Whittier, CA Home Business: Zoning Restrictions (2026)

The City of Whittier regulates home-based businesses under its own zoning code, Whittier Municipal Code Section 18.10.020 (Accessory uses), within Chapter 18.10, Residential Zones Generally. The code defines a 'home based business' as an occupation, calling or profession carried on by a resident of a building located on an R-zoned lot, as an accessory use. The published conditions include: no one other than persons residing on the lot may be regularly employed in the occupation; the business area may not exceed one room of the main dwelling or an accessory structure and may not exceed twenty-five percent of the floor area or two hundred square feet, whichever is the lesser; no equipment may be used that emits dust, fumes, noise or odor that would interfere with neighbors' peaceful use and enjoyment of adjacent properties; and no display or storage of goods, materials or products may be kept in a garage or carport (attached or detached) except in cabinets or shelves that do not obstruct required parking. The code also limits home-business vehicles - a limit of one commercial vehicle of fourteen thousand pounds or less per residential lot - and requires any trailer used with the business to be parked only in a legal space and screened from the public street by a six-foot fence or wall. These accessory-use limits apply across the City's residential zones and are layered on top of the citywide requirement that a business license also be obtained. State ADU law and cottage food law create separate carve-outs addressed in the related entries.