For those of you with "Garage shops' and zoning...

[Donnie]

I have reached the point where I want to downsize a bit. I am thinking of building a smaller new home (just the wife and I now days) with a slightly bigger shop than I have now either attached or detached but on the same property. One utility, one internet, one property tax ect. Plus I don't really want "walk ins".  I have been looking at zoning covenants on potential properties and holy Sh!T, they way I read them is you could get in hot water for knitting sweaters and selling them on Ebay... even outside city limits. I really want to be up front before I invest but damn, I may not find anything.  For you guys with garage shops, How did you over come zoning issues. Don't ask, don't tell?

[GKitson]

I have reached the point where I want to downsize a bit. I am thinking of building a smaller new home (just the wife and I now days) with a slightly bigger shop than I have now either attached or detached but on the same property. One utility, one internet, one property tax ect. Plus I don't really want "walk ins".  I have been looking at zoning covenants on potential properties and holy Sh!T, they way I read them is you could get in hot water for knitting sweaters and selling them on Ebay... even outside city limits. I really want to be up front before I invest but damn, I may not find anything.  For you guys with garage shops, How did you over come zoning issues. Don't ask, don't tell?

Donnie,  Good for you to think up front about the potential zoning issues.  Residential zoning is designed to protect the property value and Quality of Life for you and those in your vicinity.

All municipalities are required to have a Board of Zoning appeals board or process that takes into consideration many things that could allow your home based business.  Here are some of the issues you will have to justify and/or explain.

Noise and stray light
Odors, chemical use, waste disposal, commercial waste in dumpsters as opposed to rolling cans.
Deliveries and pick ups, turning radius of cul-de-sac may limit use.
Hours of operation (may allow part-time but not full time)
Employees (if any)
Exterior signage (if any)
Explain you are a value added SERVICE business, not a manufacturer
Chemical usage and perception of the local sewer/water district & Fire Department, education and communication are your friend.
Other professional SERVICE based business's currently operating in similar zoning such as seamstresses, accountants, child care, dentists, counselors, marketing & web design companies, computer service and repair are all found in residential zoning with the proper documentation.

Good luck,

~Kitson

[Frog]

I actually spent my first ten years or so constantly somewhere between fear and denial, and then, one day, got a notice form the city that I needed a business license.Now I actually had to look into it!
In our town, they have pretty much also spelled out that a home based business also generally requires a one time "home occupation" fee. Of course, they also list the regulations which pretty much boil down to "you can't change the residential flavor of the neighborhood" No signage, no traffic issues, and essentially, nothing visible from the street that would indicate that a business was operating on the premises. I believe that, in our town, no employees are permitted either.
Interestingly, they were less interested in me providing various apparel decoration processes than my wife's pet care business (because they were afraid that she kenneled them here rather than only providing in-home care)

Bottom line, with the big downturn in the economy some years back, and way less trickling down to the cities, I couldn't blame them for tapping this virtual goldmine of previously unpaid revenue by cross checking county business records for the city. Fair is fair, and it's reasonable.  Usually less than $50. Besides, it was a relief to finally be legit.

Another interesting note was when I had my fire, not only did that not cause any extra trouble, but one of the firemen and I talked business as he also ran a similar operation out of his place!

[Shanarchy]

I started out of my house. My house was in a commercially zoned neighborhood. I got a business license from city hall. I put up no signs. I didn't want people coming to my house to inquire about 1 shirt being made. I did everything on a delivery basis. I didn't want people to know I was working out of my house. I now have an actual location.

But the main things I would say is don't call unwanted attention to yourself. Keep the signage to a bare minimum, if any. Keep the customers pick ups to a bare minimum, if any. Minimize deliveries to your house as much as possible. Tons of residents get UPS packages delivered daily. But freight trucks pulling up (especially early in the AM) will upset neighbors. I think the biggest worry is a neighbor complaining.

Aside from that, try to fly under the radar, but get any needed permits from the town. In my town it was optional ($25/yr), I got it just to stay in good graces. Do your homework so if the city ever comes knocking they see you're just a "small semi-retires artisan" and are doing everything by the book. Pay special attention to chemicals/disposal. Appearance goes a long way. Also, keep in mind septic vs city/town sewerage. But again, the biggest element, in my opinion, is to not make any waves so no one is trying to find something you are doing wrong.

[Ripcord]

I worked out of my basement for six years and never had any trouble. I had a state business license and paid all the necessary sales taxes. As mentioned above, the main concern in most communities is that your business doesn't infringe upon your neighbors. As long as you are quietly going about your work out of sight nobody should care what you're doing in there. But I must admit, sometimes I think about when I'm older perhaps I might move back to a home based business, and it does concern me that somebody in the city government could decide that I can't do it and shut down my livelihood with a single stroke of his pen. I'd like to learn more about other people's experiences...and if I do eventually purchase a house with the intention of running my business there, I'm going to do exactly what Donnie is doing and research all the zoning and government regulations before I buy. And I'll most likely talk directly with government officials and tell them specifically what I'm planning to do. "Flying under the radar" can be fine, but it makes me paranoid....

[screenxpress]

So nice (sometimes) to live in a city with no zoning.  Houston has none.  However some of the stronger HOAs take the place.  I'm in an older area and it's not an issue as long as no walk-ins. 

[Donnie]

Was just out looking at properties yesterday and I noticed a large metal building going up in a residential area. It looked as though there was some recent activity on the site. It was almost done. A neighbor was out in the yard. I asked him who was putting that up. He said that he was shut down. He told me that he had not cleared the plans with the neighborhood zoning panel. Holy chit... I know he paid 25 gs for the lot alone and he had probably had double that in what he had done thus far. I asked if it was the building or what he intended to do. He said that he may have been OK if he had built a house first. Damn sure don't want to get into anything like that. I called the real estate agent who sold him the lot. She told me the same thing and noted that he should have read the covenants before he built. I thought to myself perhaps there was a great lack of communication in that transaction. I think she should have made him aware before hand as well.

[Ripcord]

I would think that a good idea would be to get out of a large city and look in some smaller towns. I'd imagine a lot of small towns have more relaxed regulations than large cities and they also would welcome a new business that will bring revenue to the area. Since you already have a customer base you ought to be able to explain to them that you can still serve them the same as you always have. I use UPS and Fedex Ground often for customers when they are more than a few miles away. A local ground shipment arrives overnight and costs sometimes less than the gas I would have used to deliver the job.

[UltraSeps]

Most garage printers I know of who list a business address are usually in rural areas.  If I were to print shirts from my home, which I have no intention of doing, I'd be shut down instantly.

I own another business that has a few trucks, a couple box vans and a 24' truck.  I had the parking area at the business paved a few years back and put the trucks at my house during this time.  Two days later the zoning god was banging on my front door asking what I'm running out of the house.  I explained the situation but was forced to move the trucks immediately or be fined $500....."per day"!

In another event, I applied for a permit and an electrical permit for a 10x15 storage shed.  The shed was installed, it was a pre-built shed and the power was run to it up to code.  Maybe five months later I get a certified letter from the town that I was required to also have a building permit for the shed along with a threat that I could be facing a $200,000 fine.  Yes....you heard that right....$200K.  A permit to place the shed on the property was not enough, even though no actual building was being done.  So after paying another $150 for the building permit, which was ridiculous, I was off the hook for the $200K.  LOL!

Where I live, a permit is required to put a nail into the wall.  Any kind of printing or manufacturing business?  For-getta-bout-it.

[Frog]

It really changes from city to city, county to county.
Do any of you remember Erick from Breakout Designs? He started in his garage in some San Diego suburb, and was even allowed to have employees.
As I said, my suburban town permits home businesses but no employees.

[Ripcord]

Frog, does your city allow any home based business, as long as there are no employees? The reason I'm curious is that I've always wondered if certain businesses are allowed and others aren't. For instance, maybe embroidery is OK but printing isn't. I'd assume that as long as what someone is doing doesn't bother their neighbors it should be all right...But I've always been concerned that some government official might decide my business doesn't comply with some city regulation I never heard of...

[Frog]

Frog, does your city allow any home based business, as long as there are no employees? The reason I'm curious is that I've always wondered if certain businesses are allowed and others aren't. For instance, maybe embroidery is OK but printing isn't. I'd assume that as long as what someone is doing doesn't bother their neighbors it should be all right...But I've always been concerned that some government official might decide my business doesn't comply with some city regulation I never heard of...

I am listed as providing shirt decoration services and my wife as a pet care provider. As I mentioned in my first  reply, they were far more concerned about her possibly providing kenneling on the premises, something they would not have gone for.
As I also mentioned in my post, when I had my fire, one of the firemen even talked shop with me as he had a garage operation as well. The fire brought no additional heat (so to speak)
The biggest thing in my town is no signage, no traffic issues, no spoiling the feel of the neighborhood. This, in fact, is one of the reasons I respectfully turned down the offer of discharge inks back when Union's Richard L wanted me to check them out, as I knew from experience that the smell could be unacceptable in my situation.
Heck, I've even had neighbors express gladness at having two or three of us always home on our block. It helps give a sense of security to them.
Now, I am pretty sure that size may matter as to how much attention and scrutiny a home business may get as well. I am a small operation.

[Donnie]

 It seems there are some developments that have their panties pretty wadded up about things and others that seem to be more lax as long as you don't chit the bed with things.  But if it's written down, it can bite you in the ass. All it would take is one ass hole of a neighbor to decide he does not like the color of the trim on your house.

[Ripcord]

When I was working at home, I was in a neighborhood with a very anal HOA. A neighbor actually asked me to move my (nice newer model) car because I had been parked on the street (in the cul-de-sac right in front of my own damn house!) for more than three days without moving it. So I drove it around the block and parked it again, which wasn't good enough for him. Moving a car and putting it back where it was still violated some damn code which I'm sure was written down somewhere. So I traded places with my truck which was parked in my driveway. Now the truck was in the same place where the car had been, and that somehow made him happy....But nobody ever said a word about my business.

[Frog]

It seems there are some developments that have their panties pretty wadded up about things and others that seem to be more lax as long as you don't chit the bed with things.  But if it's written down, it can bite you in the ass. All it would take is one ass hole of a neighbor to decide he does not like the color of the trim on your house.

Any city or unincorporated county place should have it all spelled out, so unlike me, and my first ten years, you should know the situation well in advance.

btw, I wouldn't live in a neighborhood that had an HOA or covenant or anything else that strives for that much conformity. On the other hand, I wouldn't like my next door neighbor's place to look like a trailer park.