Home Business in Austin, TX (2026)
5 verified home business rules for Austin, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Austin allows a home business as an accessory use to any residence under Sec. 25-2-900, but it must run entirely inside the dwelling or an accessory structure, keep the home looking residential, stay quiet and odor-free, and avoid a list of banned uses like animal hospitals, contractor's yards, and cocktail lounges.
Austin Home Occupation Zoning Standards
Some RestrictionsAustin City Code Sec. 25-2-900
(A)A home occupation is a commercial use that is accessory to a residential use. A home occupation must comply with the requirements of this section.(B)A home occupation must be conducted entirely within the dwelling unit or an accessory structure.(D)The residential character of the lot and dwelling must be maintained. A home occupation that requires a structural alteration of the dwelling to c...
Signage Rules
A home occupation in Austin may display exactly one on-premise sign, and only if both the home and the sign front a Core Transit Corridor. Ground-mounted signs top out at six square feet and three feet tall; pole-mounted signs are capped at three square feet and four feet, under Austin City Code Sec. 25-10-156.
Austin Home Occupation Sign Rules
Significant RestrictionsAustin City Code Sec. 25-10-156
(A)A home occupation that is allowed under Section 25-2-900 (Home Occupations) may display one on-premise sign if the following requirements are met:(1)The home occupation sign and the principal structure associated with the home occupation must both directly front a Core Transit Corridor or Future Core Transit Corridor.(2)The home occupation sign may not exceed:(a)for a sign that is placed on ...
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Austin caps customer traffic to a home-based business at three vehicle trips a day under Sec. 25-2-900(E), and separately bans parking any commercial vehicle on the property or on an adjacent residential street, keeping client visits from turning a house into a de facto retail or office location.
Austin Home Business Customer Trip Limit
Some RestrictionsAustin City Code Sec. 25-2-900(E)
(E)A home occupation may not generate more than three vehicle trips each day of customer-related vehicular traffic.(F)Except for materials and equipment used in an art workshop, equipment or materials associated with the home occupation must not be visible from locations off the premises.(H)Parking a commercial vehicle on the premises or on a street adjacent to residentially zoned property is p...
Cottage Food Operations
Austin allows cottage food production under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 437.001: no local permit, up to $50,000/year gross, direct and online sales of non-hazardous foods. Labeling requires producer name, address, ingredients, allergens, and the statement 'Made in a home kitchen and not inspected by the Department of State Health Services'.
Austin Cottage Food Rules
Few RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 437.001(2-b) (Cottage Food Production Operation)
Sec. 437.001(2-b). "Cottage food production operation" means an individual, operating out of the individual's home, or a nonprofit organization that: (A) produces at the individual's home... any food other than: (i) meat, meat products, poultry, or poultry products; (ii) seafood... (iii) ice or ice products... (iv) low-acid canned goods; (v) products containing cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabin...
Home Daycare
Austin allows a home daycare as a by-right accessory use in any residential zoning district under Sec. 25-2-893(C)(9), so long as it qualifies as a child care services (limited) use: care for 12 or fewer children under 18, defined in Sec. 25-2-6(B)(8), with no separate zoning case required.
Austin Home Daycare Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsAustin City Code Secs. 25-2-893(C)(9), 25-2-6(B)(8)
§ 25-2-893(C) The following are permitted as accessory uses: ... (9) child care services (limited) use. § 25-2-6(B)(8) CHILD CARE SERVICES (LIMITED) use of a site for the provision of care for less than 24 hours for 12 or fewer persons who are less than 18 years of age or are eligible to utilize child care under federal or state laws. This use includes nursery schools, preschools, day care cent...
Looking for Travis County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Austin city rules.
Home Business in Travis County →