Lakeville, MN Home Business: Zoning Restrictions (2026)

Lakeville regulates home businesses as 'home occupations' under Chapter 32 of the Zoning Ordinance, and they require an administrative permit issued by the Community Development Department. The purpose is to maintain the character of residential areas, prevent competition with commercial districts, and encourage telecommuting. General provisions require that any home occupation be clearly incidental and secondary to the residential use, not change the residential character, and cause no incompatibility with surrounding uses. All home occupations must be conducted entirely within the living quarters of the principal dwelling and may not be conducted in an attached private garage or in accessory buildings. There may be no exterior storage of equipment or materials, except personal automobiles used in the business may be parked on site. No home occupation may produce light, glare, noise, odor or vibration with an objectionable effect on nearby property, nor electrical interference. Operating hours are limited to between 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M. Lakeville's code lists the allowed home occupations and limits them to: business consulting service, hair salon, instructional classes with not more than one pupil at a time (more allowed for single-family with an interim use permit), massage therapy, photography studio, small appliance repair, and tailoring/sewing/alterations. Home occupations may not involve repair or manufacturing requiring non-household equipment, more than one client/customer at a time, or over-the-counter retail sale of merchandise produced off the premises. Permits are issued for one year, then renewable for periods up to three years; they do not run with the land and are not transferable.