San Clemente · Building on your lot

Running a business from home in San Clemente

A home business may use at most 20% of the home's habitable floor area; only residents may work there; a permit is required.

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Key points

Home businesses: A home business may use at most 20% of the home's habitable floor area; only residents may work there; a permit is required.

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

What San Clemente's code says

San Clemente code What San Clemente's code adds
Space used	No more than 20% of the home's habitable floor area. Applies: General home occupations. § 17.28.160 · code text The home occupation shall be an incidental and accessory use and shall not change the principal character of the dwelling unit. The home occupation shall not involve more than 20 percent of the habitable dwelling floor area.
Customer visits	Up to 3 students at one time. Applies: Swimming lessons in an outdoor pool, without a Conditional Use Permit. § 17.28.160 · code text A home occupation consisting of swimming instruction for up to three students at one time may be conducted in an outdoor pool without a Conditional Use Permit. No more than 1 customer at a time. Applies: Cottage food operations. § 17.28.160 · code text No more than one customer may be allowed at the site at any given time.
Employees	Only residents of the home may be employed. Applies: General home occupations. § 17.28.160 · code text Only the residents of the dwelling unit may be employed in the home occupation. No more than 1 full-time employee, not counting family or household members. Applies: Cottage food businesses at the home. § 17.28.160 · code text A maximum of one full-time employee, exclusive of family/household members, may be employed by the cottage food home occupation business at the residence.
Permit	A Home Occupation Permit and a City business license are required. Applies: Businesses run as an accessory use to a home in any zone. § 17.28.160 · code text Home Occupation Permits, in accordance with Section 17.16.140, Home Occupation Permits of this title, and City business licenses are required when businesses are conducted as an accessory use to a primary residential use in any zone. A Conditional Use Permit is required. Applies: Running a home occupation outside the home or other enclosed structure. Swimming lessons for up to 3 students in an outdoor pool are exempt. § 17.28.160 · code text A Conditional Use Permit, in accordance with Section 17.16.060, Conditional Use Permits, of this title, may be requested to conduct a home occupation in other than an enclosed structure.
Businesses not allowed	Direct sales to customers on the premises Applies: general home occupations; indirect sales (telephone, catalog, services performed away from the premises) may be allowed; individual self-improvement instruction in the arts (nonamplified music, painting, crafts, dance) may be excepted § 17.28.160 · code text No direct sale to customers of any item or service related to a home occupation shall occur on the premises. On-site dining and customer loitering Applies: cottage food operations, other than brief sampling of cottage food products produced on the premises § 17.28.160 · code text On-site dining and customer loitering is prohibited other than the brief sampling of the cottage food products produced on the premises. Direct sales from the home from an attached garage, accessory structure, or any place outside of the residential dwelling Applies: cottage food operations § 17.28.160 · code text Direct sales from the home shall not be conducted from an attached garage, accessory structure, or any place outside of the residential dwelling.

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Can I run a business from my home in San Clemente?

A home business may use at most 20% of the home's habitable floor area; only residents may work there; a permit is required.

General information, not legal advice.

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San Clemente Municipal Code — full text