Revere, MA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Revere treats a home occupation as a zoning use, not just a licensing matter, and Chapter 17.44 sets several tests a homeowner has to clear. First, location: Section 17.44.010 permits a home occupation only in a dwelling unit that is the bona fide residence of the principal practitioner, or in an accessory building on that property, so a business run from a home the operator doesn't actually live in does not qualify. Second, the occupation itself has to be on Revere's list. Section 17.44.020 limits home occupations to enumerated and similar uses, a roster that includes artists, authors, dressmakers, licensed family child care providers, telephone soliciting and mailing services, home crafts such as jewelry making and woodworking, and office-only practices for professionals including architects, brokers, dentists, physicians, engineers, insurance agents, land surveyors, lawyers, musicians and real estate agents.

Third, scale: Section 17.44.040 caps the home occupation at twenty-five percent of the gross floor area and bars any new construction, addition or structural alteration to accommodate it, on top of the general rule that the business stay strictly incidental and subordinate to the home's residential use. Fourth, staffing: Section 17.44.050 limits the operation to no more than one person other than a member of the immediate family, so a home-based business with two or more outside employees falls outside the zoning allowance regardless of licensing. All four sections date to City Council Order 83-3, with the permitted-use list most recently amended by C.O. 24-022 in 2024.