Renton, WA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

RMC 4-4-100(E)(4)(b) sets the sign allowance for home-based businesses citywide, applying in all residential, commercial, and industrial zones under the umbrella of subsection (E)(4). The rule allows only one home occupation sign, and it must not be illuminated, cannot exceed 2 square feet in area, and has to be attached directly to the wall of the building with its face parallel to the wall's plane, ruling out freestanding, pole-mounted, projecting, or window signs for a home occupation. This sits alongside the broader sign code's general requirements: any sign placed under the code is subject to permit fees collected under RMC 4-1-140M unless it qualifies for one of the code's specific permit exemptions, and every sign must be maintained in repair with its surfaces kept neatly painted or posted under RMC 4-4-100(D)(3).

Compared to the other uses permitted in residential zones under the same subsection, the home occupation allowance is markedly tighter: churches, apartment buildings, and subdivision developments in residential zones are allowed two on-premises identification signs up to 32 square feet each and up to 6 feet tall, illuminated but not animated. The much smaller 2-square-foot, unilluminated cap for home occupations reflects the code's intent to keep home-based businesses visually indistinguishable from an ordinary residence rather than treating them as a commercial storefront.