Home Occupation Permit 16.88
Ripon Development Code
Chapter 16.88
HOME OCCUPATION PERMIT
Sections:
16.88.010 Purpose.
16.88.020 Permitted Districts
16.88.030 Requirements for Application
16.88.040 Operating Requirements and
Conditions
16.88.050 Allowed Home Occupations
16.88.060 Prohibited Home
Occupations
16.88.070 Home Occupations that may
be allowed upon approval by
the Planning Commission
16.88.080 Application Review
Procedures
16.88.090 Permit Expiration
and Revocation
16.88.010 Purpose.
It is the purpose of this Chapter to provide
for business uses in association with
residences in cases where the uses clearly
will not alter the character or appearance of
the residence and the use must be clearly
secondary or incidental to the use of the
dwelling for residential purposes. This section
is intended to protect the rights of residents to
engage in certain home occupations that are
harmonious with a residential environment
and to protect neighborhoods from the
negative impacts that home occupations may
have on a residential area. (Ord. 606, 1999)
16.88.020 Permitted Districts.
Home occupation permit applications may
be accepted in any residential district. (Ord.
774 §1, 2009)
16.88.030 Requirements for Application.
A. Persons conducting a home occupation
shall secure and maintain a home occupation
permit from the City of Ripon. Home
occupation applications shall be filed with the
Planning Department. A request for a home
occupation permit must clearly describe the
location and characteristics of the proposed
home occupation.
B. Persons conducting a home occupation
shall secure and maintain a Business License
from the City of Ripon.
C. Applications for a home occupation
may be initialized by the property owner(s) or
the property owner’s authorized agent. If the
home occupation is to be conducted in rental
property, the city shall be provided with
evidence of the property owner’s authorization
for the proposed use.
D. A fee, as specified by resolution of the
City Council is required with the application.
(Ord. 606, 1999)
E. The applicant agrees to make the
premises available for inspection by the
Planning Director, or his/her designee, at all
reasonable times and without an inspection
warrant for the purpose of assuring
compliance with the requirements of this code.
16.88.040 Operating Requirements and
Conditions.
Home occupations approved under the
provisions of this Chapter shall comply with
the provisions of this Section.
A. Location The home occupation shall
be confined within the main building. A
detached garage/structure is considered as
part of the main building. When, conducted in
a garage, the home occupation cannot
eliminate the use of the garage as space for
the required parking.
B. Appearance
1. There shall be no external alteration of
the appearance of the dwelling in which the
home occupation is conducted that would
reflect the existence of the home occupation,
either by color, materials, construction,
lighting, signs, or sounds. A person standing
on the boundary/property line of the property
should not be aware of the home occupation.
2. There shall be no exterior signs or
displays to identify the home occupation.
Signage may be allowed on a vehicle primarily
used for the home occupation, no more than 2
signs per vehicle and no greater than a 2 foot
by 2 foot area per sign.
Chapter 16-88 Home Occupation Permit - Clean Version
Home Occupation Permit 16.88
Ripon Development Code
C. Size Limits One room or twenty
(20%) percent of the floor area of the main
residence or detached garage/structure,
whichever is greater, may be used for the
home occupation and any related storage of
materials and supplies.
D. Materials
1. The home occupation shall not entail
the use or storage of explosive, flammable or
otherwise hazardous materials, beyond that
normally incidental to a typical residential use,
or change the fire rating of the structure or the
neighborhood.
2. No goods, supplies, equipment,
materials or product related to a home
occupation shall be stored outside, or be
visible from the outside of any structure or unit
conducting a home occupation.
E. Emissions, Noise and Equipment
Dust, noise, odor, vibration, fumes, or
smoke shall not be created so that they are
readily discernable at the exterior boundaries
of the parcel used for the home occupation.
Electrical or mechanical equipment that
creates audible interference in radio receivers
or visual or audible interference in television
receivers or causes fluctuation in line voltage
outside the dwelling is prohibited. No
mechanical equipment which is larger than
that normally associated with a residence,
shall be installed on the exterior of the
structure.
F. Employees All employees must be
members of the resident family and shall
reside on the premises. Any other employees
must meet the home occupation operator at
the off-site job location and may not leave
from or arrive at the home occupation
operator’s residence to start or end the work
shift or workday.
G. Clients/Students A home occupation
shall be limited to only one client, and/or
student at a time, except small residential care
homes, small family home care centers, etc.
licensed by the state for care of eight or fewer
persons. A home occupation shall be limited
to only one client and/or student at a time
between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday by appointment only.
For all practical purposes one client and/or
student shall mean either one person or
couple. Anyone desiring to have more than
one, but fewer than six clients and/or students
at a time must receive special approval by the
Planning Commission for such request.
H. Deliveries Deliveries at the home
occupation residence by large commercial
semi-trucks will be prohibited, but deliveries of
parcels and small packages by delivery vans
will be permissible so long as they do not
exceed what is normally incidental to typical
residential use.
I. Vehicles No more than one vehicle or
truck of not more than one ton capacity may
be kept on the site in association with the
Home Occupation. Any additional vehicles,
trailers, or wheeled equipment incidental to
the home occupation must be kept within an
enclosure, such as a garage, or behind the
front setback of the residence and screened
from public view as approved by the Planning
Director. All vehicles and associated
equipment shall be owned or leased by the
occupant of the dwelling.
J. Sale of Merchandise No direct sale to
customers of any item related to a home
occupation shall occur on the premises, and
there shall be no display of products and/or
equipment produced or used by the home
occupation so as to be visible from outside the
home.
K. Transferability A home occupation
granted in accordance with the provisions of
this title shall not be transferred, assigned or
used by a person other than the permittee. A
home occupation may be transferred upon
request of the permittee to another qualified
location so long as all requirements of the
Home Occupation ordinance can be satisfied.
16.88.050 Allowed Home Occupations.
A. Certain business activities are deemed
appropriate when conducted by the
resident(s) of a dwelling in a manner
subordinate to and compatible with the
residential characteristics of the surrounding
neighborhood. The following list presents
examples of commercial uses that are
Chapter 16-88 Home Occupation Permit - Clean Version
Home Occupation Permit 16.88
Ripon Development Code
generally considered to be subordinate to and
compatible with residential activities:
1. Accounting/Bookkeeping services
2. Architectural/Drafting services
3. Art and Craft Work (ceramics,
painting, sculpture, and minor
woodworking).
4. Barber and Beauty services
(operating as a sole proprietor
provided all other state
requirements are met).
5. Catering services (provided all
other state and county
requirements are met).
6. Computer repair and service
7. Consulting services
8. Data processing services
9. Engineering services
10. Financial Planning or Investment
services
11. Gun and Ammunition sales (office
portion only, no on-site
transactions)
12. Health salons, gyms, dance studios
and/or aerobic exercise studios of
only one client and/or student at a
time.
13. Internet business (internet-based
sales and services conducting all
functions via the internet)
14. Interior Design services
15. Instructional lessons (music,
swimming, tutoring, and similar
lessons on an individual basis)
16. Photographer
17. Professional/Business Office uses
18. Other uses that the Director of
Planning determines to be similar in
impacts to those listed above.
16.88.060 Prohibited Home Occupations
A. Certain business activities are
deemed inappropriate as home
occupations because their existence and
operation as a home occupation are not
subordinate to or compatible with the
residential characteristics of the
surrounding neighborhoods. The
following list presents examples of
commercial uses that are prohibited as
home occupations:
1. Adult Businesses
2. Auto or vehicle repair or tune-ups
3. Businesses which entail the
breeding, grooming, harboring,
raising, or training of dogs, cats or
other animals on the premises, to
include kennels and boarding
used for these animals
4. Card reading/astrological services
5. Carpentry and cabinetmaking
(does not prohibit a normal
woodworking hobby operation)
6. Construction Business (does not
include just an office space for a
construction business where no
materials are stored on-site)
7. Dance Club/Night Club
8. Fortune Telling (psychic)
9. Lawn mower and small engine
repair
10. Health salons, gyms, dance
studios and/or aerobic exercise
studios of more than one client
and/student at a time.
11. Massage parlors
12. Medical and Dental offices, clinics
and laboratories
13. Mini-storage, rv storage, vehicle
storage, etc.
14. On-site painting services (auto,
boat, rv, appliances, etc.)
15. Retail sales of merchandise stored
and/or displayed within the
property
16. Storage of equipment, materials
and other accessories to the
construction and service trades
17. Tattoo parlors, to include body
piercing
18. Vehicle Sales
19. Welding and Machine Work (not
normally associated with a
residential use)
20. Other uses that the Director of
Planning determines is not
compatible with the residential
characteristics of the surrounding
Chapter 16-88 Home Occupation Permit - Clean Version
Home Occupation Permit 16.88
Ripon Development Code
neighborhood.
16.88.070 Home Occupations that may be
allowed upon approval by the
Planning Commission.
A. Following is a list of home occupation
activities that may be allowed subject to
approval by the Planning Commission upon
satisfactory evidence that the use will not be
detrimental to the surrounding residential
neighborhoods.
1. Assembly/Manufacturing of small
items that can be demonstrated to the
Planning Commission to not be detrimental or
have any adverse effects on neighboring
residential properties. Such home
occupations shall not require any special
equipment not normally associated with a
residential home.
2. Any home occupation desiring to
have more than one client and/or student visit
the premises at a time, but no more than six
clients and/or students max.
3. Any use or occupation that does
not meet the criteria set forth in this chapter,
may at the discretion of the Director of
Planning be allowed to go before the Planning
Commission for discretionary approval.
16.88.080 Application Review
Procedures
A. Upon submittal of a completed
home occupation permit application and
associated fee, the Director of Planning,
or his/her designee shall review the
application for compliance with this
Chapter.
B. If the use requested in the application
meets all of the operating requirements
and conditions set forth in this Chapter,
the home occupation permit will be issued
no later than fifteen (15) days after review
and approval of the home occupation
permit by the Planning Director or his/her
designee. The permit shall be denied if all
requirements and conditions cannot be
fulfilled.
C. Notices shall be mailed to adjoining
properties and properties directly across
from the proposed home occupation upon
issuance of a home occupation permit.
16.88.090 Permit Expiration and
Revocation.
A. Home occupation permits are good for
two (2) calendar years and shall expire upon
non-renewal of a home occupation permit. All
home occupation permits shall immediately
expire upon discontinuance or cessation of
use for a period of thirty (30) days of the home
occupation.
B. Revocation of Permit. In the event
that a home occupation permit is deemed in
non-compliance with this chapter or any letter
of complaint is submitted to the Ripon
Planning Department concerning a home
occupation and contains substantive evidence
of violations as corroborated by city officials,
the use will be deemed in violation of this
Chapter and the permit may be suspended or
revoked using the following procedures:
1. The Director of Planning may
revoke a home occupation permit for
noncompliance with the provisions of this
chapter and/or with noncompliance the
conditions set forth in granting the permit. If
the home occupation permit is revoked, any
associated business license in conjunction
with the home occupation permit shall also be
revoked. Fees will not be refunded for any
revoked home occupation permits or
associated business license.
2. The revocation shall be effective
upon delivery of written notice to the
permittee.
3. The permittee may appeal the
revocation of their permit pursuant to Chapter
16.08 of the Ripon Municipal Code section
16.08.060.
4. All appeals to this chapter shall
be in writing setting forth the reasons for the
appeal and be filed, along with associated
appeal fees, with the City of Ripon Planning
Department.
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