Revere's Home Business: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles home business a little differently. In Revere, Massachusetts, there are 4 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Signage Rules

A Revere home occupation cannot change how the property looks from a residence to a commercial storefront. Section 17.44.060 bars any sign, along with color, pattern, material, construction or lighting changes, that would alter the residential character of the site, and separately prohibits any open storage of motor vehicles connected to the business.

Key details: Rule: No sign/lighting altering residential character (§17.44.060). Also bans: Open storage of motor vehicles for the business. Standard used: Preserve residential character, not a fixed size. Compare: General residential signs capped separately at §17.36.050.

A sign or exterior alteration that changes a home occupation property's residential character violates Section 17.44.060 and is enforced through the citywide general penalty, Section 1.16.010: up to $300 per offense, with each day the nonconforming sign remains up treated as a separate offense. The building inspector can order the sign taken down or the alteration reversed.

Compared to other cities, Revere takes a harder line on signage rules. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Home Daycare

Revere allows a family child care home as of right in nearly every residential and business district, from RA and RB through GB1, CB and the PDD overlays, without a special permit. The zoning code adds just two conditions: no large family child care home may operate in the same building as another one, and swimming pools are prohibited on the premises.

Key details: Special permit needed: No, allowed as of right. Eligible districts: RA, RB, RC, NB, GB, CB, PDD1/2. Same-building rule: No two large homes in one building. Swimming pools: Prohibited on premises. State licensor: Mass. Dept. of Early Education and Care.

Operating a large family child care home in the same building as another licensed large home or child care center, or installing a swimming pool on a family child care home's premises, violates § 17.16.085 and can draw the general Title 17 penalty in § 17.60.090 of up to three hundred dollars per day, along with revocation of the building permit or certificate of occupancy under § 17.60.050.

The rules around home daycare in Revere lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Customer Traffic Restrictions

Revere limits how much traffic a home occupation can pull into a residential street. Section 17.44.070 bars generating traffic volumes greater than would normally be expected in a residential neighborhood and requires any parking the business needs to be supplied on the same lot, not on the public street.

Key details: Traffic standard: No more than a typical residential neighborhood generates. Parking requirement: Must be provided on-site, not on-street. Related nuisance rule: No excess noise/vibration/odor/glare (§17.44.080). Max fine: $300 per offense, per day (§1.16.010).

A home occupation that draws more client or delivery traffic than a residential neighborhood would normally see, or that pushes parking onto the street instead of the site, violates Section 17.44.070 and is enforced through the citywide general penalty, Section 1.16.010: up to $300 per offense, with each day of the violation counted separately. The building inspector can also require the home occupation to scale back or cease.

Zoning & Home Occupation Permits

Revere allows a defined list of home occupations, from tailors to lawyers' offices to licensed family child care, inside any dwelling that is the operator's bona fide residence. Section 17.44.010 sets that location baseline, Section 17.44.020 limits which occupations qualify, and Sections 17.44.040-.050 cap the operation's size and staffing.

Key details: Where allowed: Bona fide residence or accessory building only. Floor area cap: 25% of gross floor area (§17.44.040). Outside employee limit: One non-family employee maximum. Permitted list: Artists, tailors, licensed child care, professional offices. No new construction: Cannot alter or enlarge structure for the business.

A home occupation that exceeds the twenty-five percent floor area cap, hires more than one outside employee, or operates a use not on Section 17.44.020's list is a zoning violation enforced under the citywide general penalty, Section 1.16.010: up to $300 per offense, with each day of the noncompliant operation charged separately. The building inspector can also order the use discontinued.

The Bottom Line

Revere's home business rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Revere is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Revere 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.