Reading, PA Home Business: Zoning Restrictions (2026)

Pennsylvania law treats home occupations as a zoning matter under the MPC; 53 P.S. §10603(b)(1) authorizes Reading to designate uses permitted by right, by special exception, or by conditional use in each district. A common three-tier framework adopted in many PA municipalities (and reflected in similar form in Reading's 2014 Zoning Ordinance) is: (1) No-Impact Home-Based Business — permitted by right under the statewide minimum provision at 53 P.S. §10107 (defining a "no-impact home-based business" as one conducted by occupants only, with no employees, no external evidence of the business including signage or traffic, no use of equipment beyond ordinary household equipment, and no hazardous activities), which Reading must permit in residential districts; (2) Minor or Customary Home Occupation — permitted by right or by zoning permit with additional limits on floor area (typically 25% of the dwelling), one non-resident employee, and limited customer traffic; (3) Major Home Occupation — permitted only by special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board with proof of compatibility, limits on customer visits, off-street parking, and hours of operation. Reading enforcement focuses on traffic, noise, and signage complaints. Businesses must also comply with the City of Reading Business Privilege Tax / Mercantile Tax administered by the Berks Earned Income Tax Bureau, and any state professional licensing (Department of State Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs).