Food Facility Plan Review — Santa Clara County
New and remodeled San Jose restaurants must pass Santa Clara County food plan review before an operating permit is issued.
What it is. Pre-construction review of facility plans (layout, equipment, hood/exhaust, finishes) against the California Retail Food Code.
Who issues it. Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health (DEH) (County layer).
When you need it. Building a new food facility, remodeling, installing/replacing an exhaust hood, adding/changing equipment, or expanding prep/bar areas.
How to apply. Submit the plan check application, plan submission checklist, plans, and supporting documents digitally to DEH; no review occurs until fees are paid.
Fees. Per DEH fee schedule — see source (⟢ VERIFY current amount).
What SpoonSeal tracks. The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
References
- County of Santa Clara DEH, Submit for plan review — https://deh.santaclaracounty.gov/food-and-retail/compliance-retail-food-operations/submit-plan-review-restaurants-grocery-stores-and — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.