Richardson, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)

Article XXII-E, Section 10(a) sets 15 conditions a home occupation must meet to stay a lawful accessory use of a residence, including that it be incidental and secondary to living there and conducted entirely inside the enclosed dwelling. Item (13) singles out vehicle work: the repair or service of vehicles, internal combustion engines, large equipment, or large appliances is prohibited, other than those owned by the owner or tenant of the premises and kept for personal use. That carve-out reaches only a resident working on their own car or mower, not a paying customer's vehicle, so any arrangement where money changes hands for repair work performed at a residence falls outside the exception entirely.

The same section's other standards reinforce the ban rather than soften it: item (3) bars outdoor activity, which rules out driveway repair work even if it were otherwise allowed, and item (8) bars outdoor storage of equipment or supplies, which would catch parts, lifts, or tools kept outside for a repair operation. A legitimate auto repair business has to locate in a district that allows it: Article XXII-A lists motor vehicle repair shop, minor, as a special permit use in LR-M(2), C-M, or industrial districts, and motor vehicle repair shop, major, as a special permit use in C-M or industrial districts, both subject to Article XXII-E's supplemental regulations. There is no residential pathway to a lawful paid auto repair operation in Richardson.