Edmonds, WA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Sign size cap
- 4 square feet maximum
- Sign area counting
- Counts within total site sign allowance
- Permits needed
- Building permit + Type II CUP
- Urban farm exception
- Produce display signs exempt from both permits
Summary
A home occupation sign in Edmonds cannot exceed four square feet, counts against the property's total permitted sign area, and needs both a building permit and a Type II conditional use permit under ECDC 20.20.020(B).
B. Signs. A sign is permitted in conjunction with a home occupation approval and shall not exceed four square feet in size. The sign area shall be calculated as part of, not in addition to, the total sign area permitted on the site. A building permit and a Type II conditional use permit are required for any proposed commercial signage in a residential zone. These permits are not required for a sign on a display utilized for the sale of produce associated with an urban farm as provided for in ECDC 20.20.010(C)(2)(b).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
20 ECDC. A sign is allowed in conjunction with an approved home occupation but is capped at four square feet in size, and that area counts as part of, not in addition to, the total sign area otherwise permitted on the site under the city's general sign rules. Putting up commercial signage for a home occupation in a residential zone is not automatic: the property owner must obtain both a building permit and a separate Type II conditional use permit for the sign itself. 010(C)(2)(b), does not need either the building permit or the Type II conditional use permit.
Outside of that carve-out, the same section bars display or storage of goods outside the premises or in a window, again with the urban farm exception, and any such display must be removed when the business is not operating.
Violations & Fines
A home occupation sign that exceeds four square feet, or that is installed without the required building permit and Type II conditional use permit, is out of compliance with ECDC 20.20.020(B) and can be cited as a violation of the home occupation approval, subject to the general reasons for denial or revocation listed in ECDC 20.20.020(C), including noncompliance with chapter criteria or permit conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can a home business sign be in Edmonds?
What permits does an Edmonds home occupation sign need?
Are there sign exceptions for home-based urban farms in Edmonds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
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