West Covina, CA Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Section 26-120 of the West Covina Municipal Code sets the zoning standards a home-based business must meet to operate legally in a residential district. The purpose clause frames home occupations as a way to earn supplemental income without changing the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood, and subsection (a) lists ten specific requirements. A home occupation can use no employees or help beyond resident members of the resident family, and it's capped at one room or 200 square feet, whichever is smaller. It cannot use a garage, accessory building, or open ground space for the business or for storing equipment, supplies, or products, except for a vehicle used in the occupation and whatever is stored inside it.

The structure's appearance cannot be altered, and the business cannot be run in a way that makes the property look different from an ordinary residence. Some uses are allowed only with a conditional use permit under Article VI: a foster home housing more than six children, a hobby kennel meeting the animal-keeping standards of Sec. 26-111, and horse boarding or breeding under that same section. Any home occupation that doesn't fit within these size, staffing, storage, and appearance limits, or that falls into the CUP-required or prohibited-use categories elsewhere in the section, isn't zoning-compliant and can be denied or shut down by the Community Development Department.