Merritt home-based business rules
Can I run a business from my home?
Short answer
Yes. In the City of Merritt a home-based business with a valid business licence is allowed in every zone except RC1, as a secondary use to a dwelling. Limits include 40% of the home's floor area, one non-resident employee and two clients at a time.
Key facts
| Allowed | Yes. A home-based business with a valid business licence is permitted in all zones except RC1 (Residential Care Housing), as a secondary use to a dwelling. More than one is allowed per dwelling or parcel.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 4.32.1, 4.32.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingHome-based Businesses with a valid business licence are permitted in all zones, except the RC1 zone, as a Secondary Use to a Dwelling Unit. More than one Home-based Business is permitted at a Dwelling Unit or Parcel. |
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| Business licence | Yes. Home-based businesses need a business licence: regular licence $150 a year plus a $50 one-time non-refundable application fee. Inspections cost $50 each if required.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 4.32.1; Renew your business licence, Renew page; City of Merritt Business Licence Bylaw No. 2268, 2019, Schedules A and B · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingHome-based Businesses with a valid business licence are permitted in all zones, including home-based operations and transient operators like couriers, are required to maintain a current business licence. The Regular Business Licence fee in the City of Merritt shall be $150. All Applicants, except those listed in section 4 of this Schedule A, shall pay $50 at the For each Inspection by the Building Inspector, Fire Prevention Officer, or Cross |
| Limits | Up to 40% of the main dwelling's floor area (25% with a B&B), no limit in a detached secondary dwelling or accessory building; no exterior storage; one sign in AR1, R1 and R3 only (0.3 m²); one non-resident employee; no commercial deliveries; two clients at a time; 1 parking space per business.Sources differ: No floor area limit applies in a detached secondary dwelling or accessory building (s. 4.32.4). Sign zones differ: the City web page says one sign in R1 and R2 only; the Zoning Bylaw (s. 4.32.6) says AR1, R1 and R3 'as permitted by the Sign Bylaw'. Bylaw followed. Sign Regulation Bylaw 1900 was not read.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 4.32.3-4.32.11, Table 5.18; Business Licence, Business Licence page, Sign section · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingmust not occupy more than 40% of the Floor Area of The Floor Area of the Dwelling used for the Home-based Business is limited to 25% if No exterior storage for a Home-based Business is permitted. No more than one person, other than residents of the relevant residence, may be A Home-based Business must not involve delivery of materials to or from the residence must not generate more than two clients to the site at any given time. 1 per Home-based There is no Floor Area limitation for a Detached Secondary Dwelling or Accessory being so used, except for one home occupation sign in the AR1, R1, and R3 zones, as Sign Area: the area of a home occupation sign shall not exceed 0.3 square metres |
| Businesses not allowed | Not allowed in the RC1 zone. Bed and breakfast and short-term rental are separate uses with their own rules, not home-based businesses. A home business must not create a nuisance.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 4.32.1, 4.32.8, definition · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingexcept the RC1 zone, as a Secondary Use to a Dwelling Unit. A Home-based Business must not create a Nuisance. HOME-BASED BUSINESS means any business other than a Bed and Breakfast or Short- |
| Bylaw | Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 (s. 4.32); Business Licence Bylaw No. 2268, 2019.City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, 2026 consolidation, s. 4.32; City of Merritt Business Licence Bylaw No. 2268, 2019, title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording4.32 Home-Based Businesses 4.32.1 Home-based Businesses with a valid business licence are permitted in all zones, except the RC1 zone, as a Secondary Use to a Dwelling Unit. * City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 ____________________________________________________________________________ Business Licence Bylaw No. 2268, 2019 |
How it works
Under s. 4.32 of the Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020, a City of Merritt home-based business with a valid business licence is a permitted secondary use to a dwelling in all zones except RC1 (Residential Care Housing). More than one is allowed per dwelling or parcel. Some comprehensive development zones (for example CD1-RC) set stricter conditions, so check your zone.
Steps
- Confirm your zone with Planning at 250-378-8615.
- Apply for a City business licence ($150 a year plus a $50 one-time non-refundable application fee). A first-year licence is pro-rated monthly, minimum $25.
- Pay for any inspections the City requires ($50 each).
Good to know
- Size: up to 40% of the main dwelling's floor area (25% with a bed and breakfast). There is no floor area limit in a detached secondary dwelling or accessory building.
- Staff and visitors: one non-resident employee, no commercial deliveries, two clients at a time, and 1 parking space per business.
- Storage and signs: no exterior storage. One sign (0.3 m2) is allowed in AR1, R1 and R3 only. The City's web page says R1 and R2 only; the bylaw is followed here, so confirm with the City.
- Not allowed: RC1 zone. A bed and breakfast and a short-term rental are separate uses with their own rules. A home business must not create a nuisance.
- No list of banned business types was found in the bylaw or licence materials.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Logan Lake · Lytton · Kamloops · Princeton · Ashcroft · Peachland
Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 (PDF), 2026 consolidation (read 2026-11-05)
- Business Licence, City of Merritt (read 2026-11-05)
- City of Merritt Business Licence Bylaw No. 2268, 2019 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Renew your business licence, City of Merritt (read 2026-11-05)
- Contact, City of Merritt (read 2026-11-05)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.