Bloomfield, NJ Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

A home occupation in Bloomfield Township is not a by-right use. The zoning regulations in § 315-38 list home occupations as a conditional use in the R-1A, R-1B, R-2A and R2B single- and two-family zones, in the R-G Garden Apartment Residential Zone and in the RH Residential High-Rise zone. Under § 315-39A the Planning Board cannot approve a conditional use unless it finds that the use meets all the requirements of § 315-39, and § 315-39B(11) adds that the applicant must also satisfy every standard for site plan approval in Article III of Chapter 315.

The Code defines a home occupation in § 315-6 as an occupation or activity carried out for gain by a resident and conducted as a customary, incidental and accessory use in the resident's dwelling unit. A home professional office is a home occupation consisting of the office of a practitioner of a recognized profession.

The conditions in § 315-39B(6) are specific. The practitioner must reside in the home. Only one office employee is allowed, and use of the office by other persons is not permitted. The occupation must occupy less than 50% of the total area of the floor where it is located, excluding a private garage, or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller. The one exception is a home professional office in the POR Zone, which is permitted to use the entire ground floor. Clients or customers cannot remain on the premises overnight, and the residential character of the neighborhood and the premises cannot be subordinated to the home occupation.

Parking is its own test. The home must supply off-street spaces for both the residence and the business so that no parking related to the home occupation occurs on the street. No retail sales can be conducted on the site. A sign identifying the business can be no larger than three square feet and must meet the other sign provisions of Chapter 315. No equipment or process can create noise, glare, fumes, odors, electrical interference, medical waste or other nuisance factors detectable off the lot.