Food Premises Inspection
Opening, buying, or upgrading a food business? Our food safety consultants help you identify risks and compliance requirements before you commit - saving you time, money, and unnecessary delays. Every inspection is assessed against AS 4674-2004 (the Australian Standard for design, construction and fit-out of food premises) and the NSW Food Act 2003. Whether you are still at plans stage, about to buy or lease an existing premises, or already trading and want to get ahead of council's next visit, choose the inspection that matches where you are.
Free planning consultation
- Typically 2-5 business days from site visit to written report
- From $650 + GST
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
Choose the inspection that matches where you are
Getting an independent, experienced set of eyes on the site - or the plans - before you commit is far cheaper than discovering a problem afterwards, whether that discovery comes from a failed council inspection or from a business you have already paid for. Backed by hands-on experience assessing and inspecting food businesses, we help you navigate the requirements with confidence.
What AS 4674-2004 actually checks
AS 4674-2004 is the Australian Standard councils use to assess the physical design and construction of a food premises, separately from the planning approval and the building code. It covers wall, floor and ceiling finishes that can be properly cleaned and sanitised; mechanical exhaust ventilation sized correctly to the cooking equipment installed; floor grading and drainage so water does not pool; the placement and number of handwashing facilities; and physical separation between food preparation, storage and waste areas. Most of the fit-out problems we see trace back to one of these - a finish that looks fine but is not an approved food-grade surface, or an exhaust system sized for the original tenancy rather than the cooking load actually proposed.
Typical turnaround and cost
A site visit and written report typically take 2 to 5 business days, from around $650 + GST. Where the fit-out plans are not finalised, a Pre-Lodgement Assessment reviewing the drawings alongside AS 4674-2004 and the Food Standards Code is the cheaper and faster option than waiting until construction and finding a problem on site.
How this varies between councils
The Food Act 2003, the Food Standards Code and AS 4674-2004 apply the same way across NSW, but individual councils differ in how actively they inspect and how strictly their environmental health officers read borderline cases - a finish or layout that passes without comment in one LGA can draw a formal direction to rectify in another. We inspect across Canterbury-Bankstown and the wider Sydney metropolitan area and factor in how the relevant council actually runs its assessments, not just what the standard says in isolation.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Pre-lodgement review of your site or fit-out plans against the Food Act 2003 and Food Standards 3.2.2, 3.2.3 and 3.2.2A
- Pre-purchase and pre-lease inspections covering both the premises and how the business is actually run
- Independent compliance and readiness inspections for existing, trading food businesses
- A clear, prioritised action plan so issues are fixed before council finds them
What you don't have to deal with
- Lodging an application that gets knocked back over a requirement nobody checked first
- Inheriting a previous operator's non-compliant equipment or poor practices when you buy or lease
Choose your situation
Pre-Lodgement Assessment
Before you submit a development or food business registration application, we review your site or fit-out plans against the NSW Food Act 2003 and Food Standards 3.2.2, 3.2.3 and 3.2.2A.
Pre-Purchase / Pre-Lease Inspection
Buying or leasing an existing food business? Non-compliant equipment, layout issues and poor practices are often quietly passed on to the new operator during handover, and you don't want to inherit someone else's problems.
Compliance & Readiness Inspections
For existing food businesses, we conduct independent inspections against current Food Standards, flag non-compliance issues (cleanliness, maintenance, food storage, pest control), and provide a clear, prioritised action plan to help you fix issues before a council inspection finds them.
Frequently asked questions
Which inspection do I need?
If you have not lodged an application yet, start with the Pre-Lodgement Assessment. If you are about to buy or lease an existing food business, use the Pre-Purchase / Pre-Lease Inspection. If you are already trading and want to get ahead of council, use the Compliance & Readiness Inspection.
What standards do you assess against?
The NSW Food Act 2003 and the relevant Food Standards Code provisions - Standard 3.2.2 (food safety practices and general requirements), 3.2.3 (food premises and equipment) and 3.2.2A - plus AS 4674-2004, the Australian Standard covering the design, construction and fit-out of food premises. Council's own building surveyor or environmental health officer will assess against the same documents, so checking against them first is the point of the inspection.
What is AS 4674-2004, and why does it matter?
AS 4674-2004 sets the physical requirements for a food premises - finishes and surfaces that can be properly cleaned, mechanical exhaust ventilation sized to the cooking equipment, floor grading and drainage, handwashing facility placement, and separation between food preparation and other activities. A fit-out can be fully approved under the building code and the planning consent and still fail on AS 4674-2004 grounds, because council assesses hygiene compliance separately from structural and planning compliance.
How long does an inspection take, and what does it cost?
A site visit and written report typically takes 2 to 5 business days, from around $650 + GST depending on which inspection applies and the size and complexity of the premises. A Pre-Lodgement Assessment on a straightforward café fit-out sits at the lower end; a larger commercial kitchen or a Pre-Purchase Inspection covering an existing business's operating practices as well as the premises itself takes longer to assess properly.
Do requirements differ between Sydney councils?
The underlying Food Act 2003 and Food Standards Code apply the same way everywhere in NSW, but how actively and how strictly an individual council inspects, and how its environmental health officers interpret borderline cases, varies in practice between council areas. We inspect across Canterbury-Bankstown and the wider Sydney metropolitan area and factor in how the relevant council actually runs its food premises assessments, not just what the standard says on paper.
All pages in this section
Related services
Food and Drink Premises
Food and drink premises - cafes, restaurants and takeaway food shops - sit under two separate obligations that operators often assume are one process.
CDC - Restaurants & Cafes
CDC stands for Complying Development Certificate: the fast-track approval that lets a cafe or restaurant fitout, and in many cases the change of use to a food premises, be certified in as little as two to three weeks where the premises satisfies the Codes SEPP in full.
Change of Use
A change of use application is needed when the building stays the same but what happens inside it changes - retail to cafe, warehouse to gym, office to medical suite.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 17
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.