San Marcos, CA Home Business: Zoning Restrictions (2026)

The City of San Marcos permits home occupations in all residential zoning districts subject to a home occupation permit and compliance with specific operational standards. A home business must be conducted entirely within the dwelling unit or an attached garage and must be clearly incidental and subordinate to the residential use. The business may not occupy more than 25% of the habitable floor area of the home. There must be no exterior indication of the business — no signs, displays, exterior storage of materials, or modified building appearance. The business must not generate noise, vibration, odor, dust, glare, or electrical interference detectable beyond the property boundaries. Customer, client, and delivery visits are generally prohibited or strictly limited depending on the permit type. No employees other than residents of the dwelling may work on the premises. Vehicle parking associated with the business must be accommodated on-site and may not impact the surrounding neighborhood. Prohibited home occupations include vehicle repair, welding, woodworking shops, commercial food preparation (except permitted cottage food operations), and any activity requiring commercial vehicles to be parked on-site. The Planning Division processes home occupation permits and can be reached at (760) 744-1050.