Cooking
Cold storage
Sinks and water
Prep and serving
Walls and openings
Power and safety
Food Truck Layout Maker
Draw your food truck or food trailer floor plan to scale, free, in your browser. No account, no download.
A food truck layout decides how fast the line moves and whether the plan passes review. The maker above gives you the inside of a step van, trailer or cart at real size, a library of about 40 pieces of equipment with typical footprints, and live measurements of the space between them. Move things until the walkway works, then take the plan to your builder or your health department.
How to Plan a Food Truck Layout
- 1
Pick the box
Choose a step van, a food trailer or a cart, then type the inside length and width of yours. The grid is drawn to scale in feet and inches.
- 2
Add equipment
Click a griddle, fryer, fridge, sink or tank and it drops into the first open spot. Every item starts at a typical size you can change to match the spec sheet.
- 3
Arrange the line
Drag items into place. They snap to walls and to each other, and the space around the selected item shows in inches so you can see the walkway.
- 4
Check and download
The checklist flags the usual plan review items, like a hand sink and a wastewater tank 15 percent bigger than the fresh one. Download a PNG, an SVG, or print the plan with its equipment list.
The guide to designing a food truck layout goes through the same steps in more detail, starting from the menu.
Truck and Trailer Sizes in the Maker
These presets are starting points for the inside of the box: a step van, a concession trailer or a food cart. Step van bodies and trailer builds vary, so measure yours wall to wall and type the numbers in. Food truck dimensions and food trailer sizes cover outside sizes, height and what fits.
| Preset | Type | Inside length | Inside width |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 ft step van | Food truck (step van) | 14′ | 7′ 2″ |
| 16 ft step van | Food truck (step van) | 16′ | 7′ 2″ |
| 18 ft step van | Food truck (step van) | 18′ | 7′ 2″ |
| 20 ft step van | Food truck (step van) | 20′ | 7′ 2″ |
| 6 x 12 ft trailer | Food trailer | 12′ | 6′ |
| 7 x 14 ft trailer | Food trailer | 14′ | 6′ 8″ |
| 8.5 x 16 ft trailer | Food trailer | 16′ | 8′ |
| 8.5 x 20 ft trailer | Food trailer | 20′ | 8′ |
| 8.5 x 24 ft trailer | Food trailer | 24′ | 8′ |
| 6 ft food cart | Cart | 6′ | 3′ |
| 4 ft coffee cart | Cart | 4′ | 2′ 6″ |
Equipment Sizes for a Food Truck Floor Plan
Each item starts at a typical footprint, width by depth in inches. Real units differ by brand and model, so check the spec sheet and change the numbers. Most health departments want commercial gear with NSF certification, and a refrigerated lowboy or chef base under the griddle saves floor space. The food truck equipment list explains what each piece is for and how it is powered.
Cooking
- Flat-top griddle36 × 30 in
- Charbroiler24 × 30 in
- Deep fryer16 × 30 in
- Range, 4 burner24 × 30 in
- Hot plate, 2 burner12 × 24 in
- Countertop oven24 × 24 in
- Pizza oven36 × 36 in
- Smoker48 × 30 in
- Steam table, 3 well44 × 30 in
- Food warmer24 × 20 in
- Microwave20 × 16 in
- Espresso machine30 × 22 in
Cold storage
- Reach-in fridge28 × 32 in
- Undercounter fridge27 × 30 in
- Chef base (fridge under the line)52 × 32 in
- Sandwich prep table48 × 30 in
- Chest freezer36 × 22 in
- Undercounter ice machine22 × 24 in
Sinks and water
- Three-compartment sink54 × 21 in
- Hand-washing sink17 × 15 in
- Prep sink21 × 21 in
- Fresh water tank30 gal
- Wastewater tank40 gal
- Water heater16 × 16 in
Prep and serving
- Prep table48 × 30 in
- Prep table, small30 × 24 in
- Service counter60 × 14 in
- Shelving36 × 14 in
- POS / register16 × 14 in
- Storage cabinet30 × 24 in
Walls and openings
- Service window72 × 4 in
- Door30 × 4 in
- Exhaust hood96 × 30 in
Power and safety
- Generator30 × 22 in
- Propane tanks26 × 13 in
- Fire extinguisher8 × 8 in
What a Health Department Usually Looks For
Every state and county writes its own rules for a mobile food unit, and most want to see a plan before the truck is built through plan review. A few items show up on nearly every list, and the checklist in the maker tracks them: a hand-washing sink that is only for hands, a three-compartment sink for washing, rinsing and sanitizing, hot water, a fresh water tank, and a wastewater tank at least 15 percent larger than the fresh tank, which is the FDA Food Code's rule. Cooking that makes grease or smoke goes under a Type I hood, and you need a fire extinguisher. Food truck sink requirements has the details and links to real state rules.
Treat the checklist as a reminder, not an approval. Your local plan review has the final say, and the fire marshal may have rules of their own for propane, hoods and suppression systems.
Food Truck Layout Ideas
-
One line on the back wall
Cooking, cold storage and sinks run along the wall opposite the service window. The crew works facing the line and turns around to hand food out. Common in step vans because it leaves one clear aisle.
-
Line plus a service counter
The same back line, with a narrow counter under the window for the register, finishing and pickup. The aisle between them is where the crew moves, so its width matters most.
-
Galley, both walls
Equipment on both long walls with the window cut into one of them. It fits more gear in a short box but squeezes the aisle, so check the walkway number before you commit.
-
Hot end and cold end
Fryers and griddles grouped under one hood at one end, prep tables and fridges at the other, sinks between. Keeps heat and grease away from cold prep and shortens the hood.
See food truck layout ideas for taco, coffee, pizza, BBQ and burger setups, and food truck interior design for materials, lighting and ventilation.
Food Truck Guides
- Food truck dimensionsFood truck dimensions in feet and inches: step van box lengths, interior width and height, overall length, trailer and cart sizes, and weight ratings.
- Food truck designFood truck design from the inside out: layout, equipment, materials, the service window, exterior wrap and branding, and whether to build or buy.
- Food truck interior designFood truck interior design explained: work zones and workflow, aisle and headroom, wall and floor materials, NSF equipment, lighting levels and ventilation.
- Layout ideasFood truck layout ideas by concept: taco, burger, pizza, coffee, BBQ and dessert trucks, plus single-line, galley and L-shaped plans for small trucks and vans.
- Designing a layoutHow to design a food truck layout in 8 steps: menu, equipment list, work zones, water and power, aisle width, health department review, then a scaled plan.
- Food trailer sizesFood trailer sizes compared: what the 6x12, 7x14, 8.5x16, 8.5x20 and 8.5x24 concession trailer measure inside and what equipment fits in each layout.
- Equipment listA food truck equipment list by category: cooking, refrigeration, sinks and water, hood and fire safety, power and propane, and service, with real spec-sheet sizes.
- Sink requirementsFood truck sink requirements explained: hand sink, three-compartment sink, prep sink, water heater, and fresh and wastewater tank sizes, with FDA and county rules.
Food Truck Layout Maker FAQ
Is the food truck layout maker free?
Yes. You can draw, save and download as many layouts as you like without an account. Layouts are saved in your browser on this device, so download a copy of any plan you want to keep somewhere else.
Does it work for food trailers and carts?
Yes. There are presets for step vans from 14 to 20 feet, trailers from 6 x 12 to 8.5 x 24 feet, and carts. If your box is a different size, type its inside length and width and the plan redraws to match.
How accurate are the equipment sizes?
They are typical footprints, so treat them as placeholders. A 36 inch griddle or a two-door prep table from one brand can be a few inches off from another. Once you pick real models, type the width and depth from each spec sheet and the clearances update.
Will my layout pass a health inspection?
The checklist covers items most health departments ask about, like a dedicated hand sink and a wastewater tank at least 15 percent larger than the fresh tank, but it cannot approve a plan. Rules change by state and county. Send your plan to your local health department for review before you build.
Can I send the plan to a food truck builder?
Yes. Download a PNG or SVG of the floor plan, or use Print to save a PDF with the drawing and the full equipment list. Copy equipment list puts the list on your clipboard so you can paste it into a spreadsheet or an email.
Can I use it on my phone?
It works on a phone, with the equipment list and settings in tabs under the plan, but a laptop or tablet is easier for dragging items into tight spots. Layouts you save on one device do not move to another.
More food truck questions
- How wide is a food truck?
- How tall is a food truck?
- How long is a food truck?
- How much does a food truck weigh?
- What size generator do I need for a food truck?
- How many gallons of water does a food truck need?
- Do food trucks have running water?
- Do food trucks need a commissary kitchen?
- Do food trucks need a fire suppression system?
- What size fire extinguisher does a food truck need?
- Can a food truck have a bathroom?
- How much does it cost to build a food truck?
Ready to lay out your truck?
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