What permits do you need to open a retail store in Waco?

Public Pool and Spa Permit

Public pools and spas across McLennan County are permitted and inspected every year — the ones at hotels, fitness clubs, apartment complexes, RV parks and water parks. The health district publishes the charges that attach to the permit, $200 for a reinspection and a $100 late payment fee, but not the permit fee itself, so no amount is recorded here. The inspection standards are published in full: free chlorine 1.0 to 8.0 ppm in a pool and 2.0 to 8.0 in a spa, pH 7.0 to 7.8, no combined chlorine, a DPD test kit on site with logged results, an air gap of twice the drainpipe diameter between equipment drains and the sewer, and a tested working safety vacuum release system. Chlorine tablets in skimmer baskets fail the inspection.

Sexually Oriented Business License

$350 a year, $100 for the license inspection and $100 non-refundable on application. The highest business license fee Waco charges, and the non-compliance fee matches the license fee rather than being a fixed penalty.

Credit Access Business Registration

$100 a year, non-refundable, with a $100 non-compliance fee. A credit access business — payday and title lending — registers with the city on top of its state licensing.

Food Establishment Permit

$258 low risk, $475 medium, $685 high. The low band matches the Texas DSHS standard permit fee exactly, but the high band is $685 — well above the $773 top band used by the sales-banded cities only because those bands are set on turnover rather than risk, so a small high-risk kitchen in Waco pays more than a large low-risk one. The district permits county-wide, so the same figures apply outside the city limits. School inspections are $258 for two inspections a year. Reinspection is $200, a variance or HACCP evaluation $150, and an additional pre-opening or consultation visit $150 — with one free per establishment, which is worth using.

Indoor Amusement Facility License

$200 a year, $100 for the license inspection and a $100 non-refundable application fee. Waco licenses indoor amusement as a category of its own, which catches trampoline parks, arcades and family entertainment centres that would be permitted only as assembly occupancies elsewhere in Texas.

Shared with other businesses in Waco

• Backflow Prevention Device Permit — City of Waco Inspection Services, $40 first device, then $10 each, one-time, per installation. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, auto repair shops, salons and barbers, veterinary clinics and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
• Temporary Food Permit — Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, Environmental Health Division, $52–$200 single event or annual multi-event, 1 to 14 days for a single event; one year for the multi-event permit. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Fire Marshal Operational Permit — Waco Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office, No fee, not stated in the published material. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, fitness studios, auto repair shops, childcare centres and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
• Commercial Kitchen Hood and Refrigeration Permit — City of Waco Inspection Services, $50–$75 per hood or unit, renewal is 50% of the original permit fee, minimum $60. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
• Farmers Market Organiser Permit — City of Waco Inspection Services, $200 per year, one year. Also required for restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
• Farmers Market Vendor Permit — Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, Environmental Health Division, $100 per vendor, not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Open Air Vending Permit — City of Waco Inspection Services, $10–$200 annual, seasonal or non-profit temporary, one year, or three consecutive days for a seasonal permit. Also required for food trucks, restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.