Lubbock, TX Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

020(c)(5) of the Lubbock UDC defines what a legal home occupation looks like in any residential district. Permitted types are limited to office and professional services, plus any use that was already operating as a customary home occupation before the UDC took effect and was approved by the City at that time; anything not on that narrow list needs a different path, such as a home-business permit or a zoning change. The occupation can run out of either the principal residence or a permitted accessory structure, but only a resident of the dwelling may work in it: no employees, contractors, or staff who do not live there are allowed on site.

Scale is tightly bounded, too. The space devoted to the occupation cannot exceed 25 percent of the gross floor area of the principal building or 400 square feet, whichever number is smaller, and that calculation excludes any attached garage, detached garage, or accessory dwelling unit. The dwelling also has to keep looking like a house: no exterior alterations that change its residential character, no outdoor storage or display of business goods or equipment visible from outside, and no signage of any kind, inside or outside, relating to the business.

Advertising is specifically restricted beyond signage, because the code is written to prevent added traffic in residential streets; no print or social media advertisement may list the business or property address at all. Any state or federal license or permit the occupation independently needs, such as a cosmetology or contractor license, must be obtained before operations begin.