Greensboro, NC Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

5 sets the zoning framework every home-based business must fit inside. Clause A caps the area devoted to the home occupation at 30% of the dwelling's gross floor area; the code's own commentary walks through the math, noting a 1,333-square-foot house is needed to support a 400-square-foot home occupation. Clause B bans outdoor storage of anything related to the business. Under Clause C, no goods, products, or services may be visible from off site, and unless the home sits in the TN district, the occupation must be conducted entirely within the residence and stay clearly incidental and secondary to the residential use, without changing the dwelling's outward appearance; in the TN district only, Artisans and Crafts occupations may use a garage or other enclosed accessory structure.

Permitted occupations listed in the code include typing services, telephone sales, barber and beauty services, doctor and dentist offices, architects, accountants, licensed child day care homes, food catering, and handicrafting, and only handmade items, foodstuffs, or crafts made on the premises may be sold there; resale of goods shipped in and out to fill catalog or internet orders is allowed, but nothing brought in for resale may be sold to walk-in customers. Vehicles are separately capped: one commercial vehicle up to 30 feet long may be kept on-site, and a second up to 30 feet long only if parked behind the front building line in a fully screened structure, with only one of the two allowed to exceed 20 feet if it's a truck, bus, or other non-automobile vehicle. Parking areas must meet § 30-11-11. These standards were amended by Ord. 11-61 (4/5/11), Ord. 13-124 (9/17/13), and Ord. 19-12 (2/19/19).