• Visit Our Other Health Sites
  • Behavioral Health
  • Children & Family Services
  • Emergency Medical Services
  • Healthy Communities
  • Kids (ages 0-5)
  • Probation Services
  • Public Health
  • Seniors and People with Disabilities
  • Main Network of Care Page

Fee Schedules

Please click on a link below to review the fees for various Merced County programs.

Abandoned/Wrecked Vehicles Animal Confinement Facilities Food Hazardous Materials and Waste Housing Medical Waste Miscellaneous Fees Private Water System Public Water System

Recreational Health/Public Swimming Pools Septic Systems/Liquid Waste Solid Waste Sludge Tattoo/Body Piercing Underground Storage Tanks General Fee Info

MOBILE FOOD FACILITY

Food Establishment with food preparation (i.e. restaurants, delicatessens)	$RATE/FREQUENCY
Mobile food facility (Basic Cart) with packaged and/or unpackaged non-potentially hazardous or packaged frozen foods (i.e. produce, baked goods, packaged ice cream bars, packaged frozen meat)	$109/year
Mobile food facility (Intermediate Cart) with packaged potentially hazardous food (i.e. hot food sales)	$109/year
Mobile food facility (Advanced) with non-potentially hazardous food preparation, sales of raw fish, preparation of hot dogs or coffee-based drinks with milk as an ingredient (i.e. snow cones, fresh popped popcorn, cotton candy, churros)	$109/year
Mobile food facility (Deep fat) which utilizes a deep fat fryer	$218/year
Mobile Support Unit	$109/year
Mobile Food Preparation Unit	$381/year
Community Event Organizer	No Fee
Nonprofit Charitable Temporary Food Facility Event (up to 4/year)	No Fee
Temporary Food Facility
Temporary food facility operating at a single community event (Non-profit fee exempt)	$109/event
Temporary food facility operating at a weekly or monthly community event less than 25 consecutive or non-consecutive days in any 90 day period (Non-profit fee exempt)	$218/year
Swap Meet Prepackaged Food Stands	$109/year
Retail Market (Grocery Store)
<500 sq. ft. (Pre-packaged, non-hazardous food)	No Fee
<2,000 sq. ft.	$163/year
2,001 - 6,000 sq. ft.	$218/year
6,001 - 15,000 sq. ft.	$327/year
15,000 - 30,000 sq. ft.	$490/year
>30,000 sq. ft.	$545/year
Licensed Health Care Facility 16-99 beds	$218/year
Licensed Health Care Facility 100-199 beds	$327/year
Licensed Health Care Facility 200+ beds	$436/year
Plan Checks
Prepackaged food only (1.5 hour minimum, each additional hour at hourly rate)	$163
Unpackaged food, food preparation (4 hour minimum, each additional hour at hourly rate)	$436
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan Review (2 hour minimum each additional hour at the hourly rate)	$218 / $109/hour
Reinspection Fee	$109/hour
Each food facility that prepares, handles or serves unpackaged food, a mobile food preparation unit or a commissary must have a person on staff for that facility that either successfully completed the food safety course offered by Merced County, Division of Environmental Health or successfully passed a State Department of Health Services certified class.

Back to top

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS\WASTE

Underground Storage Tanks Operating permit - underground storage tanks (UST)*
New or existing facility and first tank	$323/year
Each additional tank	$81/year
Existing facility with < 3,000 gallons total capacity	$216/year
Permanent closure (per tank)	$545
Temporary closure (per tank)	$545
Modification permit (per facility)	$545
Installation permit (per facility)	$545
Plus each tank	$102
*Includes Business Plan Fee
Hazardous Waste Generators
Conditional Exempt small quantity Generator (less than 220 lbs or 27 gal./month)	$109/year
Small Quantity Generators (less than 2,199 lbs/month)	$109/year
Large Quantity Generators (greater than 2,200 lbs/month)	$436/year
Waste oil, oil filters, radiator fluid only	$109/year
Tiered Permits
Conditionally Exempt	$109/year
Conditionally Authorized	$436/year
Permit by Rule	$436/year
Business Plans
Hazardous material storage permit: (For storage of any hazardous material above these limits- 500 lbs.; 55 gal.; 200 cubic feet of gas at STP.)
1 - 5 chemicals	$109/year
1 - 5 chemicals (large volume/high risk)	$218/year
6 or more chemicals	$218/year
6 or more chemicals (large volume/high risk)	$381/year
*If business stores greater than 2,000 pounds, 220 gallons or 800 cubic feet of gas at STP and/or stores any acutely hazardous material.

CALIF. ACCIDENTAL RELEASE PROGRAM (Cal/ARP) RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (RMP)

Underground Storage Tanks Operating permit - underground storage tanks (UST)*
RMP application review and approval (3 hours minimum each additional hour at hourly rate)	$327 min. $109/hour
Cal/ARP annual operating fee	$545
Unified Program Hazardous Material/Waste Annual Surcharge fee (HSC Section 25404.5)	State fee
Hazmat	$24/year
Underground storage tank	$15/tank/year
Cal ARP (only collected if annual fee charged for the Cal/ARP program)	$270/year
Remedial Action/Oversight of Hazardous Waste Site	$109/hour
Hazardous Material/Waste Investigation/Response	$109/hour

Back to top

HOUSING

Hotel/Motel
Justified Complaint	$109/hour
Employee Housing
Base Fee (State Fee - CCR Title 25, Div. 1, Ch. 1, Sec. 637)	$35/year
Employee fee	$12/employee/year
Each lot or site provided for parking of mobile homes or recreational vehicles by employees	$12/per occupied space/year
Reinspection Fee	$109/hour
Illegal Camp Registration	$515 + Base Fee and Employee Fee*
Clearance of Substandard Housing/Posted Building	$654
Lead Abatement Investigation	$109/hour
Organized Camp	$218/year
Organized Camp	No Fee
*Illegal Camp Registration includes a $500 penalty plus Employee Housing Base Fee and Employee Fee as listed above.

Back to top

MEDICAL WASTE (State Fee HSC Sec. 117825)

Small Quantity Generators (with no on-site treatment)	$35/year
Small Quantity Generators on-site treatment (less than 200 lbs/month)	$69/year
Common Storage Facility (annual fee) serving:
2 - 10 generators	$139/year
11 - 49 generators	$345/year
50 or more generators	$691/year
Large Quantity Generator (200 or more lbs./month)
Acute Care Hospital
1 - 99 beds	$829/year
100 - 199 beds	$1,188/year
200 - 250 beds	$1,518/year
251 or more beds	$1,932/year
Acute care hospital with onsite treatment pays the additional fee of:
1 - 99 beds	$415/year
100 - 250 beds	$691/year
251- or more beds	$1,380/year
Specialty clinic (Surgical, dialysis, etc.)	$483/year
Skilled Nursing Facility
1 - 99 beds	$380/year
100 - 199 beds	$483/year
200 or more beds	$552/year
Acute Psychiatric Hospital	$278/year
Intermediate Care Facility	$415/year
Primary Care Clinic	$483/year
Clinical Laboratory (licensed)	$278/year
Health Care Service Plan Facility	$483/year
Veterinary Clinic or Hospital	$278/year
Medical/Dental/Veterinary Office	$278/year
Large Quantity Generator with on-site treatment additional fee (except for acute care hospitals)	$415/year
Plan review for on-site treatment	$109/year
Limited Quantity Haulers
1-4 haulers	$54/year
Each additional hauler over 4 (25 max. total)	$20/year

Tattooing, Body Piercing or Permanent Cosmetics Business

Registration fee (one-time)	$26/registration
Annual Operating fee	$327/year

Back to top

MISCELLANEOUS FEES

Photocopy charges per page (if greater than 50 pages) .25/copy
In addition, copies in excess of 50 pages may be charged for the filing and copying time at the hourly rate.

Back to top

PRIVATE WATER SYSTEM

Domestic well permit and installation inspection (to include bacteriological, chemical and DBCP water samples)	$553
Other well permits and installation inspections	$139
Domestic surface water system approval	$553
Low Temperature Geothermal Well Permit (per site)	$162
Monitoring, Soil Boring and Test Well Permits
First well/boring per assessors parcel number/project	$162
Each additional well/boring per assessors parcel number/project	$34
Out-of-Service Well Permit	$109
Reconstruction of Existing Well Permit	$109
Water Well Destruction Permits
Permit obtained with well construction permit	$0
Permit obtained without construction permit	$109
Permit obtained after 30 days of date on written notice	$345
Monitoring well permit (first)	$109
Each additional well per assessors parcel number/project	$27
Water/Soil Samples Laboratory Analysis Lab cost plus	$27

Back to top

PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM

Public Water Systems (State Fee Health & Safety Code, Sec. 116565)
Community (5 - 24 connections) State	$347/year
Community (25 - 99 connections) State	$556/year
Community (100 - 199 connections) State	$698/year
Nontransient noncommunity State	$486/year
Transient noncommunity State	$486/year
Hand-washing exemption State	$136/year
State Small Water System (5 - 14 connections)	$200/year
Permit Application - Initial (State Fee HSC Section 116570)
Community State	$694
Nontransient noncommunity State	$415
Transient noncommunity State	$415
State Small	$133
Permit Amendment (ownership change) State	$208
Permit Amendment (i.e. source or treatment change) State	$346
Public well construction permit and installation inspection (No water samples)	$553

Back to top

RECREATIONAL HEALTH / PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS

Public Pool (year round)	$327/year
Public Pool (seasonal)	$163/year
Each additional pool per site or facility	$109/year
Reopening of Closed Pool	$218/year
Pool Plan Check: ( 3 hour minimum, each additional hour at the hourly rate)	$327/plan check
Water Activity Park	$545/year

Back to top

SEPTIC SYSTEMS / LIQUID WASTE

Septic Tank/Chemical Toilet Cleaning Business	$109/vehicle/year
Sewage System Permit and (New/Repair)	$271
Special Sewage System Permit	$434
Septic Tank Abandonment Permit	$217
Septic Tank Abandonment Permit with new system	$109
Reclamation Wastewater Permit	$109/year
Greywater Permit	$162/year
Zone of Benefit Sewage Inspection	$109/hour

Back to top

SLUDGE

Sludge Management Plan	$872/plan
Sludge Site Plan	$654/plan
Sludge Appeal	$327/appeal
Sludge Monitoring	$109/hour
Sludge, soil, water, and vegetation samples (collected by the department associated with sludge application)	Lab Cost plus $25

Back to top

SOLID WASTE

Agricultural Waste Disposal Permit (per facility)	$165/year
Major Tire Facility	$332/year
Minor Tire Facility	$164/year

Facilities/Operation	Notification	Registration	Standard Permit
Agricultural Material Composting Operation	218/year	---	---
Green Material Composting Operations & Facilities	218/year	436/year	1,526 /year
Animal Material Composting Facility	---	436/year	2,289 /year
Sewage Sludge Composting Facility	---	3,270/year	4,360 /year
Mixed Solid Waste Composting Facility	---	---	4,360 /year
Research Composting Operation	218/year	---	---
Compostable Materials Handling Facility	218/year	436/year	1,526 /year
Construction, Demolition/Inert Debris	218/year	436/year	1,526 /year
Agricultural Waste Disposal Permit
(per facility)			218/year
Construction, Demolition/Inert Debris			545/year
Construction, Demolition/Inert Debris			218/year

Back to top

GENERAL FEE INFO

Services and Costs Not Specifically Described:

A service fee based on a per hour fee of $109.00 or $163.00 for overtime or costs (cleanup, laboratory costs, etc.) may be charged for services or costs rendered by personnel or contractors of the Division of Environmental Health that are necessary to the performance of their duties as required by law, not specifically described in this Ordinance (e.g. smoking enforcement, drug lab response, solid waste and other types of environmental health activities).

Inspection Frequency:

Facilities, as identified below, which are assessed an annual operating permit fee and then receives less than the minimum inspection frequency, will be exempt from fees the next fiscal year, if adequate staffing was available during the period of time that the inspection(s) were missed.

Food Facility
      Restaurant 1/year
      Market 1/year
      Mobile Food Preparation Unit 1/year
      Mobile Food Facility 1/year

Hotel/Motel Inspected on a complaint basis only

Employee Housing 2/year

Public Pool
      Seasonal 1/year
      Year round 2/year

Pro-Rated Fees for New Businesses:

The annual fee shall be pro-rated by month except for mobile food preparation units, mobile food facilities, mobile support units, temporary food facilities and state fees.

Reinspection Fees:

A reinspection is a follow-up inspection. A fee may be charged for each reinspection needed to ensure or confirm correction of documented violations.

Except when otherwise specified, all services in this Ordinance, which are charged at an hourly rate, are 1-hour minimum and charged in half hour increments thereafter.

Late Fees/Failure to Obtain Permit/Suspended and Revoked Permit Fees:

Any fee not paid within thirty (30) days of the initial billing will incur a penalty of 25% of the initial fee. If the fees are not paid within sixty (60) days of initial billing, the initial fee will be doubled. Fees not paid after ninety (90) days of the initial billing will be forwarded to Revenue and Reimbursement.

Any person who fails to obtain any required construction and/or operating permit prior to commencing work or operation may be subject to closure of the facility or stoppage of work and must pay the original permit fee and a penalty of three times the regular or full annual permit fee.

The suspended permit reinstatement fee shall be $327.00 in addition to the fee for reinspection.

In order to reopen a facility after permit revocation, the full annual fee and reinspection fee must be paid.

As a condition for the issuance of a permit, the permittee must have clearance from the appropriate planning agency to operate. Failure to obtain the appropriate clearance from the planning agency will result in suspension of the permit.

Exemption from Permit Fee:

A permit shall be issued without requiring a fee to:

• Any blind person who would otherwise be entitled to a permit if such a person files with the health officer a certificate, issued by a licensed physician and surgeon or by the Department of Rehabilitation of the State of California, that he or she is a blind person. As used in this section, a blind person is a person having not more than a ten percent (10%) visual acuity in the better eye with correction;
• Any person which conducts exclusively for charitable purposes an activity for which a permit is required under this ordinance and which is exempt from payment of income taxes under Section 501 (c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code and Section 23701 (d) of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. Proof of an entitlement to this exemption from the fee requirement shall be demonstrated by affidavit filed with the Director of the Division of Environmental Health.
• Any person that is exempt from a permit fee under Section 6103 of the California Government Code as amended from time to time.
• Any person who qualifies under the Veterans exemption under California Business and Professions Code Section 16102.
• Any person at the discretion of the Director of Public Health or his/her designee.

Consumer Price Index Adjustment:

All Environmental Health fees referenced in Section 1 of this ordinance, with the exception of State established surcharges, shall be adjusted as of July 1 of each year based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index, All Urban Consumers (All Items), for the West Urban area, with the Standard Reference Base (1982-84=100), as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The “annual average” percentage published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics will be used to determine the maximum annual increase. This percentage, which is calculated at the end of each calendar year, is available in January following the end of the previous calendar year. If reasonable program costs exceed the maximum annual increase, an additional fee increase may be established by ordinance of the Board of Supervisors. Fees will be rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

Back to top