Often yes, but each locality sets its own limits, and the business license generally waits on a zoning check. We read the home occupation and business license pages for the City of Richmond and for Chesterfield County, Henrico County, Hanover County, Goochland County and Powhatan County in November 2026. Some give hard limits, some only show the zoning step, and for one we could not confirm the zoning rules at all.
This guide is for buyers who plan to work from the house they are about to purchase. We are not a zoning office, and nothing here replaces a written answer from the locality. Where a page did not say something, we say so instead of guessing.
Zoning comes first, then the license
In the pages we read, the order is the same: confirm the home can host the business, then get the business license. Henrico County‘s business license page says the business address “must comply with zoning rules” before a license is issued. Goochland County‘s “Application for Zoning Compliance Approval for Business License” form says the county must confirm zoning compliance before it issues a business license, and it has a separate home occupation section.
The practical point for a buyer: a license is not a zoning approval. A listing that says “home office OK” has not told you what the locality allows. Ask for the address-level answer from the planning or zoning office before your inspection period ends. If you want the lifestyle side of working from home first, see our guide to home office setups in Richmond neighborhoods.
What the pages say, locality by locality
Terms differ. The City of Richmond and Chesterfield County use “home occupation.” Powhatan County separates a “Home Occupation” from a “Home-Based Business.” Henrico County uses “home-based business” and asks for a questionnaire. Here are the limits we could read, with the source of each.
| Item | City of Richmond (owner affidavit, revised Dec. 2023) | Chesterfield (Home Occupation Standards) | Powhatan (Home Occupation Handout) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor area | 25% of enclosed, heated floor area or 500 sq. ft., whichever is less | 25% of floor area or 250 sq. ft., whichever is greater | 25% or less (home occupation); 35% or less (home-based business) |
| People on site | No more than two at a time; four vehicles a day; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | No more than 2 clients at once | Not stated in the handout for visitors; deliveries 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Workers | Family members living there only | Family members living there only | None outside the family without a Conditional Use Permit; home-based business allows up to 2 non-resident workers |
| Business vehicles | No more than 2 | 1 vehicle plus 1 single-axle trailer, with size limits | 2 or fewer (home occupation); 5 or fewer (home-based business) |
| Sign | As allowed under the city’s Article V | Not addressed on the page | One, 1 sq. ft. or less, unlit, flat on the wall |
Sources: the City of Richmond’s owner affidavit with home occupation rules, Chesterfield County’s Home Occupation Standards, and Powhatan County’s Home Occupation Handout. Read them yourself; the table is a summary, not the ordinance.
Send us the address and we will point you to the right zoning page
Found a house you want to run a business from? Send us the address and what the business does. We will point you to the zoning page and the office to ask, so you can get a written answer before you commit. This is a pointer, not a zoning ruling.
Details worth knowing before you plan the business
City of Richmond
The city’s home occupation rules say no outside activity or outside storage, no products sold directly to customers on the premises, and no repair of vehicles or internal combustion engines. Using an enclosed accessory building generally needs a Board of Zoning Appeals exception, per the same affidavit. The city’s prohibited uses include beauty salons, massage therapy, and medical or dental offices. Browsing the neighborhoods? Start at the Fan or Church Hill pages, then check each address, because rules attach to the property and its zoning, not the neighborhood name.
Chesterfield
Chesterfield County lists examples of permitted occupations, such as artist, attorney, engineer and real estate broker, and lists prohibited ones, including beauty parlors, barbershops, kennels and motor vehicle repair. It bars group assembly and group instruction but allows one-on-one instruction. The standards page says nothing on permits or licenses, so call the Planning Department. A buyer looking in Midlothian falls under the county’s page, since Midlothian sits in the county.
Powhatan
Powhatan County‘s handout says a home occupation must be clearly secondary to the residence. It also says the operator must own and live in the home, and that working from home for an employer based elsewhere is not a home occupation. Home-Based Landscaping and Home-Based Truck Hauler businesses are separate categories and need a Conditional Use Permit in some districts. Because the table did not clearly map each district, check yours. For licensing, the handout points to the Commissioner of the Revenue’s office.
Henrico
Henrico County‘s business license page says a home-based business must complete a questionnaire about work done in the home office and that the address must meet zoning rules. It also says an application is required but no license tax is due when gross receipts are under $1,000,000, and that licenses expire December 31 each year. It does not list home occupation limits, so we cannot tell you the floor area or visitor caps. Ask the Permit Center. If you are looking in Glen Allen, the county’s process applies.
Goochland
The county’s zoning approval form defines a home occupation as carried on by the occupant of a dwelling as a secondary use, with no display and no one employed other than family members living there. Its questions cover group instruction, exterior signs, on-site inventory and commercial vehicles. It does not give numeric limits. If you rent the home, the form asks for the owner’s authorization.
Where we could not confirm the rules
Hanover County‘s Business Licenses page says businesses must register with the Commissioner of the Revenue, and lists contractors, electricians, plumbers and steam fitters under its license rules, tied to $100,000 in gross receipts. It does not address home-based businesses or zoning approval, and we did not find a home occupation page we could read. We could not confirm Hanover’s home occupation zoning rules, so ask the county planning office before you count on a home business there.
HOA covenants can add limits
Zoning is only one layer. A homeowners association can restrict business use through its covenants even where the locality allows it. Chesterfield’s page says association covenants may be stricter than the county. We cannot tell you what any specific community’s covenants say. Ask for them early and read the use restrictions. Our short-term rental guide covers a related question: Richmond-area short-term rental rules before you buy.
A buyer’s checklist
- Write down what the business needs: visitors per day, workers, deliveries, vehicles, signage, outbuildings.
- Ask the locality for the zoning of the specific address and its home occupation page.
- Ask whether the business falls into a prohibited or permit-required category.
- Request HOA covenants if there is an association.
- If you need a workshop or large vehicle space, read our guide to workshop, garage and RV parking.
- Get the answer in writing before your due diligence period ends. Our buyer team can help you plan that timing.
When you are ready to compare houses, use our home search. A lender partner can talk through how self-employment income is treated; start at our preferred lenders page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a business license if I work from home in the Richmond area?
Most localities we read require one for businesses operating there. Henrico County says a business needs a license before operating, with the application required even under $1,000,000 in gross receipts. Check your own locality.
Does a business license mean the zoning is approved?
No. Henrico County’s page says the business address must comply with zoning before a license is issued, and Goochland County’s form asks zoning to approve first. The license follows the zoning check.
Can I have employees at a home business?
Under the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County pages we read, only family members living in the home may work on site. Powhatan County allows up to two non-resident workers for a Home-Based Business, which it treats as a separate category.
Can customers come to my house?
Limits vary. The City of Richmond’s affidavit allows no more than two people at a time and four vehicles a day, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Chesterfield County allows no more than 2 clients at once.
Can I put up a sign?
Powhatan County allows one unlit sign of 1 square foot or less, flat against the house. The City of Richmond refers to its Article V sign rules. Chesterfield’s standards page does not address signs.
Is teleworking a home occupation?
Powhatan County’s handout says working from home for an employer whose primary address is elsewhere is not a home occupation under its definitions. Other localities may define it differently, so ask.
What if my business is on a prohibited list?
Chesterfield County and the City of Richmond name uses such as beauty salons, kennels and certain medical offices as prohibited home occupations. If yours is listed, look at a commercially zoned property instead.
Can an HOA stop my home business?
Possibly. Chesterfield County’s page notes that association rules or covenants may be stricter than the county. Read the covenants before you make an offer.
What should I do if a county page does not answer my question?
Ask the county planning or zoning office. We could not confirm Hanover County’s home occupation zoning rules, for example, so a call to the planning office is the right next step.
Send us the address and we will point you to the right zoning page
Tell us the address and what your business does. We will point you to the zoning page and the office to ask, so you know the answer before your inspection period ends. Zoning rulings stay with the locality.
