Middleton, WI Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

28(9) defines a Home Occupation as an economic activity inside a principal or accessory dwelling that does not significantly alter the residential character of the home or lot and remains secondary and incidental, covering personal and professional services, handicrafts, and online retail; occupations with on-site customers or non-resident employees must stay low-intensity with limited overlap of customer visits. The activity must occur only inside the dwelling or an accessory building or garage, and must be run by a resident who uses the property as their principal residence.

No new front-elevation entrances are allowed, no exterior evidence of the business may show, and no structural alterations uncommon to a dwelling are permitted. Nothing related to the business may be stored or displayed where visible from outside. Floor area devoted to the occupation cannot exceed 20 percent of the principal structure's gross finished area or 300 square feet, whichever is less, and it can be staffed only by immediate family living on-site plus one non-resident employee. A vehicle heavier than one ton used for the business cannot be stored on the premises or parked on adjacent residential streets, though a registered, fee-paid trailer may park on the street if a permit is in place.

Applicants apply to the Zoning Administrator, who cannot issue a permit until the business meets these standards; the permit runs for 365 days on a January-to-December cycle and must be renewed annually, is non-transferable between residents or addresses, and is revocable by the Zoning Administrator for noncompliance.