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What will it actually cost to launch your food truck?

Most people budget for the truck and forget the other half — then run out of cash three weeks before opening day. Answer a few questions and get a realistic low-to-high startup number, built from documented national cost ranges. Not a guess. Not a sales pitch.

Build your startup number

Pick what fits your plan. Every line uses a documented low/high range — your real cost lands somewhere inside it. We show the full range because anyone who hands you one exact number is guessing.

Your situation

Six questions. Updates as you go.

Most health departments require one before they'll permit you.
Drives food-handler certs. Wages aren't included — they vary too much by market.
people
Cash to cover monthly costs while sales ramp. We recommend 3+.
months
General liability + commercial auto. You should — but here's the toggle.

Your launch number

Cash you need before you start — low to high.

Total to launch
$0–$0
One-time costs + 3 months of operating runway
Want this as a worksheet you can fill in? The free Food Truck Mini-Kit pairs the permit checklist with a printable budget worksheet — every line, every source. Get the free starter kit below.

Where these numbers come from

This is a planning estimate, not a quote. Every range is national and documented — your city, your truck, and your menu will move the real figure. The ranges here are the same ones in our state permit data and free mini-kit:

Truck (used $40k–$80k · new $75k–$150k · rent $2,000–$3,000/mo), opening inventory & smallwares, fuel, and maintenance: Square's food truck cost guide, which also cites the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation food truck index (first-year city compliance averaged ~$1,864 — Boston $17,066, Indianapolis $590). Permits & licenses (business license $50–$500, mobile vendor permit $100–$2,000, health permit $50–$1,000, fire permit $50–$300, food-handler certs $10–$50/person, commercial vehicle registration $100–$400): Menubly. Commissary kitchen ($250–$1,500+/mo): The Food Corridor. Insurance (GL + commercial auto, $150–$400/mo; GL median ~$42/mo and commercial auto median ~$170/mo): Logrock 2026 rates and Insureon customer medians.

Not included: food restock (depends entirely on your menu and volume) and wages (vary too much by market) — budget these separately. Verify every figure with your local health department before you spend a dollar. Spotted something off? Tell us.

Keep planning

Three more free tools, no email needed.

Free Tool
Menu Price Calculator
Costed your build-out? Now price the menu — food cost + target % into a menu price that pays.
 Map
Permit Costs by State
Click your state for its mobile-vendor permit, license, and food-handler costs.
 Quiz
What Should You Sell?
Eight questions match you to the food truck concept that fits your budget and skills.
 Generator
Name Generator
Got the concept? Now get a name that isn't already taken on three trucks.
 Finder
Commissary Kitchen Finder
No commissary, no health permit. See how many are listed in your state and what one costs.
 Comparator
Truck vs Trailer vs Cart
Before you cost a truck — check whether a trailer or a cart is the better bet for your budget.
 Checklist
Equipment Checklist Builder
Know the budget? Now get the actual gear list for your concept, tier by tier.
Built by Opening Day Kit — the startup kit for hospitality operators. Tools, not theory.  |  Estimate only; verify locally.
YOUR NEXT STEP

Turn this estimate into a real launch budget.

The Food Truck Launch Plan picks up where this calculator stops. Ten ready-to-use files: a startup budget calculator, a food cost calculator, a business plan template, a permits roadmap and tracker, an insurance cheat sheet and a launch checklist.
Get the $29 Launch Plan
See the Food Truck Kit
Instant download. 30-day guarantee. Upgrade to the full kit later and your $29 counts toward it.

Not ready to buy? Grab the free starter kit below, or read the full food truck cost breakdown.

Get the Free Food Truck Starter Kit

Permit checklist, startup budget calculator, and a printable worksheet. Free, no strings.

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