Marathon County, WI Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Minor home occupation
- No permit needed in dwelling
- Accessory structure use
- Requires conditional use permit
- Major home occupation
- Always requires CUP
- Non-family employees
- Max 2
- Floor area cap
- 25%-50% of one floor
Summary
Marathon County lets a minor home occupation run in the dwelling without a permit, but requires a conditional use permit for use of an accessory building or any major home occupation.
Location within Dwelling Unit. Such use shall be conducted entirely within the dwelling unit or approved accessory structure owned by the person conducting the home occupation or home professional business as his or her private residence. No minor home occupation and/or home professional business activity shall be conducted within an accessory structure except as follows:
a. A conditional use permit shall be required to establish or maintain a minor home occupation or professional office within an accessory structure on a parcel that has a principal use of residential or agricultural.
2. Incidental and Secondary. Such use shall be clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes and shall not involve any extension or other structural modification of the dwelling.
3. No stock-in-trade shall be kept or sold except that made on the premises. This provision shall not apply to stock or products kept for the purpose of off-premises demonstration, sales, or service.
4. Reside in Dwelling. Such use shall be conducted only by persons residing in the dwelling unit.
5. Floor Area Limitation.
a. Home Occupation: No more than 25 percent of the floor area of one floor.
b. Home Professional Business: No more than 50 percent of the floor area of one floor.
6. Nuisance. Such use shall not create a nuisance by reason of noise, odor, dust, vibration, fumes, smoke, electrical interference, or other causes.
7.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 59).
Full Breakdown
The county's zoning code splits home-based businesses into two tiers. A minor home occupation or home professional business (§ 17.204.56) may operate inside the dwelling with no more than two non-family employees, capped at 25% of one floor's area for a home occupation or 50% for a home professional business, and needs no zoning permit unless it moves into an accessory structure, which triggers a conditional use permit under § 17.204.56(B)(1)(a). A major home occupation (§ 17.204.57), covering uses like upholstery, small engine repair, pet boarding, or a veterinary clinic, always requires a conditional use permit and must be conducted primarily outside the residence. Both tiers apply only in unincorporated towns that adopted the county's general zoning ordinance, not inside Wausau, Mosinee, Rothschild, or other incorporated municipalities.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required conditional use permit, or outside the § 17.204.56/.57 standards, is a zoning violation under § 17.807: the Zoning Administrator can issue a notice of violation, and the Corporation Counsel may prosecute for a forfeiture plus costs, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a small home business in Marathon County?
What counts as a major home occupation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marathon County
How Marathon County compares: Easiest Cities to Run a Home Business·Compare Marathon County to another location·View the Wisconsin home business overview
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