What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Lubbock?

Food Establishment Permit

Four risk bands: $100 at risk 1, $175 at risk 2, $270 at risk 3 and $350 at risk 4. The $100 entry point is the lowest standing food permit in this dataset — Midland starts at $150, Waco at $258 and Frisco at $300 — though the $350 top band lands close to the middle of the pack rather than the bottom. Anyone serving food to the public needs one, with two published exemptions: non-profit organisations that do not charge for food, such as soup kitchens, and charitable organisations selling only prepackaged non-potentially-hazardous items like cookies, cakes or brownies as a fundraiser. Getting one is an in-person process at 1902 Texas Avenue: bring a set of blueprints identifying the kitchen area, restrooms and all equipment placement, complete the application, then schedule a risk assessment and a pre-opening inspection before paying. The risk assessment is what sets your band, so the blueprint stage is where the annual fee is effectively decided.

Temporary Food Permit

$52 flat under the department's Senate Bill 1008 notice. Lubbock previously charged $50 for the first two days and $10 for each day after, so a full fourteen-day run came to $170. The department's Senate Bill 1008 notice states the permit is revised to $52, which is the figure DSHS charges and the ceiling SB 1008 sets, so a fortnight-long stall now costs less than a third of what it did. The same notice consolidates a facility holding several retail food permits into one permit at its highest risk level, and moves non-profits to an inspection basis rather than a permit.

Food Processing Permit

Banded by floor area rather than risk: $135 up to 1,000 sq ft, $160 from 1,001 to 5,000, $180 from 5,001 to 10,000 and $205 above 10,000. The spread is unusually flat — a 20,000 sq ft processor pays only $70 more than a 900 sq ft one — so Lubbock is notably cheap for a large food manufacturing operation. Separate from the food establishment permit, which is priced on risk.

Contractor Registration

$65 a year for every contractor except mechanical, electrical and plumbing, which register free — the schedule states plainly that their fees are waived by state law. The insurance requirement is the substantial part rather than the fee: a $20,000 compliance bond or $100,000 of general liability cover. The registration period is fixed to the calendar year rather than to the date of issue, so registering in November buys two months. Changing contractor mid-job costs $250 or the original fee, whichever is lower, where the scope does not change; where it does, the full permit and plan review fees start again.

Drainage, Grading and Cut-and-Fill Review

A drainage analysis report is $300 reviewed by the rational method and $600 where a unit hydrograph model is used — so the modelling method you choose doubles the fee. A re-review is $100. Grading plans are $250 for the first acre and $25 for each additional, capped at $1,000. Cut and fill is $100 for the first acre and $25 for each additional, capped at $3,500 — a much higher ceiling than grading, which is the number to watch on a site needing significant earthworks.

Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)

Read directly from the TABC two-year licensing fee schedule: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB) $5,300 original, $2,650 renewal, charged on a two-year cycle. A Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Permit (BG) is $1,900 if you do not need spirits. Note a widely-cited competitor lists $6,006 for this permit, which does not appear in the TABC schedule.

Shared with other businesses in Lubbock

• Sample Permit — City of Lubbock Environmental Health, $25 for the first two days, then $5 for each day after, not stated in the published material. Also required for retail stores and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Grit Interceptor and Oil/Water Separator Permit — City of Lubbock Department of Building Safety, $75 per permit, per permit. Also required for auto repair shops, coffee shops and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Fire Operational Permit and Occupant Load Sign — City of Lubbock Fire Marshal's Office, $30–$2,000 per permit, by type, per permit or per event. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, fitness studios and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
• Zoning and Platting Application — City of Lubbock Planning Department, $50–$1,500 per application, by type, per application. Also required for auto repair shops, retail stores, childcare centres, veterinary clinics, fitness studios and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.
• Public Infrastructure Plan Review, Testing and Inspection — City of Lubbock Engineering Services, Plan review is the greater of a $100 minimum or the unit rate — $0.25 per linear foot of water pipe, $0.30 per linear foot of sewer pipe, $0.50 per linear foot of curb. Testing and inspection is a $200 administration fee plus $0.65 per linear foot of water pipe, $0.95 per linear foot of sewer pipe or $0.65 per square yard of pavement, per project. Also required for contractors and trades and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.