Bensalem, PA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Section 232-594(a) of the Bensalem Township Zoning Code defines a permitted home occupation as any occupation for gain or support conducted within a residential dwelling unit solely by persons who live there, provided it conforms to every requirement of the home occupation article and the rest of the Zoning Code. Subsection (b) limits where a home occupation can operate at all: only the R-A, R-A-1, R-A-2, R-AA, R-1, R-11, R-2, R-22, R-3, R-3A, R-33, A-D, and MHP districts qualify, and no home occupation is permitted in any other district, which rules it out in every commercial and industrial zone.

Subsection (c)(5) caps the physical footprint at no more than 400 square feet and no more than 25 percent of the dwelling's habitable space, including basements, whichever number is smaller, so a small house has an even tighter ceiling than the flat 400-square-foot figure. Beyond square footage, subsection (c) bars exterior evidence of the business, outdoor equipment storage, and any signage, and requires separate zoning and use-and-occupancy permits before the use begins under subsection (c)(16). Subsection (d) adds a licensing layer on top of the zoning approval: no home occupation use is permitted unless the operator has obtained the appropriate license under the Bensalem Township Business Privilege/Mercantile License Tax.