Carrollton, TX Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Floor-area cap
- 15% of primary structure's floor area
- Worker limit
- Only residents or family members may work on site
- Inventory limit
- Supplies capped at 50% of occupation's floor area
- Max penalty
- $2,000 per offense under § 10.99(A)(2)(f)
- Enforced by
- Designated City Official under Chapter 92
Summary
Carrollton lets residents run a home occupation in any residential zone without a separate permit, but City Code § 92.20 requires the business to stay clearly subordinate to the home's residential use and operate entirely inside the primary structure. Section 92.22 caps the occupation at 15 percent of the structure's floor area, bars non-family workers, and limits inventory to half that space.
Home occupations shall be permitted in all residential zones provided the home occupation is clearly and obviously subordinate to the main use or dwelling unit for residential purposes. Home occupations shall be conducted wholly within the primary structure on the premises. It is a nuisance and shall be deemed unlawful for any person to maintain a home occupation in violation of the following provisions. ... (A) The home occupation shall not exceed 15 percent of the floor area of the primary structure. (B) No persons other than those living on site or those related by blood, marriage, or adoption shall report to work at the home occupation. (C) Inventory and supplies shall not occupy more than 50 percent of the area permitted to be used as a home occupation. (D) There shall be no exterior display or storage of goods, machinery, equipment, or materials other than that customary to normal household operations on said premises. ... (H) No alterations of the residential appearance of the property for business purposes, such as the creation of a separate entrance, shall be allowed.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 92 of the Carrollton Code of Ordinances, the city's nuisance chapter, governs home-based businesses citywide. 20 states home occupations "shall be permitted in all residential zones provided the home occupation is clearly and obviously subordinate to the main use or dwelling unit for residential purposes" and must be "conducted wholly within the primary structure on the premises"; a garage or detached workshop does not qualify on its own. 22 layers on eight numbered conditions. The floor-area cap in subsection (A) limits the occupation to 15 percent of the primary structure.
Subsection (B) confines staffing to people who live on site or are related to the operator by blood, marriage, or adoption, so an outside employee reporting to a Carrollton house for work is itself a violation. Subsection (C) caps inventory and supplies at half of whatever floor area the occupation already occupies, and subsection (D) bars any exterior display or storage of goods, machinery, equipment, or materials beyond what a household normally keeps outside. Subsection (H) forbids altering the home's residential appearance for business purposes, including cutting in a separate customer entrance.
24(B) makes clear a missed notice is not a defense to prosecution. 90 clarifies that where a home-occupation provision conflicts with the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance or building code, the zoning ordinance and building code control instead.
Violations & Fines
A home occupation that exceeds the 15 percent floor-area cap, employs a non-resident, over-stocks inventory, or alters the home's exterior is a Chapter 92 nuisance violation, prosecuted as a misdemeanor under § 92.99 with penalties set by § 10.99, capped at $2,000 per offense, with each day of continuing violation counted separately. The DCO issues written notice under § 92.24 before referral, though a missed notice is not a defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a home business anywhere in Carrollton?
Can I hire employees for my Carrollton home business?
What happens if my home occupation breaks the rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carrollton
How Carrollton compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Carrollton to another location·View the Texas home business overview
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