Rock Hill, SC Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

2(B) of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Rock Hill treats home-based businesses as an accessory use available to any household living type, provided the operation meets a list of use-specific standards designed to keep it compatible with a residential setting. The size cap is the headline number: a home-based business cannot take up more than 30% of the heated floor area of the principal structure or 600 square feet, whichever is less, so a larger house does not automatically buy a larger business footprint.

The principal owner of the business has to be a permanent resident of the dwelling, not an absentee owner leasing space to an outside operator. Retail and wholesale sales on the premises are generally off-limits, with two carve-outs: a direct-sales business such as a Tupperware- or Avon-style operation can host one in-home sales event per month, and internet sales are allowed for any home-based business regardless of type. The business cannot change the external appearance of the house or store materials outdoors where neighbors can see it, and it is limited to two business-related vehicles on site at a time.

2(B)(12); certain business types are barred outright regardless of size, and services on site are limited to one customer and one employee at a time, both addressed in their own subsections.