Roanoke, VA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Sec. 2-413(d) lists the general standards every home occupation in Roanoke must meet, and paragraph (13) is a categorical rule with no exceptions: no sign may be placed on the property advertising the home occupation. Unlike commercial signage rules elsewhere in the zoning code that regulate size, height, or illumination, this provision does not permit a small or unlit sign; it forecloses any sign identifying or promoting the home business at all. The same subsection reinforces the point with paragraph (6), which bars display of goods, merchandise, or products visible from the street or any adjoining property, meaning a home business also cannot use a window display or yard sample to draw attention even without a literal sign.

Both rules flow from the section's stated purpose in subsection (a): keeping home occupations from visually calling unusual attention to the home and preserving the residential character of the neighborhood. A resident running a permitted home occupation can still advertise online, through word of mouth, or via off-site methods; the restriction reaches only signage and visible displays located at the residence itself. Because the standard applies to every home occupation, including personal service home occupations under Sec. 2-413(f), even a business licensed to host clients on site cannot post a sign to draw in additional walk-up traffic.