Aiken County, SC Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Sec. 16 lists eleven numbered standards a home occupation must satisfy to keep its conditional-use status under Table 1. Clause (1) requires the business to be carried on wholly within the principal building, ruling out detached garages, sheds, or accessory structures. Clause (2) caps the dedicated floor area at 25 percent of the principal building's gross floor area, and never more than 400 square feet, regardless of the home's overall size. Clause (3) bars any outside activity, outdoor storage, display, or refuse area in the yard, and clause (5) bars displaying merchandise so it is visible from outside the building.

Clause (6) limits the operation to one employee who does not reside in the home, clause (9) prohibits any alteration of the residential character of the building or premises, clause (10) bars noise, glare, heat, vibration, smoke, dust, or odor perceptible to adjacent properties, and clause (11) blocks retail sale on the premises of merchandise manufactured elsewhere. The planning and development department administers these conditions as part of the Table 1 conditional-use review for the zoning district in which the property sits.