Fort Myers, FL Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max outside employees
- 1 non-family person
- Max business floor area
- 15% of living area
- Outdoor storage/display
- Prohibited
- Signage allowed
- One minimum-size sign only
- Excluded uses
- Barbershops, kennels, repair shops, etc.
Summary
Fort Myers lets residents run a home business from any residence citywide, but caps it at one outside employee and 15 percent of the home's living area.
One other person, other than the license holder or members of the immediate family residing in the residence, may be employed for a salary, commission or upon any other remunerative basis. ... No home business shall occupy more than 15 percent of the living area of the structure. ... The appearance of the structure or premises shall in no way be altered for the conduct of home businesses, nor shall the conduct be such that the structure may be recognized as serving a nonresidential use.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Fort Myers treats a home business as an accessory use permitted with any residence under Land Development Code § 118.3.4.C, not a use confined to one zoning district. The rule caps outside staff at one non-family employee, limits business space to 15 percent of the home's living area, bars outdoor storage or visible business displays, and prohibits any exterior change that would make the home look nonresidential -- only one minimum-size sign is allowed. Traffic must stay at residential levels. The code expressly excludes barbershops, beauty shops, tearooms, restaurants, dress shops, commercial kennels, dance studios, repair shops and carpet cleaning services from the home-business category.
Violations & Fines
Operating outside these limits -- extra staff, oversized space, exterior signage, visible storage -- turns the home business into a zoning violation subject to code enforcement citation and required correction or business tax receipt revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Fort Myers home business have employees?
How much of my house can the business use?
What businesses are banned from operating out of a home in Fort Myers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Myers
How Fort Myers compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Fort Myers to another location·View the Florida home business overview
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Zoning & Home Occupation Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle zoning & home occupation permits.