The Complete Food Truck Equipment List (With Costs)

Whether you are building a truck from scratch or buying one already outfitted, knowing exactly what equipment you need — and what each piece costs — is the difference between a realistic budget and costly surprises. Equipment is typically 25-35% of your total startup cost, and the choices you make ripple through everything from your menu to whether you pass your health department inspection. This guide is a full food truck equipment list and cost breakdown: every major category, a line-by-line cost table, the consumables you’ll restock weekly, and what health codes legally require. For the bigger budget picture, start with our food truck startup costs guide, and model your own numbers with the startup cost calculator.

Food truck equipment cost summary

Before the line-by-line list, here is what the major categories typically cost for a new build using commercial-grade equipment. Used gear runs 30-50% less.

Category	Typical Cost Range	Share of equipment budget
Cooking equipment	$4,000 – $25,000	30-45%
Refrigeration & freezing	$3,000 – $8,000	15-20%
Food prep & storage	$1,500 – $6,000	8-12%
Power & utilities (generator, electrical)	$3,000 – $8,000	12-18%
Water & sanitation (sinks, tanks, heater)	$1,500 – $4,000	6-10%
Safety & fire suppression	$3,500 – $8,000	10-15%
Serving & POS	$1,000 – $3,000	4-8%
Smallwares	$1,000 – $3,000	4-8%
Total equipment (typical)	$15,000 – $40,000	100%

A lean coffee or dessert truck can land near the bottom of that range ($10K-$20K), while a BBQ or pizza concept with a major cooking centerpiece pushes toward $30K-$45K. The rest of this list breaks each category down item by item.

Cooking equipment

Your cooking line is the single largest equipment category and the one your menu dictates most directly. A taco truck and a pizza truck barely overlap here.

Item	Purpose	Typical Cost Range
Flat-top griddle	Breakfast, tacos, burgers, smash patties, quesadillas	$2,000 – $5,000
Charbroiler / grill	Grill marks on meat and vegetables	$1,500 – $4,000
Deep fryer (countertop or floor)	Fries, chicken, fritters, sides	$1,000 – $3,000
Range / burners	Sauces, soups, boiling, sautéing	$1,200 – $3,500
Convection or pizza oven	Baking, roasting, pizzas (gas or wood-fired)	$2,000 – $25,000
Commercial smoker	BBQ trucks; electric or wood-fired	$5,000 – $15,000
Steam table / hot holding	Holds cooked food at safe serving temperature	$1,000 – $3,000
Heated holding cabinet	Keeps proteins and tortillas warm	$1,000 – $2,000
Espresso machine + grinder	Coffee trucks; pulls shots, grinds beans	$5,500 – $17,000

Long-tail angle — what cooking equipment a food truck actually needs: most general-menu trucks can open with just a griddle, a two-basket fryer, and a steam table, which keeps this category near $4,000-$8,000. Specialty concepts are where it climbs: a wood-fired pizza oven alone can be $8K-$25K, and a competition-grade smoker $5K-$15K. Buy your cooking centerpiece new or lightly used — worn cooking surfaces cost more in fuel and cleaning labor than the upfront savings.

Refrigeration and freezing

Cold storage is non-negotiable for food safety, and health inspectors will check that everything holds temperature. Right-size it to your menu so you’re not paying to power empty space.

Item	Purpose	Typical Cost Range
Refrigerated prep table (sandwich/salad)	Cold rail for toppings plus cold storage below	$1,200 – $3,000
Under-counter cooler	Ingredient and beverage storage at the line	$1,000 – $2,000
Reach-in refrigerator	Bulk cold storage	$1,500 – $4,000
Chest or upright freezer	Frozen proteins, fries, ice cream base	$1,000 – $3,000
Ice machine or ice bin	Drinks, cold holding, food safety	$500 – $2,500

Long-tail angle — buying used refrigeration: a prep fridge from a restaurant liquidation can be a genuine steal at $500-$800, but always run it for a full 24 hours and confirm it holds 40°F before installing. Confirm the unit is NSF-listed; inspectors check the sticker. Avoid the cheapest residential-grade units — they struggle to hold temp in a hot truck and won’t pass inspection.

Food prep and storage

The unglamorous backbone of the kitchen. This is also the best category to buy used, since stainless steel doesn’t wear out.

Item	Purpose	Typical Cost Range
Stainless prep tables	Cutting, assembly, plating surfaces	$500 – $2,000
Wall and overhead shelving	Dry goods, smallware, supply storage	$300 – $1,000
Cutting boards & racks	Food-safe prep surfaces (color-coded)	$100 – $400
Food storage containers (Cambros)	Ingredient prep, labeling, FIFO rotation	$200 – $600
Dry storage bins	Flour, rice, sugar, bulk dry goods	$150 – $500
Sheet pans, hotel pans, inserts	Prepping, holding, transporting food	$300 – $800

Long-tail angle — where to save on a food truck build: prep tables and shelving are the safest used buys on the entire list. A restaurant going out of business will sell stainless tables for a third of retail. Spend the savings on cooking and refrigeration where reliability matters more.

Power and utilities

Nearly every truck runs on a generator, and undersizing it is one of the most common — and most expensive — build mistakes. Add up the running and startup watts of every appliance, then add 20-25% headroom.

Item	Purpose	Typical Cost Range
Generator (quiet inverter)	Powers all electrical equipment off-grid	$3,000 – $6,000
Electrical panel & wiring	Distributes power safely; required for inspection	$1,000 – $3,000
Propane system (tanks, lines, regulator)	Fuels gas griddles, fryers, ovens	$500 – $1,500
LED lighting	Work lighting and service-window visibility	$200 – $600
Battery / shore power hookup	Run lights and POS without the generator	$300 – $1,000

Long-tail angle — what size generator a food truck needs: a basic taco or sandwich truck usually needs 4,000-6,000 running watts; a pizza truck with an electric oven or a coffee truck with a high-draw espresso machine often needs 6,000-8,000+ watts and a pure sine wave output to protect sensitive electronics. Generators are risky to buy used — hours and maintenance history are usually unknown — so budget $3K-$6K for a new quiet inverter model. We break the math down in the food truck generator cost guide.

Water and sanitation

This is where health codes are most prescriptive. Most U.S. jurisdictions require a specific sink configuration and minimum tank capacities, and you will fail inspection without them.

Item	Purpose	Typical Cost Range
Three-compartment sink	Wash, rinse, sanitize dishes (code-required)	$400 – $1,200
Separate handwashing sink	Hand hygiene only (code-required)	$150 – $500
Fresh water tank	Potable water supply (often 30-40+ gal required)	$200 – $600
Grey water tank	Waste water; usually sized ~15% larger than fresh	$200 – $600
Water pump	Pressurizes the system	$150 – $400
Water heater	Hot water at sinks (code-required)	$300 – $900

Long-tail angle — what plumbing health codes require: almost every health department mandates a three-compartment sink for warewashing plus a separate dedicated handwashing sink with hot and cold running water. Many require minimum fresh water capacity (commonly 30-42 gallons) and a grey water tank sized larger than the fresh tank so you can’t legally dump more than you carried. Check your local code before buying tanks — sizing rules vary by county. If you prep at a shared kitchen, some of these requirements shift; see our commissary costs guide for what the commissary covers versus what your truck still needs onboard.

Safety and fire suppression

Required, inspected, and not optional anywhere you cook with grease or open flame. This is also a category where buying new and getting the warranty is almost always the right call.

Item	Purpose	Typical Cost Range
Type 1 ventilation hood	Captures grease-laden vapor over cooking (code-required)	$2,000 – $5,000
Automatic fire suppression (Ansul-type)	Auto-extinguishes a cooking fire (code-required)	$3,000 – $7,000
Class K fire extinguisher	Manual backup for grease fires	$150 – $400
ABC fire extinguisher	General-purpose backup	$50 – $150
Carbon monoxide / propane detector	Alerts to gas leaks	$50 – $200
Anti-fatigue & non-slip mats	Crew safety on the line	$100 – $300

Long-tail angle — is a fire suppression system required: if you cook with a fryer, griddle, charbroiler, or open flame, the answer in nearly every U.S. jurisdiction is yes — a Type 1 hood with an automatic wet-chemical suppression system over the cooking line, professionally installed and certified. Coffee, ice cream, and cold-prep trucks can often skip it, which is a big reason their equipment budgets are smaller. Used systems can sometimes be recertified, but the $200-$500 saved rarely justifies the hassle. Full detail in the fire suppression system guide.

Serving and point of sale

The customer-facing equipment that turns finished food into revenue. Modest cost, high importance.

Item	Purpose	Typical Cost Range
POS terminal (tablet + stand)	Order entry and transaction management	$300 – $1,000
Card reader / payment terminal	Tap, chip, and swipe payments	$50 – $400
POS software subscription	Menu, reporting, inventory (monthly)	$0 – $150/mo
Receipt printer	Printed receipts and kitchen tickets	$150 – $400
Service window & shelf	Order handoff to customers	$200 – $800
Menu board / signage	Displays menu and pricing	$100 – $600

Long-tail angle — leasing your POS: POS hardware is one of the few categories where leasing genuinely makes sense, often $50-$150/month bundled with software and a card reader. Cooking and refrigeration equipment, by contrast, rarely pencils out as a lease. Many processors will hand you a free or low-cost reader if you commit to their payment processing.

Smallwares

Individually cheap, collectively a real line item. New owners routinely underbudget this and end up making three supply runs in opening week.

Item	Purpose	Typical Cost Range
Pots & pans	Cooking and sauce work	$200 – $600
Knives & knife kit	Prep and butchery	$150 – $500
Tongs, spatulas, ladles, turners	Line cooking and serving	$100 – $400
Mixing bowls & prep utensils	Prep and assembly	$100 – $300
Measuring tools & scales	Portion control and consistency	$50 – $250
Cleaning supplies & racks	Sanitation and dish handling	$150 – $500
Thermometers (probe + ambient)	Food safety verification	$50 – $200

Long-tail angle — a smallwares starter budget: plan on $1,000-$3,000 to fully outfit a truck’s smallwares, and buy a little extra of your highest-turnover tools (tongs, spatulas, probe thermometers) so a single bent or lost piece never stops service.

Consumables and recurring supplies

Equipment is a one-time spend; consumables are forever. This is the food truck consumables list most checklists forget — and it’s a real weekly operating cost, typically $300-$900 per week depending on volume.

Consumable	Purpose	Typical Cost
Disposable containers, clamshells, boxes	Packaging finished food	$0.10 – $0.60 each
Cups, lids, straws	Beverages	$0.05 – $0.25 each
Napkins, utensils, condiment packets	Customer service	$0.02 – $0.15 each
Foil, deli paper, food film, bags	Wrapping and holding	$30 – $80 per case
Gloves (nitrile/vinyl)	Food handling (code-required)	$8 – $20 per box
Sanitizer & cleaning chemicals	Daily sanitation	$40 – $120 per week
Paper towels & dish towels	Cleaning and prep	$20 – $50 per week
Propane refills	Fueling cooking equipment	$20 – $60 per refill
Generator fuel (gas/diesel)	Powering the truck per service	$15 – $50 per day

Long-tail angle — how much to budget for consumables: as a rule of thumb, packaging and paper goods run 3-6% of revenue, so a truck doing $4,000/week should expect roughly $120-$240/week in packaging alone, plus chemicals, gloves, and fuel on top. Buying packaging by the case from a restaurant supplier (rather than retail) is the single easiest way to protect this margin.

New vs. used, financing, and leasing

Most first-time owners build with a mix of new and used. The golden rule: buy used for things that sit still, buy new for things that generate heat or touch food. Stainless prep tables, shelving, and serving counters are excellent used buys. Fryers, griddles, ovens, generators, and fire suppression should be new or lightly used.

If your budget is tight, you have three main routes:

• Equipment loans — $5K-$150K at roughly 6-18% APR for qualified borrowers; good for big-ticket cooking equipment and generators.
• SBA microloans — up to $50K at lower rates (around 7-9%) but requiring more documentation, including a business plan.
• Leasing — works well for POS systems ($50-$150/month) and rarely makes sense for cooking gear.

The used restaurant equipment market — auctions, liquidators, and Facebook Marketplace — is the real money-saver, often 30-50% off retail. Expect to pay cash and haul it yourself, and always verify the NSF sticker, because inspectors will. A popular strategy: buy a truck that’s already partially equipped, then upgrade piece by piece as revenue grows, spreading the cost over 6-12 months instead of all at once.

Equipment needs by cuisine type

Your menu dictates your build-out, and choosing the wrong layout can cost $5K-$15K in retrofits later. Here is how equipment priorities shift by concept:

• Taco truck — griddle ($2K-$5K), steam table ($1K-$3K), heated holding cabinet ($1K-$2K), and multiple prep fridges for toppings. No fryer or oven needed unless you add specials.
• BBQ truck — the smoker is the big cost driver ($5K-$15K). Add a steam table for sides, a griddle for finishing, and extra ventilation. Overall equipment runs 20-30% higher than other concepts.
• Pizza truck — the oven ($8K-$25K) dominates the budget. Add a prep fridge with a large work surface, dough storage, and a generator sized for the oven’s power draw (5,000-8,000+ watts).
• Coffee truck — espresso machine ($5K-$15K) and grinder ($500-$2K) are the core. Needs a pure sine wave generator. No hood or fire suppression in most jurisdictions, so total equipment cost is lower.
• Ice cream truck — minimal cooking equipment (no hood, no fire suppression), but $1K-$3K for commercial freezers and a generator that runs all day to keep them cold.

Frequently asked questions

How much does food truck equipment cost in total?

A fully equipped food truck typically spends $15,000 to $40,000 on equipment depending on cuisine type. A coffee truck needs roughly $10K-$20K, a BBQ truck $15K-$30K, and a pizza truck $12K-$35K. Used equipment can cut these figures by 30-50%.

What is the most expensive piece of food truck equipment?

The cooking centerpiece is usually the most expensive item. Pizza ovens run $8K-$25K, commercial smokers $5K-$15K, and espresso machines $5K-$15K. After cooking equipment, a generator ($3K-$6K) and fire suppression ($3K-$7K) are the next biggest line items.

What equipment does a food truck legally need?

Health departments generally require a separate handwashing sink with hot and cold water, a three-compartment sink for warewashing, NSF-listed commercial cooking and refrigeration equipment, a Type 1 hood with automatic fire suppression over any grease-producing cooking, fresh and grey water tanks at code-minimum capacity, and at least one fire extinguisher (Class K for grease). Exact tank sizes and sink rules vary by county, so confirm locally.

Can I buy used food truck equipment?

Yes — most first-time owners buy at least some used. Good used buys are stainless prep tables, shelving, refrigerators (test for 24 hours first), and smallwares. Risky used buys are fryers, generators, and fire suppression systems, where unknown wear and certification requirements can erase the savings. Always confirm the NSF sticker.

Should I finance or lease food truck equipment?

Financing (an equipment loan or SBA microloan) is usually better for big-ticket items like generators and ovens. Leasing makes the most sense for POS systems, where $50-$150/month bundles hardware and software. For everything else, the used restaurant equipment market is typically the most budget-friendly path.