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Hennepin County Public Health
1011 South First Street, Suite 215, Hopkins, MN 55343
612-543-5200 | Epi-envhlth@hennepin.us
Plan Review Fees
• For the review process to begin, a minimum $100.00 deposit must accompany the application. The
remainder of the plan fee will be invoiced upon completion of the review process.
• Plan review fees vary greatly depending on several factors and will be determined by the plan reviewer.
Key factors in determining plan review fee(s) include the risk level of the establishment and the amount
of work to be done.
o The fee for new establishments and for those remodeling more than 50% of an establishment is
1.5 times the cost of the current year’s license fee.
o The fee for establishments remodeling less than 50% of an establishment is equal to the current
year’s license fee.
o For in-office and onsite consultation fees, refer to the license fee schedule.
License Fees and Requirements
• License fees and separate from the plan review fees. All fees must be paid prior to a final inspection.
• Worker’s Comp/Tax Form must be submitted prior to a final inspection. No license will be issued
without this form.
Final Inspection Requirements
• The establishment must be constructed and finished to conform to the approved plans. Any deviations
from the original/approved plan MUST be approved by the plan reviewer. The Health Authority will
inspect the establishment during construction as frequently as deemed necessary.
• The Health Authority must be a final inspection prior to the start of operations and before a license(s)
can be issued. Should the Health Authority arrive for the final inspection and the establishment is not
ready, there will be a $116.00 re-inspection fee.
• The final plan review fee(s) and the license fee must both be paid in full before a final inspection with
the Health Authority can be scheduled.
• Approved plans are valid for one year from the approval date.
Variance Request
If you are proposing to implement an operation, procedure, and/or equipment that does not comply with MN
State Rules and Hennepin County Ordinances, you may request a variance from the regulations. The variance
request includes the following (minimum):
• Complete a Variance Request Application (available at our Hopkins office or from our website:
www.hennepin.us/planreview
).
• State regulation from which you are requesting a variance.
• Reason/need for variance from the regulation (financial reasons will not be accepted).
• Provide documentation supporting the variance will not negatively impact food safety, public health, or
employee safety. (This must also show that no other accepted operation, practice, technique and/or
equipment can be substituted or is available)
Consultations
If you wish to speak with a plan reviewer without submitting a complete plan you may request either an onsite
or an in-office consult (see fee schedule for associated fees). Consult fees will be applied toward any resulting
plan fees.