---
title: Gibsons home-based business rules
question: "Can I run a business from my home in Gibsons?"
place: Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/gibsons
category: Starting and running a business
owner: municipal
owner_body: Town of Gibsons
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/home-based-business/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/home-based-business.json"
---

# Gibsons home-based business rules

**Question:** Can I run a business from my home in Gibsons?

**Short answer:** Yes, in Gibsons a home occupation is a permitted accessory use in any dwelling unit, up to two per property, and it needs a Town business licence ($240 a year). It must stay within the limits in Zoning Bylaw 1342, such as 20% of the floor area and no more than five trips a day.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Gibsons, https://www.gibsons.ca)  
**Cost:** $240 a year for a Home Occupation licence. The fee drops 10% if paid before the licence period starts and is halved if the business becomes liable after July 31.  
**How long:** Licences run January 1 to December 31. Staff usually contact you to pay within two business days of your application.  
**Where:**
- In person: Town Hall, Town of Gibsons, 474 South Fletcher Road, Gibsons, BC V0N 1V0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (the hours the Town gives for in-person submissions, excluding holidays))
- Email: Business licences (Bylaw Officer), beo@gibsons.ca
- Phone: Town Hall, 604-886-2274

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** Yes. A home occupation is a permitted accessory use in any dwelling unit, subject to conditions. No more than two home occupations per property.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.7.3](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "Home Occupation is a permitted Accessory Use in any Dwelling Unit, subject to the following" … "not more than two home occupations are permitted on a property."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Business licence:** Yes. A Town business licence is required. Fee: $240 a year for a Home Occupation.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.7.3(1.8)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "a Town Business License is required for the conduct of any Home Occupation"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), Schedule A Part 2](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/)
  - Official wording: "H001 HOME OCCUPATION............................................................................ $240.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** Only residents of the dwelling may work in it; up to 20% of the dwelling's gross floor area; no outdoor storage; no noise, odour, glare or similar noticeable outside; one sign up to 0.3 m²; one vehicle up to 2.7 tonnes; no more than five delivery or client trips a day.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.7.3(1.5)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "conducted only by the residents in the Dwelling Unit" … "more than 20% of the Gross Floor Area (GFA)"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.7.3(1.2), (1.4)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "must not include outdoor storage of equipment, materials," … "except for a single sign not exceeding 0.3 m2 in area;"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.7.3(1.6), (1.7)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "not more than one vehicle, not exceeding 2.7 metric tonnes" … "no more than five per day;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Businesses not allowed:** Vehicle repair or maintenance, body shops, metal fabrication, sale of goods not produced on the premises, production or sale of highly combustible products, and short-term rental.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.7.3(1.1)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "a Home Occupation must not include vehicle repair or maintenance, body shops," … "or sale of highly combustible products or Short-Term Rental;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025 (s. 3.7.3) and Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.7.3](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "3.7.1. Rescinded...................................................................................................................3-10 3.7.2. Community Care ...................................................................................................... 3-10 3.7.3. Home Occupations ................................................................................................... 3-10 3.7.4. Short-Term Rentals ................................................................................................... 3-11 3.8. Uses Permitted and Uses Prohibited in All Zones ........................................................... 3-12" … "Zoning Bylaw Bylaw No. 1342 | 2025 Consolidated for convenience to include 1342-01 - June 2026"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), title](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/)
  - Official wording: "BUSINESS LICENCE BYLAW NO. 666"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

[Zoning Bylaw 1342](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/) (s. 3.7.3) allows a home occupation as an accessory use in any dwelling unit, subject to conditions. No more than two home occupations are allowed per property. A Town business licence is required.

Limits:

- Only residents of the dwelling may work in it.
- Up to 20% of the dwelling's gross floor area.
- No outdoor storage.
- No noise, odour, glare or similar noticeable outside.
- One sign, up to 0.3 m².
- One vehicle, up to 2.7 tonnes.
- No more than five delivery or client trips a day.

Not allowed as a home occupation: vehicle repair or maintenance, body shops, metal fabrication, sale of goods not produced on the premises, production or sale of highly combustible products, and short-term rental (which has its own licence).

## Steps

1. Check that your plans fit the limits above.
2. Complete the Business Licence Application Form and the Supplemental Checklist.
3. Bring them to Town Hall, fax 604-886-9735 or email beo@gibsons.ca.
4. Staff check the approvals your business type needs, then contact you to pay.

## Good to know

- The fee is $240 a year for a Home Occupation, under [Business Licence Bylaw 666](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/), Schedule A.
- Food, alcohol, daycare and beauty services also need Vancouver Coastal Health approval.
- Bylaw 666 also defines "home occupation" with its own list of trades. The zoning bylaw is the newer rule; confirm with Town Hall if your business is unusual.

## Official forms and pages

- [Business Licences, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/business/business-licences/)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)

## Related questions

- [Gibsons business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/business-licence.md)
- [Gibsons short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/short-term-rental.md)
- [Gibsons zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/home-based-business.md)
- [Bowen Island](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/home-based-business.md)
- [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/home-based-business.md)
- [Lions Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/home-based-business.md)
- [Sechelt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/home-based-business.md)
- [District of North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/home-based-business.md)
- [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/home-based-business.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 666, 1992 (consolidated), Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/60436/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Business Licences, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/business/business-licences/) (read 2026-11-06)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Gibsons. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/home-based-business/_