Spokane County, WA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Two categories
- Home profession; home industry
- Home profession
- Incidental, no outward business appearance
- Home industry
- Larger; conditional use permit
- Governing code
- Spokane County Zoning Code, Title 14
- Administered by
- Division of Building and Planning
Summary
Spokane County zoning allows two tiers of home-based business in residential zones: a low-impact "home profession" (often permitted outright) and a larger "home industry" (usually a conditional use permit). Both must keep the residential character of the property.
Home Profession: A profession or craft... carried on within a residence by the occupants, which activity is clearly incidental to the use of said residence as a dwelling and does not change the residential character of the dwelling or neighborhood, and is conducted in such a manner as to not give any outward appearance of a business.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
Under Spokane County Zoning Code (SCC Title 14), a "home profession" is a profession or craft carried on within a residence by the occupants, clearly incidental to the dwelling and giving no outward appearance of a business. A "home industry" is a broader occupation, profession, bed-and-breakfast, or craft in association with a residence of such intensity that public-hearing (conditional use permit) review is required. Which is permitted, limited, or conditional depends on the zone (LDR, MDR, HDR, RT, R-5, RAC, RCV, UR and resource zones each list them), but in every residential zone the use must remain subordinate to the home.
Violations & Fines
Operating a business exceeding the home-profession/home-industry standards without the required permit is a zoning violation enforced by the Division of Building and Planning through code-enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a business from my home in unincorporated Spokane County?
What's the difference between a home profession and a home industry?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
How Spokane County compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Spokane County to another location·View the Washington home business overview
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