Kitsap County, WA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

275 lets Kitsap County home businesses bring commercial or industrial activity otherwise barred in a residential zone, but only as a secondary use to the dominant residential purpose, and only in unincorporated Kitsap County. In the forest resource lands zone, a home business must be tied to timber production or harvest; no other type is allowed there. The ordinance sets three tiers of standards rather than a single test. The incidental tier needs no permit at all: the business must stay entirely inside the residence, occupy no more than twenty-five percent of the home's gross floor area, be run by the owner-occupant with no outside employees, allow no client visits, and post no advertising signage.

The minor tier steps up the allowed footprint to thirty percent of gross floor area and permits up to two employees or independent contractors including the proprietor, plus a nonilluminated sign up to four square feet with a sign permit; approval is not transferable to a new owner or a new location. The moderate tier drops the floor-area cap but allows up to five employees or independent contractors, the same four-square-foot sign allowance, and again is nontransferable. For both the minor and moderate tiers, the director can attach conditions, including requiring patronage by appointment, additional off-street parking, or screening of outside storage, to keep the business compatible with its residential surroundings. Every tier still requires that the business not infringe on neighbors' peaceful enjoyment of their homes.