Pitt County, NC Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Table 5-1, the Table of Permitted Uses, lists 'Home Occupation' with a 'Z' code in the RA, RR, R40, SR, MFR, RC, OI and GC districts, meaning it is allowed by right with a zoning permit issued by the Zoning Administrator rather than a special use permit or conditional district. Section 15, Definitions and Word Interpretations, defines a home occupation as a commercial activity conducted by a person within a residence or accessory structure on the same lot where that person resides, that is not so insubstantial as to be an accessory use but can be run without significant adverse impact on the neighborhood.

To qualify, the activity cannot generate traffic, noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors or electrical interference beyond what normally occurs in that zoning district, and it cannot use electrical or mechanical equipment that changes the fire rating of the structure. The use must stay clearly incidental and secondary to the dwelling's residential purpose and must not change the character of the residence. Section 6(B)(4), Accessory Use Area, ties this to a hard floor-area cap: the area set aside for the home occupation, whether inside the house or in an accessory building such as a shed or garage, cannot exceed 25 percent of the floor area of the residential dwelling unit.

Any other nonresidential accessory use in a residential district is held to that same 25 percent ceiling, measured against building volume, floor area, land area or other applicable measure.