17 permits · verified 2026-10-09
What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Odessa?
In short
A coffee shop in Odessa, TX has 8 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Odessa Fire Marshal's Office charges $150 per annual inspection for the annual fire inspection. 12 of the 17 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a coffee shop in Odessa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Plumbing Permit | City of Odessa Inspection Division | $50 base plus $0.05 per square foot for complete plumbing, or $0.025 for finish-out or rough-in only | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-09 |
| Mobile Food Vendor Permit | Odessa Fire Marshal's Office | $50–$300 single event or annual | annual permit expires 31 December of the year issued; single event permit per event | 2026-10-09 |
| Fire Operational Permitonly if it applies to you | Odessa Fire Marshal's Office | $100–$300 by permit type | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-09 |
| Food Establishment Permit — Ector County | Ector County Health Department | Two current documents publish different amounts (Odessa Code § 6-6-32 and the Ector County Health Department's October 2025 schedule), so no single figure is shown; the Ector County Health Department states the amount payable. | renewed 1 January each year (Odessa Code § 6-6-33) | 2026-10-09 |
| Temporary Food Permit — Ector Countyonly if it applies to you | Ector County Health Department | Two current documents publish different amounts (Odessa Code § 6-6-32 and the Ector County Health Department's October 2025 schedule), so no single figure is shown; the Ector County Health Department states the amount payable. | single event (Odessa Code § 6-6-31 limits a temporary permit to 14 consecutive days) | 2026-10-09 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Odessa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Sprinkler Permitonly if it applies to you | Odessa Fire Marshal's Office | Varies — formula on the Odessa page | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-09 |
| Fire Alarm Permitonly if it applies to you | Odessa Fire Marshal's Office | Varies — formula on the Odessa page | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-09 |
| Annual Fire Inspectiononly if it applies to you | Odessa Fire Marshal's Office | $150 per annual inspection | annual | 2026-10-09 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Odessa Inspection Division | Varies — formula on the Odessa page | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-09 |
| Commercial Remodel and Finish-Out Permit | City of Odessa Inspection Division | Varies — formula on the Odessa page | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-09 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Odessa Inspection Division | $100 change of use, owner or name | the fee schedule charges for a new certificate on a change of use, owner or business name | 2026-10-09 |
| Commercial Electrical Permit | City of Odessa Inspection Division | Varies — formula on the Odessa page | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-09 |
| Re-inspection Feeonly if it applies to you | City of Odessa Inspection Division | Varies — formula on the Odessa page | per inspection | 2026-10-09 |
| False Alarm Feeonly if it applies to you | Odessa Fire Marshal's Office | Varies — formula on the Odessa page | counted 1 January to 31 December | 2026-10-09 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
TX registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $300 one-time filing | no expiry | 2026-08-20 |
| Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $25 one-time filing | up to ten years, renewable | 2026-08-21 |
| Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit | Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts | No fee — there is no fee for this permit | no expiry while actively engaged in business | 2026-08-21 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a coffee shop in Odessa?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 17 records listed for a coffee shop in Odessa, TX, 8 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 8 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $100.00. That is a floor, not a total. 12 of the 17 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Commercial Plumbing Permit: $50 base plus $0.05 per square foot for complete plumbing, or $0.025 for finish-out or rough-in only
Mobile Food Vendor Permit: $50–$300 single event or annual
Fire Operational Permit: $100–$300 by permit type
Food Establishment Permit — Ector County: Two current documents publish different amounts (Odessa Code § 6-6-32 and the Ector County Health Department's October 2025 schedule), so no single figure is shown; the Ector County Health Department states the amount payable.
Temporary Food Permit — Ector County: Two current documents publish different amounts (Odessa Code § 6-6-32 and the Ector County Health Department's October 2025 schedule), so no single figure is shown; the Ector County Health Department states the amount payable.
The other 7 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Odessa permits page and the TX state page.
Is Odessa expensive for a coffee shop?
Comparing like with like — only the permits charged as a single flat fee, since a valuation formula has no figure to rank — Odessa sits where the table below puts it against every other TX jurisdiction covered here that publishes the same permit.
Certificate of Occupancy: Odessa charges $100. Across 22 jurisdictions it runs from $50 in Waco to $425 in Universal City, with a median of $105. 5 charge less, 11 charge more and 5 charge exactly the same.
Read the spread rather than the rank. Certificate of Occupancy varies by $375 between the cheapest and dearest jurisdiction here, which is the sort of gap worth knowing before you sign a lease on one side of a city line rather than the other.
Which offices issue these permits in Odessa?
Permits for a coffee shop in Odessa, TX come from 5 separate offices: Odessa Fire Marshal's Office, City of Odessa Inspection Division, Ector County Health Department, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Odessa Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 6 permits on this page, including Fire Sprinkler Permit, Mobile Food Vendor Permit, Fire Alarm Permit307 N. Lee Street, 2nd floor, Odessa, TX · 432-257-0524www.odessa-tx.gov/1229/Fire-Marshals-Office
- City of Odessa Inspection DivisionIssues 6 permits on this page, including Commercial Plumbing Permit, Commercial Building Permit, Commercial Remodel and Finish-Out Permitwww.odessa-tx.gov/1222/Building-Inspection-Permits
- Ector County Health DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment Permit — Ector County, Temporary Food Permit — Ector County221 N. Texas Avenue, Odessa, TX 79761 · 432-498-4144www.ectorcountytx.gov/page/ector.HealthDepartment
- Texas Secretary of StateIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation, Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)www.sos.state.tx.us
- Texas Comptroller of Public AccountsIssues 1 permit on this page: Texas Sales and Use Tax Permitcomptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit
What does a coffee shop need in Odessa that other businesses do not?
Food Establishment Permit — Ector County
A health permit from the Ector County Health Department is required before a food establishment in Odessa opens; Odessa Code Article 6-6 names the county health department as the regulatory authority. Two current documents publish different fees for it. Odessa Code § 6-6-32 sets $140 for 1 to 10 employees, $300 for 11 to 35 and $600 for 35 or more, with a $150 plan review fee. The county's 2025-2026 schedule dated 6 October 2025, filed with the Texas DSHS local fee schedule registry, sets the application for a health permit at $773, reduced on request to $258 (gross annual sales up to $49,999.99) or $515 (up to $149,999.99) if the most recent tax filing and income paperwork are sent with the application, plus $150 per additional inspection, $150 plan review and a $100 late fee; the county states these fees were implemented as a result of Senate Bill 1008 and House Bill 2844. Neither document states which schedule applies inside the city, so confirm the amount with the county on 432-498-4144 before paying. Under § 6-6-33 permits are renewed on 1 January each year. Health and Safety Code § 437.0126, added by Senate Bill 1008, caps local food permit fees at what the state would charge.
Shared with other businesses in Odessa
- Commercial Plumbing Permit — City of Odessa Inspection Division, $50 base plus $0.05 per square foot for complete plumbing, or $0.025 for finish-out or rough-in only, not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for restaurants, salons and barbers, auto repair shops, veterinary clinics, fitness studios and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.
- Mobile Food Vendor Permit — Odessa Fire Marshal's Office, $50–$300 single event or annual, annual permit expires 31 December of the year issued; single event permit per event. Also required for food trucks and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
- Fire Operational Permit — Odessa Fire Marshal's Office, $100–$300 by permit type, not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for auto repair shops, contractors and trades, fitness studios, restaurants, retail stores and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
- Temporary Food Permit — Ector County — Ector County Health Department, Two current documents publish different amounts (Odessa Code § 6-6-32 and the Ector County Health Department's October 2025 schedule), so no single figure is shown; the Ector County Health Department states the amount payable., single event (Odessa Code § 6-6-31 limits a temporary permit to 14 consecutive days). Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 9 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Odessa, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Odessa permits page. The 3 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TX and are covered on the TX state page.
How does a coffee shop compare with other businesses in Odessa?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 5 of these permits. A restaurant needs Moving and Demolition Permit, Fire Construction Permit, Right-of-Way Construction Permit and Mixed Beverage Permit (MB), which a coffee shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a coffee shop | Only a coffee shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the veterinary clinics page, food trucks page, fitness studios page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Odessa permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Ector County Health Department 2025-2026 Fee Schedule, dated 6 October 2025 (filed with Texas DSHS)Ector County Health Department, filed with Texas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-24
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.