Apex, NC Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Size cap
- 25% of floor area or 500 sq ft
- Operator
- Immediate family member only
- Outside employees
- One maximum
- Retail sales
- Homemade goods, RA/RR districts only
- Signage
- Home occupation signs only
Summary
Apex caps home-based businesses at 25% of a dwelling's floor area or 500 square feet, whichever is less, and limits on-premises retail sale of homemade goods to the RA and RR residential districts only.
The home occupation shall be clearly incidental and secondary to the residential use of the building and shall be confined to no more than 25% of the total floor area of the dwelling, or 500 square feet, whichever is less... No goods, products, or commodities bought for the express purpose of resale shall be sold at retail or wholesale on the premises; homemade items, foodstuffs, and crafts made in the home may be offered for sale on the premises in the RA Rural Agricultural and RR Rural Residential districts only.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Under the Apex Unified Development Ordinance, a home occupation must stay clearly incidental to the residential use, occupy no more than 25% of the dwelling's floor area or 500 square feet (whichever is smaller), and be run by a member of the immediate family living in the unit, plus at most one outside employee. No stock in trade or services may be sold on the premises, except that homemade items, foodstuffs, and crafts may be sold on-site only in the RA Rural Agricultural and RR Rural Residential zoning districts. Signage is limited to home occupation signs, and the address cannot be advertised.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the size cap, having a non-family operator, advertising the address, or selling goods outside RA/RR districts is a zoning violation enforceable under the UDO's Article 11 correction and remedy process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a business out of my home in Apex, NC?
Can I sell homemade crafts from my Apex house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
How Apex compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Apex to another location·View the North Carolina home business overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle zoning & home occupation permits.