21 permits · verified 2026-10-09
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Odessa?
In short
A restaurant in Odessa, TX has 8 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 13 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. 15 of the 21 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 restaurant 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 |
| Moving and Demolition Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Odessa Inspection Division | $100 each | not stated in the published fee schedule | 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 |
| Fire Construction Permitonly if it applies to you | Odessa Fire Marshal's Office | $100–$200 by permit type | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-09 |
| Right-of-Way Construction Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Odessa Inspection Division | Banded on estimated construction cost: $25 to $2,000; $25 plus $0.90 per $100 above $2,000; $52 plus $0.80 per $100 above $5,000; $92 plus $0.70 per $100 above $10,000; $162 plus $0.60 per $100 above $20,000. Where the city must establish lines or grades the fee is 5% of construction cost, minimum $25 | per permit | 2026-10-09 |
| Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)only if it applies to you | Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission | $2,650–$5,300 per two-year period; $5,300 original, $2,650 renewal | every 2 years | 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.
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 restaurant in Odessa?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 21 records listed for a restaurant in Odessa, TX, 8 apply to every business of this type and 13 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. 15 of the 21 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.
Fire Construction Permit: $100–$200 by permit type
Right-of-Way Construction Permit: Banded on estimated construction cost: $25 to $2,000; $25 plus $0.90 per $100 above $2,000; $52 plus $0.80 per $100 above $5,000; $92 plus $0.70 per $100 above $10,000; $162 plus $0.60 per $100 above $20,000. Where the city must establish lines or grades the fee is 5% of construction cost, minimum $25
Mixed Beverage Permit (MB): $2,650–$5,300 per two-year period; $5,300 original, $2,650 renewal
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 restaurant?
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 restaurant in Odessa, TX come from 6 separate offices: Odessa Fire Marshal's Office, City of Odessa Inspection Division, Ector County Health Department, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, 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 7 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 8 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 Alcoholic Beverage CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)www.tabc.texas.gov
- 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 restaurant need in Odessa that other businesses do not?
1 of the 9 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in Odessa: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB).
Temporary Food Permit — Ector County
Two current documents publish different temporary food fees. The Ector County Health Department's 2025-2026 schedule (6 October 2025, filed with Texas DSHS) lists $52 for a single temporary event permit, $200 a year for a temporary permit, $100 a year for a farmers market only permit and $258 for a roadside food vendor (mobile food store). Odessa Code § 6-6-32 lists a temporary permit at $60 and a seasonal permit at $100; under § 6-6-31 temporary permits are limited to 14 consecutive days and seasonal permits to six uses a year. Neither document states which applies inside the city, so confirm the amount with the county before paying.
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 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 coffee shops, 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 coffee shops and food trucks; 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, coffee shops, contractors and trades, fitness studios, retail stores and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
- 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). Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Moving and Demolition Permit — City of Odessa Inspection Division, $100 each, not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for retail stores and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
- Fire Construction Permit — Odessa Fire Marshal's Office, $100–$200 by permit type, not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for retail stores, auto repair shops and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Right-of-Way Construction Permit — City of Odessa Inspection Division, Banded on estimated construction cost: $25 to $2,000; $25 plus $0.90 per $100 above $2,000; $52 plus $0.80 per $100 above $5,000; $92 plus $0.70 per $100 above $10,000; $162 plus $0.60 per $100 above $20,000. Where the city must establish lines or grades the fee is 5% of construction cost, minimum $25, per permit. Also required for contractors and trades, retail stores and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades 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 restaurant compare with other businesses in Odessa?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 5 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Moving and Demolition Permit, Fire Construction Permit, Right-of-Way Construction Permit and Mixed Beverage Permit (MB). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Contractors and trades | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| Fitness studios | 3 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 9 | 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, coffee shops page, contractors and trades page and retail stores 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
- Two-Year Licensing Fees — TABCTexas Alcoholic Beverage Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-22
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.