Running a business from home in Fountain Valley

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

What Fountain Valley's code says

Fountain Valley code What Fountain Valley's code adds
Customer visits	Deliveries and customer visits only from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week. Applies: Cottage food operations. § 21.42.065 · code text Deliveries and customer traffic shall be limited to seven a.m. to eight p.m., seven days per week.
Employees	No more than 1 full-time equivalent employee. Applies: Cottage food operations. Family or household members of the operator do not count. § 21.42.065 · code text The cottage food operation shall not have more than one full-time equivalent employee, not including a family member or household member of the cottage food operator within the registered or permitted area of a private home where the cottage food operator resides and where cottage food products are prepared or packaged.
Permit	A cottage food home occupation permit is required. Applies: Cottage food operations. The applicant must first have a cottage food permit from the County of Orange Health Care Agency. § 21.42.065 · code text A cottage food operation shall not be established or operated without the prior approval, issuance, and maintenance of a valid cottage food home occupation permit. A home occupation permit is required. Applies: Any business run in a residential zone. § 21.42.120 · code text It is unlawful for any person to operate a business in a residential zone without a home occupation permit or to operate such business in violation of the permit or in violation of this chapter.
Businesses not allowed	Any use that generates six or more additional vehicle trips per day; adult entertainment activities/businesses; animal hospitals and grooming facilities; automotive and other vehicle reconditioning, repair, servicing, painting, storage or upholstery; commercial cabinet or furniture making businesses; commercial kennels; contractor's storage yards; dismantling, junk or scrap yards; exercise studios; medical clinics, laboratories and offices; repair, reconditioning, servicing or manufacture of internal combustion or diesel engines; sale of alcohol, explosives, hazardous products and/or wastes, firearms and/or ammunition; sales of home furnishing materials; uses requiring explosives or highly combustible or toxic materials; welding and machine shop operations; and similar uses deemed objectionable by the director § 21.42.040 · code text The following uses, either by operation or nature, are considered not to be incidental to or compatible with residential activities and therefore shall not be allowed as home occupation activities:

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Can I run a business from my home in Fountain Valley?

Fountain Valley requires a home occupation permit in residential zones and does not allow uses that add 6 or more vehicle trips a day.

Running a business from home in Fountain Valley

Key points

What Fountain Valley's code says

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

Ask about a specific Fountain Valley property

More on building on your lot in Fountain Valley