Most food trucks that cook or handle open food need two sinks on board: a dedicated hand sink and a three compartment sink for washing, rinsing and sanitizing utensils. The exact list, the bowl sizes and the water tank sizes change from state to state and often from county to county, so check your own permit rules before you build.
Shop the equipment in this article: two compartment sink, hand sinks and compartment sinks. Freight is included on every order.
What the Food Code says
The 2022 FDA Food Code does not have a separate sink list just for trucks. The same sections that apply to a restaurant apply to a mobile unit. Section 5-203.11 requires at least one handwashing sink. Section 4-301.12 requires a sink with at least three compartments for manual warewashing, with compartments large enough to immerse the largest equipment and utensils, and it lets the regulatory authority approve alternatives. Section 5-205.11 says the hand sink may be used only for handwashing.
The Food Code also includes a mobile food establishment matrix in its annex that helps regulators decide which sections apply to which kind of unit. That is why the answer depends so much on your menu and your local office.
How states differ
These examples show the range. They are not a substitute for your own jurisdiction’s rules.
- Texas requires a mobile food unit to have a sink with at least three compartments sized for its largest utensils and at least one hand sink. Units that sell only prepackaged food, and some limited operations supported by a central preparation facility, are exempt from parts of this.
- Florida’s Department of Health rule requires a self-sufficient unit to have a three compartment sink and a separate handwash sink, and requires the waste tank to hold at least 15 percent more than the water supply. It exempts some units selling only prepackaged or lower risk food, and it does not require a mop sink on the unit.
- California sets dimensions. San Francisco’s construction guide, for example, calls for a hand sink at least 9 inches by 9 inches by 5 inches deep, a three compartment sink with two drainboards and stated minimum bowl sizes, and a splashguard at least 6 inches high between the hand sink and the warewashing sink unless they are at least 24 inches apart. Some beverage only units may qualify for a two compartment sink.
- Minnesota requires at least a three compartment sink on a mobile food unit.
Prep sinks and mop sinks are usually handled at the commissary, but some jurisdictions ask for a prep sink on the truck if you wash produce on board. Your local health department has the final say, so confirm the sink list, sizes and tank capacities with your inspector before you buy.
Common inspection problems
- Sink compartments too small to submerge the largest pot, pan or cutting board.
- The hand sink blocked by stock, or used as a dump sink during service.
- No splash protection between the hand sink and the dish sink or food.
- No hot water, or a water heater too small to keep up.
- Fresh water or waste tanks smaller than the local minimum.
- No soap or paper towels at the hand sink.
- A truck built to one county’s rules and then permitted in another with different sink sizes.
What to buy
Get your jurisdiction’s mobile unit checklist first, then measure your largest utensil and the space on the truck.
- Compact wall mounted hand sinks, with side splashes if the sink sits beside food or the dish sink.
- Three bowl compartment sinks with bowls sized to your largest item and to any local minimum. Check whether drainboards are required where you operate.
- Faucets that mix hot and cold water and reach every bowl.
- Stainless work tables and wall shelves cut to fit the remaining wall space.
- A larger three compartment sink, prep sink and mop sink at the commissary if you run your own.
Express KitchQuip’s own stainless steel sinks are NSF certified, and freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price. No sink can guarantee a permit or an inspection result, so match every dimension to your approved plan before ordering.