Catoosa County, GA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Catoosa County's UDC Section 5.02.02 treats a home occupation as an accessory use to a dwelling, allowed in any zoning district where a residence is permitted, so long as the standards in Section 5.02.02(C) are met. The Code names the businesses it considers home occupations by example: professional offices for attorneys, realtors, engineers and similar consultants; tutoring and arts instruction capped at two students at a time; clerical and administrative support services; personal services such as a one-station beauty or barber operation; pet grooming performed inside the dwelling; family day care for six or fewer children; sales representative offices; artist and photography studios; and outdoor swimming instruction.

Under Section 5.02.02(C), the business must be carried on wholly within the principal building, not in a detached garage or shed connected only by a breezeway or roof, and it can occupy no more than 30 percent of the home's floor area. No merchandise can be displayed for advertising or shown from outside the dwelling, only one commercial vehicle is allowed and it must park in the driveway, garage or carport, and the operation cannot alter the home's residential character or increase the normal flow of traffic or on-street and off-street parking.

Every home occupation needs a Catoosa County business license under Section 5.02.02(C)(10) before opening, and outside storage of business materials is prohibited except inside an accessory building smaller than the house. Uses the county will never recognize as a home occupation, no matter how small, are listed separately in Section 5.02.02(B): towing, auto detailing, private clubs, auto repair, veterinary practices, flea markets, junkyards, kennels, sawmills and tree services.