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Building Codes for Home-based Businesses:

jar546

jar546

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Building Codes for Home-based Businesses:
  • Pro: Encouraging home-based businesses can ***** local economies and reduce commuting.
  • Con: It might lead to neighborhood disruptions and zoning challenges.
  • Question: Should building codes be adjusted to more easily accommodate home-based businesses, or should residential areas remain strictly for living purposes?
 
I think it greatly depends on what kind of home-based business you are talking about. Something with few if any clients and only 1 or 2 employees wouldn't be a big problem in most areas but something with high traffic flow or outdoor equipment would. Trying to determine which would and which wouldn't be acceptable would be the problem in this case
 
jar546 said:
Building Codes for Home-based Businesses:
  • Pro: Encouraging home-based businesses can ***** local economies and reduce commuting.
  • Con: It might lead to neighborhood disruptions and zoning challenges.
  • Question: Should building codes be adjusted to more easily accommodate home-based businesses, or should residential areas remain strictly for living purposes?
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Not a building code issue. That's a zoning issue. Been there, done that. At one time I was chair of my home town's Planning and Zoning Commission.

This is a discussion we frequently have where I now work. Certain parties in town can't comprehend that building code enforcement is NOT an adjunct to Economic Development.
 
Part of Montana's amended code.

(f) Business or commercial occupancies which are open to the public and located in portions of a private residence are required to be accessible even if those portions used for the business or commercial purposes are also used for residential purposes. The accessibility requirements extend to and include an accessible route from the sidewalk, through the doorway, through the hallway and other portions of the home, such as restrooms, used by clients and customers of the business or commercial occupancy.

Locally, zoning has restrictions on what type of business's may be located in a residential neighborhood can be open to the public.
 
We currently permit this to a certain degree. We would class a home based business as one that can be considered an accessory use to the dwelling. Home offices where there are no in-person meetings taking place are the easy one to approve. Even things like single chair hairstylists, we have accepted as accessory.

Once you grow beyond that "accessory" use size and application, it is considered another major use and needs to meet code in every way.
 
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