Harrisburg, PA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Harrisburg Codified Ordinances § 7-309.2(Y) governs home occupations in the City of Harrisburg. A home occupation is a business permitted as an accessory use in all dwelling units in all Zoning Districts, which makes it one of the few uses in the Specific Criteria chapter with no district list. The code lists ten criteria, and the applicant must show compliance under § 7-309.1.

Size and character: the home occupation cannot occupy more than 25% of the total habitable floor area of the dwelling. The building must keep the characteristics of a residence, and the use cannot detract from the residential character of the neighborhood. The definitions chapter separately defines a home occupation as part of a dwelling unit used by the owner or resident as an office, and it lists home occupation among accessory uses.

Nuisance limits: the home occupation cannot use any equipment or process that creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors, or electrical or electronic interference, including interference with radio or television reception. It cannot generate solid waste or sewage discharge in a volume or type not normally associated with residential use. It cannot involve the storage or use of hazardous, flammable, or explosive substances, other than types and amounts commonly found in a dwelling, and it cannot involve the use or storage of toxic substances.

Who and how many: only residents of the home can operate the business. Customer, client, or patient traffic, whether vehicular or pedestrian, cannot exceed what is normally associated with residential use. The code prints no number of visitors per day.

Other rules: the business cannot involve any illegal activity, a mercantile license is required, and no signage is permitted on the exterior of the residence or on the lot. Section 7-309.1 adds that where two or more requirements apply to the same use, the more restrictive controls, so the district rules and the parking chapter, Chapter 7-327, still apply alongside these ten criteria.