Barrow County, GA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Barrow County Code § 89-219(a) defines a home occupation as a commercial use customarily performed in a small area of a residence, of a low intensity nature, clearly incidental to the residential use, and the section recognizes three categories: home office, home business and family day care home. Subsection (d)(1)a sets the zoning permit mechanic that separates a home business from the more casual home office category: whenever the applicant who held the approval stops occupying the premises, no later occupant may run a home business there until Barrow County issues that occupant a new special use approval.

Subsection (d)(1)b requires the applicant to own the property, or to hold the property owner's written approval if the applicant is a tenant, before Planning and Community Development will process the special use application. General standards in subsection (b) apply across every home occupation type regardless of category: the use cannot create noise, dust, vibration, smell, excessive traffic, smoke, glare or electrical interference detectable beyond the dwelling, it cannot generate traffic inconsistent with the surrounding property uses, and exterior lighting must stay consistent with a residential neighborhood.

Because the home business, home office and family day care categories carry different size caps, employee limits and permit paths, an operator has to identify which category their activity fits before applying: a home office allows no client contact at all and only needs to stay under 25 percent of the heated floor area or 500 square feet, while a home business allows limited client visits but requires the special use approval process in subsection (d).