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Grass Valley · Building on your lot

Running a business from home in Grass Valley

Grass Valley home businesses may use 25% of the ground floor, with at most 8 vehicle trips daily and 1 client at a time.

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Key points

  • Home businesses: Grass Valley home businesses may use 25% of the ground floor, with at most 8 vehicle trips daily and 1 client at a time.

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

What Grass Valley's code says

Grass Valley code What Grass Valley's code adds
Space used
  • No more than 25% of the ground floor's gross floor area.
    § 17.44.100 · code text
    All home occupation activities shall not occupy more than twenty-five percent of the gross floor area of the ground floor.
Customer visits
  • No more than 8 vehicle trips per day.
    Applies: Counts clients, customers, visitors and service visits to the home.
    § 17.44.100 · code text
    The home occupation shall be operated so as to not require more than eight vehicle trips per day of clients, customers, visitors, and/or service visits to the residence.
  • 1 client or family at a time.
    Applies: On site only between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
    § 17.44.100 · code text
    On-site presence of clients or customers shall be limited to one client or family at a time, and only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Employees
  • No on-site employees except full-time residents of the home.
    § 17.44.100 · code text
    A home occupation shall have no on-site employees other than full-time residents of the dwelling;
  • Up to 2 employees who do not live in the home.
    Applies: Only with use permit approval.
    § 17.44.100 · code text
    except that up to two nonresident employees may be allowed with use permit approval.
Permit
  • A city business license.
    § 17.44.100 · code text
    A home occupation shall require a city business license.
  • Minor use permit approval.
    Applies: For pet grooming as a home occupation in the RE and R-1 zones.
    § 17.44.100 · code text
    Pet grooming may be conducted as a home occupation within the RE and R-1 zone when in compliance with this section, and with minor use permit approval;
  • A minor use permit.
    Applies: For small-scale commercial wood and metal working.
    § 17.44.100 · code text
    Small-scale commercial wood and metal working may be authorized by minor use permit as a home occupation,
Businesses not allowed
  • adult entertainment activities/businesses; animal hospitals and boarding facilities; automotive and other vehicle repair and service, painting, storage, or upholstery; repair, reconditioning, servicing, or manufacture of internal combustion or diesel engines or motor vehicles; construction contractor facilities and storage and other outdoor storage; dismantling, junk, or scrap yards; fitness/health facilities except one-on-one personal trainers; medical clinics, laboratories, or doctor's offices; personal services except licensed massage therapy and physical therapy; vehicle parking or dispatching for automobile wrecking, towing, taxi, or similar passenger or delivery services; on-site sales except qualifying mail order businesses; uses requiring explosives or highly combustible or toxic materials; welding and machine shop operations; wood cutting businesses; and similar uses determined by the director
    § 17.44.100 · code text
    The following are examples of business activities that are not incidental to or compatible with residential activities, and are, therefore, prohibited as home occupations:

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

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

Grass Valley home businesses may use 25% of the ground floor, with at most 8 vehicle trips daily and 1 client at a time.

General information, not legal advice.

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Grass Valley Municipal Code — full text