Benton County, WA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

To operate a home-based business anywhere in unincorporated Benton County, the owner must first obtain a home occupation permit from the Planning Department under BCC 11.49.020. The application requires a completed form, a non-refundable fee set by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners, and a scaled site plan showing the property's boundaries, all structures, the exact location of the home occupation within the dwelling, and the square footage of every area (including storage) devoted to the business. The Planning Administrator can also demand additional information under Title 17 BCC's permit review process.

Once the fee and materials are in, BCC 11.49.030 sets the operating standards. A proprietor of the home occupation must actually live in the dwelling unit, and the business can employ no more than two non-resident workers, whether or not they work on site. Combined floor area for every home occupation on the parcel, storage included, cannot exceed the lesser of 30 percent of the dwelling's floor area (plus any attached garage) or 600 square feet. Only one vehicle marked to identify the business may sit on the parcel at a time, outdoor storage of equipment or supplies tied to the business is barred, and once a permit issues the Benton County Fire Marshal may place the parcel on its Annual Inspection List.

The Planning Administrator decides the application under BCC 11.49.060 and must explain any denial in writing. An applicant who disagrees has 14 days from the decision to appeal to the Hearings Examiner under BCC 11.49.070 and BCC 11.53.080. The chapter, adopted by Ordinance 611 in 2018, applies only outside Kennewick, Richland, West Richland and Prosser city limits, since those cities administer their own home occupation rules.