Sooke home-based business rules
Can I run a business from my home in Sooke?
Yes. In Sooke you can run a home-based business in the rural zones, R1, R2, R3 and some other zones if you live there and it stays subordinate to the home. You need a $50 a year home-based business licence plus tax, and a building permit before you start.
Key facts
| Allowed | Yes. Accessory use in the rural zones (RU1 to RU5), R1, R2, R3, the manufactured home park zone and some comprehensive development zones. Must be run by a resident of the lot, inside the dwelling or a permitted accessory building, and subordinate to the home. A building permit is also required before establishing one.Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, Schedule 202 (R2) s. 202.2 and s. 4.3; Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020, s. 8(1)(h) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingf) Home-based business The home-based business use shall only be conducted by a resident on the lot The home-based business shall be conducted entirely within a dwelling unit or e) Home-based business prior to the establishment of a home-based business. |
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| Business licence | Yes. A home-based business licence costs $50 a year (plus tax). Licences run January 1 to December 31.Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 752, Schedule 4; Business Licenses, Business Licenses page; Business Licence Bylaw No. 778, 2021 (PDF, consolidated July 11, 2022), s. 32 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingGovernment Service No charge Farm Retail Sales/Farm Stand No charge Home-Based $50.00 Intermunicipal $100.00 Commercial - Small (464.5 sq.m./5,000 sq.ft.) or less gross floor area of $125.00 A licence is required before beginning business activity in the District of Sooke. This includes: - Commercial and storefront businesses - Home-based businesses - Contractors, trades, and mobile services - Food vendors, market stalls, and pop-up retail licences shall be annual for a one-year period to commence the first day of January |
| Limits | No more than 2 non-resident employees. Floor area at most 50 m² or 40% of the dwelling, whichever is less. No exterior storage or display. All parking on the lot; one commercial vehicle or trailer. One non-illuminated sign. No more than 2 client visits at once or 10 a day. No nuisance (noise, odour, traffic).Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, s. 4.3(a), (b), (c), (e), (h), (j), (k) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingshall not employ more than two additional non-resident persons on the lot shall not exceed 50 m 2 or 40% of the floor area of the dwelling on the lot, whichever is less one (1) non-illuminated sign per lot shall be permitted more than two client visits at any one time or more than 10 client visits per day No more than one commercial utility trailer or commercial vehicle |
| Businesses not allowed | Auto repair on lots of 2,000 m² or less, auto repair outside an enclosed building, heavy equipment storage and repair, autobody work, welding or steel manufacturing, and cannabis production.Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, s. 4.3(m) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThe following uses are prohibited as a home based business: Auto repair on lots 2,000 m2 in area or smaller; Heavy equipment storage and repair; Welding or steel manufacturing; |
| Bylaw | Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, s. 4.3; Business Licence Bylaw No. 778, 2021; Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, s. 4.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording4.3 Home-Based Business Regulations |
How it works
Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, section 4.3, allows a home-based business as an accessory use in the rural zones (RU1 to RU5), R1, R2, R3, the manufactured home park zone and some comprehensive development zones. It must be run by a resident of the lot, inside the dwelling or a permitted accessory building, and stay subordinate to the home. The Building Bylaw also requires a building permit before establishing a home-based business. The licence runs January 1 to December 31.
Limits in the zoning bylaw:
- No more than 2 non-resident employees.
- Floor area of 50 m² or 40% of the dwelling, whichever is less.
- No exterior storage or display.
- All parking on the lot, with one commercial vehicle or trailer.
- One non-illuminated sign.
- No more than 2 client visits at once or 10 a day.
- No noise, odour or traffic nuisance.
- Retail items must be produced on the lot, with limited exceptions.
Not allowed at home
Auto repair on lots of 2,000 m² or less, auto repair outside an enclosed building, heavy equipment storage and repair, autobody work, welding or steel manufacturing, and cannabis production.
Steps
- Check your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
- Apply for the building permit.
- Complete the Business Licence Application and send it to businesslicence@sooke.ca, with any required approvals.
- Pay the $50 fee and start once approved.
Good to know
- A breach of the home-based business limits carries a $100 ticket.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Metchosin · Langford · Colwood · Highlands · View Royal · Esquimalt
Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke (read 2026-11-06)
- Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 752, Schedule 4 (PDF), District of Sooke (read 2026-11-06)
- Business Licenses, District of Sooke (read 2026-11-06)
- Business Licence Bylaw No. 778, 2021 (PDF, consolidated July 11, 2022), District of Sooke (read 2026-11-06)
- Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020 (PDF), District of Sooke (read 2026-11-06)
- Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 836 (PDF), District of Sooke (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. How answers are checked.