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Alhambra · Building on your lot

Running a business from home in Alhambra

Alhambra home businesses may use one room, at most 25% of one floor or 100 square feet, whichever is less; 3 clients at once.

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Key points

  • Home business: Alhambra home businesses may use one room, at most 25% of one floor or 100 square feet, whichever is less; 3 clients at once.

Each rule below links to the section of the Alhambra Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Alhambra's code says

Alhambra code What Alhambra's code adds
Space used
  • One room only, no more than 25% of one floor's gross area or 100 square feet, whichever is less.
    § 23.22.170 · code text
    The home occupation shall be confined completely to one room located within the dwelling which space shall not occupy an area equivalent to more than 25% of the gross area of one floor thereof, or 100 square feet, whichever is less.
Customer visits
  • No client or customer visits between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
    § 23.22.170 · code text
    Clients or customers shall not visit the home occupation between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
  • No more than 3 clients or customers at a time.
    Applies: On the premises at any one time.
    § 23.22.170 · code text
    There shall be no more than three clients or customers on the premises at any one time.
Employees
  • Only residents of the home can work there; no other employees or independent contractors.
    Applies: General home businesses; cottage food operations have their own rule.
    § 23.22.170 · code text
    No employees or independent contractors other than residents of the dwelling unit shall be permitted to work at the location of a home occupation except as otherwise allowed for cottage food operations.
  • 1 full-time equivalent employee.
    Applies: Cottage food operations, in addition to the operator and household members who live in the unit.
    § 23.22.170 · code text
    Only the cottage food operator and members of his or her household living in the unit, as well as one full-time equivalent cottage food employee, may participate in a cottage food operation.
Permit
  • A separate City of Alhambra business license is required for each home business.
    Applies: Where applicable.
    § 23.22.170 · code text
    Where applicable, a separate City of Alhambra business license is required for each home occupation.
  • No city permit is needed.
    Applies: Microenterprise home kitchen operations; a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health permit is still required.
    § 23.22.170 · code text
    A microenterprise home kitchen operation, as defined in Cal. Health and Safety Code § 114367.4, is a permitted use of residential property in any residential dwelling, which shall not require a permit to operate from the city, but shall be subject to the following standards:
Businesses not allowed
  • Automobile/vehicle sales and services; eating and drinking establishments, except for microenterprise home kitchen operations; hotels and motels, except for short-term rentals; hospitals and clinics; personal services, not including photographers, shoe and luggage repair, repair and fitting of clothes, and similar repair services
    § 23.22.170 · code text
    The following specific uses, either by operation or nature, are not incidental to or compatible with residential activities and shall therefore not be permitted as home occupations:

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Can I run a business from my home in Alhambra?

Alhambra home businesses may use one room, at most 25% of one floor or 100 square feet, whichever is less; 3 clients at once.

General information, not legal advice.

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Alhambra Municipal Code — full text