Lynchburg, VA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

4 sets out which home businesses are allowed and how they must operate. Permitted types include professional offices for certified or licensed occupations such as architects, attorneys, engineers, accountants, ministers and teachers who live in the dwelling; personal or medical services from state-licensed individuals such as massage therapists, physicians, midwives, barbers and hairstylists; and artists, craftsmen and teachers. Beyond who can run one, the ordinance's performance standards constrain how big and how visible the business can be. The operation must generally be run by a household member living on the premises, with one narrow exception: for the licensed professional-office category, a single employee who doesn't live in the dwelling may be hired.

The home occupation cannot use more than 20 percent of the principal dwelling's gross floor area, whether it's run out of the house itself or a detached accessory building, which caps how much of the property can effectively become commercial space. Outdoor storage of business goods or equipment is barred except for one business vehicle and one trailer, and any trailer kept on-site has to sit behind the building line and can't exceed 22 feet in length or 8 feet 9 inches in height. Signage is limited to one sign of one square foot fixed flat to the building's wall, with no artificial lighting illuminating the sign or the building's exterior. Retail sales are restricted to incidental sales tied to the primary service being provided, not standalone storefront retailing.