Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Waukesha County food-facility health permits run about $101–$742 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $101–$371. Confirm the exact amount with Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use - Environmental Health Division (licensing Agent of the WI Dept of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection / DATCP) 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 Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use - Environmental Health Division (licensing Agent of the WI Dept of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection / DATCP) issues the health permit.
About 832 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 412,591. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Waukesha County is a DATCP agent; fees are set on the county EH fee schedule for the agent program; The pre-inspection fee is a one-time charge before the first license is issued, in addition to the annual license fee
Turnaround: 30-day plan review
Wisconsin DATCP/agent local health departments inspect under the Wisconsin Food Code (priority/core violations); no letter grade or score. Reports online via DATCP's inspection portal.
Mobile food establishments are licensed at the same complexity-based fees as fixed establishments under the DATCP agent program
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 / commissary | not broken out as a distinct category on the DATCP-agent fee schedule; a caterer/commissary is licensed as a retail food establishment 'serving meals' by complexity (Prepackaged $196 / Simple $524 / Moderate $622 / Complex $742); Confirm classification with EH Division | No separate caterer/commissary line item published |
| bakery / food processing | Retail food NOT serving meals, by complexity: Prepackaged $196; Simple non-TCS $218; Simple TCS $338; Moderate $421; Complex $787-$1,338 | Retail bakeries fall under 'not serving meals' complexity tiers; pre-inspection fee applies separately |
| bar / tavern / limited food service | Retail food NOT serving meals: Simple non-TCS $218; Simple TCS $338 (tavern with limited food) | Taverns are licensed on the 'not serving meals' schedule by complexity |
| grocery / market with deli | Retail food NOT serving meals: Simple TCS $338; Moderate $421; Complex $787-$1,338; Micro Market $45 ($68 for +2 in same building) | A market with a deli/food prep may bump to a higher complexity or a 'serving meals' license |
| temporary / seasonal / transient | Transient retail TCS $165; transient retail non-TCS $105; transient retail prepackaged TCS $105 | Transient/temporary food stand categories |
| pushcart / mobile vending | Mobile Food Establishment; same as stationary by complexity: serving meals $196-$742; not serving meals $45-$1,338 (plus one-time pre-inspection fee) | No separate mobile fee tier; mobile is licensed on the standard complexity schedule |
| on-farm sales | $37 | Distinct low-fee category on the Waukesha retail food 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 Waukesha 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 →