Hi! I am new here and have been reading till my eyes want to fall out the past couple of weeks.

I want to open an in home bakery and I was wondering if you might be able to share some specifics on what they are looking for on the kitchen inspection. I have a "country kitchen" (read cluttered with kitchen stuff). Do I need to take all that stuff out?

What about the ceiling? Mine has a texture to it, though it isn't popcorn. I have linolium floor, though it is has a couple of cuts/dings in it.

Any tips on passing the inspection?

My plan it to try and see if I can pass the inspection first, then apply for the zoning permit and an LLC. Then get my insurance and business license. I am in Loudoun County if that makes a difference.

Thanks so much.

I had my inspection last summer. They want to see that you have a clean kitchen (and I would make sure the rest of the house they would see is clean as well). They will take a water sample, so if you are on a well they will water I think they want it inspected. The inspector took a sample of my goods (I made cupcakes that day). They will send it to Richmond to have it analyzed.
The only thing I can tell you they will ask for that I did not have were test strips for the sanitizer I use. I use a bleach & water combination, but they want to see you have that. I passed, but they said make sure to get them since that was the only thing out of place.
Have you filled out the paperwork yet? The instructions are in the packet they will send out. It took about a month to hear back from them after sending in the required information. I think I was more nervous about the whole thing than need be, but I did pass. Good luck!

They also check to see that you have working refrigeration, an accessible hand sink (in the bathroom nearby, usually), and that you have separate storage for your cake ingredients and equipment.

Well that doesn't sound so bad.

The health department is like the IRS, I expect them to be like the Seinfeld "soup nazi", though most people experience them as being a reasonable group of people. (that doesn't change my expectation though!)

I appreciate the reassurance.

The people from there who I've met have been very helpful,so don't worry!

you need to call your local health department to see if you are even able to open an "in-home" business. where i live you'd have to have two seperate kitchens. you are not able to prepare food to sell in the same space you'd prepare meals for home.

Virginia permits it, and my county does too (I popped by zoning and asked them, and picked up the form).

I know I don't even have to get inspected by the health department in Virginia, but I want to give my customers that peace of mind.