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Home-Based Business

Home occupations are businesses run from a home in a residential area. The City of Edmonton Zoning Bylaw has 2 classifications for home businesses: minor home-based business and major home-based business.

Approval Process

Step 1

The 1st step is to apply for a Development Permit. A Development Permit is the approval which allows business activities to be conducted from a residential property and also categorizes the kind of business activity as either a major home-based business or a minor home-based business.

Home Based Business Application Form

Step 2

The 2nd step is to apply for a Business Licence. The Business Licence is the approval which legally allows you to operate your business.

Minor Home-Based Business

Minor home-based businesses are those that are considered to have no impact on the neighbours and are basically invisible. Typical businesses would be consultants, computer programmers and other service-oriented businesses where the proprietor goes to the customer rather than the customer coming to the home.

Minor Home-Based Businesses must follow these rules

1. You must live in the house (dwelling)
2. Only 1 business visit per day is allowed. A business visit is someone coming to the property for business purposes, such as a courier or client
3. Only 1 business identification plaque or sign no larger than 10cm x 30.5cm is allowed on the wall of the house
4. The business cannot employ any person on-site other than a resident of the dwelling
5. The dwelling cannot be a workplace for non-resident business employees
6. You cannot have mechanical or electrical equipment that creates external noise, or visible and audible interference with electronic equipment in adjacent dwellings
7. You cannot have outdoor business activity, outdoor storage of materials, or equipment on the site
8. The business cannot change the character or outside appearance of the dwelling
9. You may not use any accessory buildings for part of your business

If you cannot comply with the above regulations, you may need to apply for a major home-based business.

Major Home-Based Business

Major home-based businesses are those businesses that are not invisible and may involve the customer coming to the home or some other use of the property that is not typical of a residential area. Major home occupations will allow more business visits and also allow you to have employees. Typical businesses are hair dressers or lawn maintenance companies.

All major home-based business are considered to have an impact on the neighbourhood and therefore are subject to notification of the surrounding property owners. The notification time frame including mail out is approximately 3 weeks before expiration. If your neighbours object, they may file an appeal during that time frame to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.

If your application is refused, you may file an appeal to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.

Major Home-Based Businesses must follow these rules

1. Only 1 business identification plaque or sign no larger than 20cm x 30.5cm is allowed on the house.
2. The number of non-resident employees or business partners working on-site cannot exceed 2 at any one time.
3. You may have business visits to the property, however, the visits shall not create pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or parking, in excess of that which is characteristic of the district. (A business visit is someone coming to the property for business purposes, such as a courier or client.)
4. Your garage can be used for business.
5. You cannot have mechanical or electrical equipment that creates external noise, or visible and audible interference with electronic equipment in adjacent dwellings.
6. You cannot have outdoor business activity, or outdoor storage of materials or equipment on the site.
7. The business cannot change the character or outside appearance of the dwelling or accessory buildings.
8. Bed & Breakfasts with more that 2 sleeping units are classified as major home-based business.

Fees

The following fees are effective January 1, 2011:

• Referral Fees for first time applications  - $63/referral (see business category for referrals).
• Minor Home-Based Business Development Permit - $104
• Major Home-Based Business Development Permit - $260
  (Major Home-based businesses have an expiry date on their Development Permit. If the permit expires there is a $260 renewal fee).
• Annual Home-Based Business License fee - $172 (plus the cost of licence category and any referrals required).
• Note that partial payments are not accepted for any licences. You must pay the fee in full when you apply or renew.

For more information:

Customer Information and Support Services