Erie, PA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Zoning Ordinance Art. 6 - Home Occupation definition (a)-(g)
- Employees
- Prohibited - the commercial activity shall have no employees (b)
- Floor area
- No more than 25% of habitable floor area; only within the dwelling (f)
- Outside appearance
- No commercial appearance - parking, signs or lights barred (d)
- State floor
- PA MPC no-impact home-based business, 53 P.S. Sec. 10107
Summary
A Home Occupation in Erie must be clearly secondary to the residential use and generate no more customer, delivery or pickup traffic than normal residential use; it may have no employees, no retail display or substantial inventory, no outside commercial appearance, no noise/odors/interference, and may occupy no more than 25% of the dwelling's habitable floor area, conducted only within the dwelling.
HOME OCCUPATION - A commercial or commercial activity administered or conducted as an accessory use which is clearly secondary to the use as a residential dwelling and which involves no customer, client or patient traffic, whether vehicular or pedestrian, pickup, delivery or removal functions to or from the premises, in excess of those normally associated with residential use. The commercial or commercial activity must satisfy the following requirements: (a) the commercial activity shall be compatible with the residential use of the property and surrounding residential uses, (b) the commercial shall have no employees, (c) there shall be no display or sale of retail goods and no stockpiling or inventory of a substantial nature, (d) there shall be no outside appearance of a commercial use, including, but not limited to, parking, signs or lights, (e) The commercial activity may not use any equipment or process which creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors or electrical or electronic interference, (f) The commercial activity shall be conducted only within the dwelling and may not occupy more than 25% of the habitable floor area. (g) The business may not involve any illegal activity.
Full Breakdown
' The same definition imposes seven mandatory conditions: (a) the activity must be compatible with the residential use of the property and surrounding residential uses; (b) it shall have no employees; (c) there shall be no display or sale of retail goods and no stockpiling or inventory of a substantial nature; (d) there shall be no outside appearance of a commercial use, including parking, signs or lights; (e) it may not use any equipment or process that creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors or electrical or electronic interference; (f) it shall be conducted only within the dwelling and may not occupy more than 25% of the habitable floor area; and (g) it may not involve any illegal activity. Home Occupation appears as a permitted accessory use in Erie's residential and mixed-use districts. S. Sec. 10107, which a municipality must allow by right.
Violations & Fines
A Home Occupation that hires employees, displays retail goods, advertises with a sign, draws excess traffic, produces noise or odors, or occupies more than 25% of the habitable floor area exceeds the definition and is an unpermitted use; under Section 403 the Zoning Officer issues an enforcement notice and the City may seek civil penalties of up to $500 per day, with each day a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the rules for a home business in Erie, PA?
How much of my home can I use for the business in Erie?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Erie
How Erie compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Erie to another location·View the Pennsylvania home business overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.