Nash County, NC Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

38 of the Unified Development Ordinance (Appendix A) sets the standards. Where required, home occupations are limited to the A-1, all residential, OI and all commercial districts. Under (B) Operation, the business must be conducted entirely inside the dwelling or an accessory structure by the occupants, must stay clearly incidental to the residential use, and cannot change the character of the residence or create a significant adverse impact on the neighborhood. Only one full-time-equivalent employee who is not an occupant of the residence may work on site.

Activities cannot generate traffic, noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors or electrical interference beyond what is normal for the district, and no equipment may be used that would change the structure's fire rating. Under (C) Maximum Area, the space set aside for the home occupation, whether inside the dwelling or in an accessory structure, cannot exceed a combined 500 square feet, and space used inside the dwelling itself cannot exceed 25 percent of the unit's gross floor area. 38(D) bars any outdoor storage or display of items tied to the business and bars indoor displays visible from outside the structure.

These standards apply on top of, not instead of, the district-specific day care client cap and the signage ban addressed elsewhere in the same section.