Westminster's Home Business: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles home business a little differently. In Westminster, Colorado, 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.

Home Daycare

Westminster zoning treats a licensed home daycare as a 'family care home,' defined as a state-licensed facility inside the provider's residence offering less than 24-hour child care. It qualifies as a home occupation allowed in any zoning district, but the operator must keep a current state license on file plus a city home occupations license.

Key details: State license: Required, kept on file with City. City license: Home occupations license also required. Zoning reach: Allowed in any zoning district. Staffing exception: May employ non-residents (unlike other home businesses). Space cap: 20% of floor area or 300 sq ft.

Running a family care home without a current state license on file, or without the required Westminster home occupations license, is treated as a public nuisance under Section 11-4-10(D) and can be abated through the nuisance enforcement process in Title VIII, Chapter 4. A provider who violates the home occupation size, signage, or entrance limits risks the same nuisance abatement and license revocation.

Customer Traffic Restrictions

Westminster requires a home-based business to stay invisible from the street. Section 11-4-10(B) bars a separate outside entrance, limits exterior signage to one square foot, and makes it unlawful for the business to change the neighborhood's character through excessive traffic, noise, or lights.

Key details: Character standard: No excessive noise, lights, or traffic. Exterior signage: Max 1 sq ft, non-illuminated. Separate customer entrance: Not allowed absent state law. Outdoor client activity: Tightly limited, narrow exceptions only. Violation: Public nuisance, abatable citywide.

A home business that draws visibly excessive client traffic, parking, or deliveries violates the "excessive...traffic" bar in Section 11-4-10(B)(7), and combined with exterior signage larger than one square foot or a customer entrance added to the outside of the house, the operation loses its home occupation status. Subsection (D) makes any such violation, or operating without the required license, a public nuisance abatable under Title VIII, Chapter 4 of the Municipal Code.

Signage Rules

A Westminster home occupation may display only one sign, and it must be unanimated, non-illuminated, flat against a wall or window, and no larger than one square foot in area under Section 11-4-10(B)(3).

Key details: Governing section: W.M.C. Section 11-4-10(B)(3). Sign size limit: 1 square foot maximum. Sign count: One sign only. Illumination: Prohibited (non-illuminated only). Placement: Flat wall or window sign only.

A sign exceeding one square foot, an illuminated sign, or any sign not flat against a wall or window is a violation of Section 11-4-10(B)(3) and renders the home occupation noncompliant, exposing the operator to the nuisance-abatement process in Subsection (D) under Title VIII, Chapter 4 of the Code, including possible license revocation.

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

Zoning & Home Occupation Permits

Westminster allows home occupations in any dwelling unit, in any zoning district, but caps the use at 20 percent of the home's gross floor area or 300 square feet, whichever is smaller, and bars use of the garage. A license from the City is required before operating.

Key details: Governing section: W.M.C. Section 11-4-10. Floor area cap: 20% of dwelling or 300 sq ft, less of. Garage use: Prohibited for home occupations. Non-resident employees: Not allowed (except family care homes). Motor limit: Electric motors, 2 hp or less.

Operating a home occupation without the required license, or violating any limitation in Section 11-4-10, is declared a public nuisance under Subsection (D) and may be abated under Title VIII, Chapter 4 of the Westminster Municipal Code, which allows the City to pursue court-ordered abatement and recover costs from the property owner.

The Bottom Line

Westminster'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 Westminster is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Westminster 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.