How Goodyear Handles Home Business: A Practical Guide

Goodyear maintains 119 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with home business. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Goodyear falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Customer Traffic Restrictions

A Goodyear home occupation can only receive patrons or clients between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and every client vehicle has to park on the residential property or directly in front of it. Miss either rule and the business no longer qualifies as an allowed home occupation.

Key details: Client visiting hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Client parking: on-site or directly in front only. No long-term parking: for non-resident vehicles or clients. No nonresident employees: allowed at the home. Governing section: Goodyear City Code § 8-7-1.

A home business that receives clients outside the 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. window, or that lets client parking spill beyond the residential property, no longer meets the Section 8-7-1 home occupation definition and can be cited as a noncompliant business, exposing the owner to the licensing penalties in Section 8-7-9, including a $250 penalty for failing to apply for or renew a required license.

Zoning & Home Occupation Permits

Goodyear lets a resident run a home-based business by right in any residential district, but Zoning Ordinance Section 3.4.4 caps it at 25 percent of the home's living area, bars outside employees, allows no exterior signage, and limits activity to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Operators must also hold an annual city business license.

Key details: Governing section: Zoning Ordinance § 3.4.4. Living area cap: 25% of home's living area maximum. Allowed hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only. Employees: Residents only, no outside employees. Signage: No signs or exterior evidence permitted.

Operating outside these standards is a zoning violation under Zoning Ordinance Section 7.2.3 (Violations and Penalties). The City can pursue a civil sanction of $100 to $1,000 per offense, or prosecute the responsible party for a class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to a $2,500 fine, up to three years of probation, and up to six months in jail, filed by the City Prosecutor in Goodyear Municipal Court.

Home Daycare

Goodyear treats in-home day care as a home business, requiring it stay incidental to residential use, a 5-foot masonry fence around outdoor play areas, 500-foot spacing from other home day cares on the same street, and a ban on converting garages or driveways for the business.

Key details: Classified as: home business (§ 3.4.4). Play-area fence height: 5-foot solid masonry min. Separation between day cares: 500 feet, same street. Garage/driveway conversion: Not permitted. State licensing required: A.R.S. Title 36, Ch. 7.1.

A home day care that becomes the primary use of the dwelling, leaves its outdoor play area unfenced or under the five-foot masonry standard, sits within 500 feet of another home day care on the same street, or has converted a garage or driveway to accommodate the business, is out of compliance with Section 3.11.18 and subject to the city's zoning code enforcement process, in addition to any state licensing consequences.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Goodyear actively enforces its home daycare requirements.

Signage Rules

Goodyear bans home-based businesses from displaying any sign or other exterior evidence that a business operates on the property. Zoning Ordinance Section 3.4.4(D) requires the operation to stay invisible from the street, one of eight mandatory standards a home occupation must meet to remain legal in any residential district.

Key details: Governing section: Zoning Ordinance § 3.4.4(D). Sign allowance: None: zero exterior signs permitted. Other standards: Residents only, 8am-8pm, 25% floor-area cap. License: Annual City of Goodyear business license still required. Penalty: $100-$1,000 civil sanction or misdemeanor charge.

A home business found displaying a sign or other exterior evidence of its operation loses its home-occupation status and is processed as a violation under Zoning Ordinance Section 7.2.3 (Violations and Penalties). Goodyear can impose a civil sanction of $100 to $1,000 per offense or pursue a class 1 misdemeanor charge, punishable by up to a $2,500 fine, three years of probation, or six months in jail, in Goodyear Municipal Court.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Goodyear actively enforces its signage rules requirements.

The Bottom Line

Goodyear is tougher than many cities when it comes to home business. Out of the 4 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Goodyear, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Goodyear can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.