West Covina Customer Traffic Restrictions Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

West Covina's Zoning Ordinance establishes strict limitations on customer and client traffic associated with home occupations in residential zones. The fundamental standard is that a home occupation must not change the residential character of the dwelling or the neighborhood, and regular customer traffic is one of the most visible and disruptive ways a home business can deviate from residential norms. In a suburban city of approximately 106,000 residents where residential streets are designed for the traffic volumes generated by the homes that front them, even modest commercial traffic patterns — several clients per day arriving and departing, looking for parking, and approaching the front door — can noticeably change the character of a quiet residential street.

The customer traffic restrictions effectively prohibit a broad range of business models from operating as home occupations. Retail businesses that sell merchandise to walk-in customers are not permitted; all product sales must be conducted through mail order, internet transactions, or delivery to the customer at an off-site location. Personal service businesses that require clients to come to the residence for scheduled appointments — such as hair and nail salons, massage therapy, personal training, music lessons with in-person students, or tax preparation with walk-in clients — are generally not eligible for home occupation status because they inherently depend on a regular flow of client traffic to the residential address. Professional consultants who work primarily from a home office and meet clients at the client's location or at off-site meeting spaces are more likely to qualify, provided on-site client meetings remain truly occasional and incidental.

Delivery and pickup activity is also regulated under the customer traffic framework. The volume and frequency of package deliveries and courier pickups at a home occupation must be indistinguishable from the normal mail and package delivery patterns of a residential household. Businesses that require frequent large-truck deliveries, dedicated loading zones, or daily courier pickups involving commercial vehicles stopping at the curb are not compatible with the home occupation standards. Residents who operate e-commerce businesses from home should arrange for shipping and fulfillment in a manner that does not result in conspicuous delivery activity — for example, scheduling pickups at a commercial shipping facility rather than having a delivery truck visit the residence daily.

Enforcement of customer traffic restrictions is complaint-driven in most cases. Neighbors who observe a pattern of unfamiliar vehicles arriving at a residence, individuals frequently approaching the front door, or other activity inconsistent with normal residential use may file a complaint with the Code Enforcement Division. Code enforcement officers may investigate by observing the property and documenting traffic patterns. If the investigation confirms that the home occupation is generating customer traffic beyond residential norms, the business owner will be required to modify the business to eliminate on-site customer visits or relocate to a commercial zone.