Caldwell, ID Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Home occupation businesses in Caldwell get exactly one sign per dwelling unit, but only after the City Planning and Zoning Department has issued a home occupation permit under Caldwell City Code § 10-12-03-22. That permit application must be submitted in writing, signed by both the resident and the property owner, and it is void the moment the operator moves or the home changes hands: a new permit is required for any new site or individual. Once the permit is active, § 10-02-06-2(16) fixes the sign itself: it may not be lighted, may not exceed three square feet, and must be mounted flush to the building rather than freestanding, pole-mounted, or projecting.

The limit applies regardless of the underlying zoning district, so a home business in an RS-1 subdivision and one in a commercial-zoned residence follow the identical three-square-foot cap. Because Caldwell defines a home occupation as clearly incidental and secondary to residential use, the sign restriction works alongside other home occupation standards, no outside employees beyond one helper, no exterior evidence that the dwelling serves a business, and no more than one home occupation per dwelling, all of which the Community Development Director and the sign code enforce together. Every sign in the city, including a home occupation sign, still needs a sign permit before installation per § 10-02-06-2(1).