Pierce County
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health
In short
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health issues 8 permits we publish for Pierce County, last verified 2026-10-06. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishment Annual Permit — Grocery, Bakery, Meat and Fish Marketonly if it applies to you | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | $360–$660 a year (2026): Fish Market $360; Grocery 1-2 checkstands $480; Bakery $540; Fish and Meat Market combined $540; Grocery 3+ checkstands $660; Meat Market $660 | annual | 2026-10-06 |
| Food Plan Review | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | 2026, per permit, including water adequacy office review: New $1,140; Change in Menu/Equipment and/or Process, Remodel $960; Commissary Kitchen $600; Change of Commissary $960; Grocery $780; Vending $720; Tasting Room/Lounge $480; Bed and Breakfast 3+ Rooms $240. | one-time per project | 2026-10-06 |
| Mobile Food Unit Annual Permit | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | $240–$900 a year per unit (2026): Mobile Food Unit–Low Risk $240; Mobile Food Unit–High Risk $900 | annual | 2026-10-06 |
| Temporary Food Establishment Permitonly if it applies to you | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | $120–$540 per event at one location (2026): Limited Risk 1-21 consecutive days $120; Low Risk 1-21 consecutive days $240; High Risk 1-14 consecutive days $360; High Risk 15-21 consecutive days $540 | per event (up to 21 consecutive days at the same location), or a multi-event long-term permit | 2026-10-06 |
| Food Establishment Annual Permit (restaurants, cafes and seated food service) | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | $1,080–$2,400 a year (2026), by seats: 0-25 seats $1,080; 26-74 seats $1,200; 75+ seats $1,500; buffet with 125+ seats $2,400 | annual | 2026-10-06 |
| Water Recreation Facility Permit (pool, spa, spray pad, flotation tank)only if it applies to you | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | $240–$960 per permit (2026): Open 6 or More Months $960; Open Less Than 6 Months $600; Inactive Facility $300; Non-Recirculating Spray Park $240; Flotation tank $960, each additional over two $240 | annual | 2026-10-06 |
| On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Permit and Design Reviewonly if it applies to you | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | 2026: Installation Permit $480 (new or repair); Installation Permit (tank only) $240; design application for a commercial or school system, per system, $1,200 (less than 1,000 gallons/day) or $1,800 (1,000+ gallons/day); Septic Tank Decommissioning Certification (when not related to another Health Department application) $360; Temporary Use Permit $240; Variance/Waiver Review $720 (3-hour minimum). | one-time per permit or design | 2026-10-06 |
| Well Siting, Construction and Decommissioning Permitonly if it applies to you | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | 2026, Individual Well: Siting and Permitting table: Well Site Inspection and Construction $1,080; Well Construction Only $540; Well Inspection (existing individual or remodel) $540/$840; Well Decommissioning $540; Well Decommission Renewal (two-year extension) $240; Renewal of expired well site application $240; Well Water Treatment Plan Review $540; Variance/Waiver $720 (3-hour minimum). The schedule's separate Group A and Group B (2-14 connections) tables price Well Construction Only at $600 and Well Inspection (existing well) at $840. | one-time per permit or review | 2026-10-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Food Establishment Annual Permit — Grocery, Bakery, Meat and Fish Market
A retail store that sells food — a grocery, bakery, meat market or fish market — pays its annual Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department food establishment permit under the retail rows of the same table, per the 2026 Fee Schedule adopted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health on December 3, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, as published on tpchd.org/fees: Grocery with 1-2 checkstands $480, Grocery with 3 or more checkstands $660, Bakery $540, Meat Market $660, Fish Market $360, and a combined Fish and Meat Market $540. A store selling from vending machines pays the Vending rate of $120. The permit applies in every city and town and the unincorporated area, because the local board of health's jurisdiction is coextensive with the county under RCW 70.05.030(1)(h) and 70.05.035(1)(h). The schedule's footnotes prorate the permit 50% (minimum $100) for an establishment open less than six consecutive months or after August 1, and prorate new annual permits monthly after March 1. Grocery plan review is $780, recorded in the plan review record.
Food Plan Review
Before a new food establishment opens, or when an existing one changes its menu, equipment or process or remodels, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reviews its plans. Per the 2026 Fee Schedule adopted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health on December 3, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, as published on tpchd.org/fees, the plan review fee is charged per permit and includes water adequacy office review: $1,140 for a new establishment, $960 for a change in menu, equipment or process or a remodel, $600 for a commissary kitchen, $960 for a change of commissary, $780 for a grocery, $720 for vending and $480 for a tasting room or lounge. The same schedule lists a $360 pre-opening inspection, a $420 charge for opening without a pre-opening inspection, a $360 change-of-ownership compliance inspection, resubmittals at $240 an hour, and expedited plan review at $360 an hour (one-hour minimum, subject to staff availability). Plan review applies in every city and town and the unincorporated area alike, since TPCHD's jurisdiction is county-wide.
Mobile Food Unit Annual Permit
A food truck, cart or other mobile food unit operating in Pierce County needs an annual Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department permit, valid county-wide because the local board of health's jurisdiction is coextensive with the county (RCW 70.05.030(1)(h); RCW 70.05.035(1)(h)). Per the 2026 Fee Schedule adopted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health on December 3, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, as published on tpchd.org/fees, the fee is $240 a year for a low-risk mobile food unit and $900 a year for a high-risk unit. The same table prices a commissary's annual permit at $780 (high risk) or $240 (low risk), and commissary kitchen plan review is $600. Plan review before a new unit opens is charged separately (see the plan review record). The schedule's footnotes prorate the permit 50% (minimum $100) for a unit operating less than six consecutive months or starting after August 1. Temporary food establishment permits for events are priced on a separate table (recorded separately).
Temporary Food Establishment Permit
A vendor serving food at a temporary event in Pierce County needs a Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department temporary food establishment permit. Per the Temporary Food Establishments table of the 2026 Fee Schedule adopted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health on December 3, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, as published on tpchd.org/fees: Limited Risk, 1-21 consecutive days at the same location, $120; Low Risk, 1-21 consecutive days, $240; High Risk, 1-14 consecutive days, $360; High Risk, 15-21 consecutive days, $540; Long Term Low Risk, 1-26 non-consecutive days at the same location, $480; Long Term High Risk with Certified Booth Operator, five events, $480; Exempt Annual Review $120; Reinspection or Unpermitted Vendor $240. A Blanket Permit for coordinated events only is $480 (hourly rate, two-hour minimum, additional hours at $240). Late submittal adds 25% (7-13 days before the event), 50% (1-6 days before) or 75% (on the day, before the start), and a vendor found operating without a permit pays double the standard fee. Farmer's market coordinators and vendors are priced on separate Farmer's Market tables of the same schedule, not on this one.
Food Establishment Annual Permit (restaurants, cafes and seated food service)
A restaurant, cafe or other seated food establishment anywhere in Pierce County — Tacoma, every other city and town, and the unincorporated area — needs an annual food establishment permit from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, because Washington law makes the local board of health's jurisdiction coextensive with the county (RCW 70.05.030(1)(h); RCW 70.05.035(1)(h)). Per the 2026 Fee Schedule adopted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health on December 3, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, as published on tpchd.org/fees, the annual fee is $1,080 for 0-25 seats, $1,200 for 26-74 seats, $1,500 for 75 or more seats and $2,400 for a buffet with 125 or more seats. Other categories on the same table: Low Risk (includes tasting room, tavern without food) $660; Bakery $540; Caterer not part of a permitted food establishment $780, or $360 when part of one; Cocktail Lounge part of a permitted food establishment $360; Commissary $780 high risk or $240 low risk; Continental Breakfast $660 high risk or $360 low risk; Vending $120. An establishment enrolled in the Self Inspection Program with a certified food manager pays an annual fee 25% less. The schedule's footnotes state that an establishment open less than six consecutive months or after August 1 has its permit prorated 50% (minimum $100), and that new annual permits purchased following plan review or change of ownership are prorated monthly after March 1. Food plan review is charged separately (see the plan review record), and a pre-opening inspection is $360 on the same schedule.
Water Recreation Facility Permit (pool, spa, spray pad, flotation tank)
A gym, fitness studio or wellness business with a swimming pool, spa, wading pool, spray pad or flotation tank needs a Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department water recreation facility permit, county-wide. Per the Water Recreation Facilities Permits table of the 2026 Fee Schedule adopted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health on December 3, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, as published on tpchd.org/fees: a facility open 6 or more months pays $960; open less than 6 months $600; an inactive facility $300; a non-recirculating spray park $240; a flotation tank $960, with each additional tank over two at $240. Plan review is charged separately per permit and includes water adequacy office review: $1,680 for new construction and $480 for a remodel (hourly rate, two-hour minimum, additional hours at $240); opening a remodel without approval is charged at double the hourly rate. A studio without a pool, spa or flotation tank has no water recreation facility permit.
On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Permit and Design Review
A business whose premises are served by an on-site sewage (septic) system rather than a sewer needs Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department approval to design, install, repair or decommission that system. Per the On-site Sewage tables of the 2026 Fee Schedule adopted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health on December 3, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, as published on tpchd.org/fees: the design application for a commercial or school system is $1,200 per system under 1,000 gallons a day and $1,800 per system at 1,000 gallons a day or more; an installation permit is $480 (new or repair), or $240 for a tank only; a septic tank decommissioning certification not related to another Health Department application is $360; a temporary use permit is $240; and a variance or waiver review is $720 (three-hour minimum, additional hours at $240). Redesign of a commercial or community system with renewal is $1,500 on the same schedule. TPCHD's jurisdiction is county-wide under RCW 70.05.030(1)(h) and 70.05.035(1)(h).
Well Siting, Construction and Decommissioning Permit
Premises supplied by a private well need Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Water Resources approval to site, construct, inspect or decommission the well. Per the Individual Well: Siting and Permitting table of the 2026 Fee Schedule adopted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health on December 3, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, as published on tpchd.org/fees: Well Site Inspection and Construction $1,080; Well Construction Only $540; Well Inspection of an existing individual well or remodel $540 or $840; Well Decommissioning $540; a two-year decommission renewal $240; renewal of an expired well site application $240; Well Water Treatment Plan Review $540; and a variance or waiver $720 (three-hour minimum). The same schedule's Water Resources section also has separate Group A and Group B (2-14 connections) tables, where Well Construction Only is $600 and a Group B System Permit is $180; ask TPCHD Water Resources which table applies to a given well. The Water Adequacy Field Review for facility licensing and renewal is $480.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Pierce County
- Phone
- Not verified — use the website
- Website
- www.tpchd.org/fees
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- 2026 Fee Schedule — adopted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health December 3, 2025, rates effective January 1, 2026 (food, temporary food, water recreation, on-site sewage and water resources tables)Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- RCW 70.05.030, local board of health in counties without a home rule charter — subsection (1)(h): jurisdiction 'coextensive with the boundaries of the county'Washington State Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- RCW 70.05.035, local board of health in home rule charter counties — subsection (1)(h): jurisdiction 'coextensive with the boundaries of the county'Washington State Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
Other offices serving Pierce County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Washington jurisdictions
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