| food processing/wholesale | — | Not published as a distinct retail category in the Environmental Health Services fee schedule |
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 San Mateo 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 →