Home Business in Reading, PA (2026)
4 verified home business rules for Reading, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Reading requires a zoning permit for every home occupation. Minor home occupations get a free permit by right; major ones need Zoning Hearing Board special-exception approval, added parking conditions, and stricter limits on scale and noise.
Reading Home Occupation Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-1006
(16) A zoning permit shall be required for any home occupation. ... A home occupation shall not be conducted in a manner that is perceptible to other residents between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. ... B. Both major and minor home occupations shall meet the requirements listed in Subsection A above. A zoning permit is required for both major and minor home occupations; however, the zonin...
Signage Rules
A home business in Reading gets one small identifying sign: a 1.5-square-foot non-illuminated nameplate, or a projecting/ground sign up to 3 square feet and six feet tall instead.
Reading Home Occupation Sign Limits
Significant RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-1703(B)(3)
Signs for a home occupation shall be limited to one non-internally illuminated name plate. Such name plate shall not exceed 1.5 square feet in surface area and shall be a flat wall sign. Home occupations, including offices, are permitted to erect a projecting sign or ground sign, not to exceed three square feet in total surface area, in lieu of a wall sign. A ground sign shall have a maximum he...
Customer Traffic Restrictions
A minor home occupation in Reading can't routinely draw daily customer visits: cross that traffic threshold and the no-fee minor permit becomes a major one needing Zoning Hearing Board review.
Reading Home Business Customer Limits
Some RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-1006.B, B(1)
Both major and minor home occupations shall meet the requirements listed in Subsection A above. A zoning permit is required for both major and minor home occupations; however, the zoning permit for the minor home occupation shall be issued without a fee. The following additional requirements shall apply to a "minor home occupation": ... (1) The use shall not routinely involve routine daily visi...
Home Daycare
Reading zoning caps in-home family child care and adult care homes at four to six children or up to six adults, requires 480 square feet of dedicated floor space, and bars noisy operation between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Reading PA Family Child Care Home Rules
Significant RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-1202D(1)(a), (c), (d)
(a) There may be permitted at any one time four, five, or six children in family child care homes, and up to six adults in adult care homes in addition to sons or daughters of the on-site caregiver. ... (c) A minimum of 480 square feet of habitable floor area exclusive of halls, bathrooms, offices, kitchens, locker rooms, and related areas must be maintained on the premises. ... (d) In a reside...
Looking for Berks County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Reading city rules.
Home Business in Berks County →