Home Business in Pacifica, CA (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Pacifica, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
In the City of Pacifica, running any home-based business requires a home occupation permit from the Zoning Administrator before the work begins. Pacifica Municipal Code Section 9-4.3102 makes the permit mandatory citywide, and Section 9-4.3101 caps the space it can occupy at 200 square feet and bars it from making the home look or sound like a business.
Pacifica Home Occupation Zoning Standards & Permit
Significant RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.3101(d); § 9-4.3102
(d)It shall not involve more than two hundred (200') square feet of the dwelling floor area, whether the home occupation use is conducted within the dwelling, or in an accessory building, or a combination of both. ... No person shall commence or carry on any home occupation, as set forth in Section 9-4.3101 of this article, within the City without first having procured a permit from the Zoning ...
Signage Rules
Pacifica caps home occupation signage to interior window signs only, capped at four square feet or twenty-five percent of the window area, whichever is smaller. Only one sign per home occupation is allowed, it cannot be illuminated, and the Planning Administrator must approve the design and location before it goes up.
Pacifica Home Occupation Sign Limits
Some RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.3111
Interior window signs shall be permitted for home occupations as follows: (a)Standards. Signs for home occupations shall meet the following criteria:(1)The maximum size for such signs shall be four (4) square feet or twenty-five (25%) percent of the window area, whichever is less.(2)No more than one home occupation sign shall be allowed.(3)Such signs may identify the name of the business, the t...
Customer Traffic Restrictions
In the City of Pacifica, a home occupation cannot generate more foot or vehicle traffic than the zone normally sees: Pacifica Municipal Code Section 9-4.3101(a) caps client and delivery visits at no more than three people per day, though music and other teachers can get an exception from the Planning Administrator for additional students.
Pacifica Home Business Traffic Limit: 3 People/Day
Some RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.3101(a)
(a)It shall not unreasonably generate pedestrian or vehicular traffic beyond that normal to the zone in which it is located. No more than three (3) people per day, including customers and sales persons shall come to and from the dwelling in conjunction with the home occupation. Music teachers and other teachers may be permitted additional commercial clientele upon approval by the Planning Admin...
Home Daycare
In the City of Pacifica, a family day care home for fourteen or fewer children, licensed by the California Department of Social Services, is allowed as part of residential use under Municipal Code § 9-4.239.1 in any zoning district where residential uses are permitted or conditionally permitted, without a separate zoning use permit.
Pacifica Family Day Care Home Rules
Few RestrictionsPacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.239.1
Sec. 9-4.239.1 - Family daycare homes. "Family daycare homes" shall mean establishments providing day care for fourteen (14) or fewer children in a dwelling unit as licensed by the California Department of Social Services. A family day care home is considered an activity allowed as part of residential use in any zoning district in which residential uses are either permitted or conditionally per...
Looking for San Mateo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Pacifica city rules.
Home Business in San Mateo County →