Tumbler Ridge home-based business rules
Can I run a business from my home in Tumbler Ridge?
Short answer
Yes. Tumbler Ridge allows a Home Occupation - Minor in R1, R2, R3, MHL, MHP, RM1, RM2 and C1, and a Home Occupation - Major in R2 and R3. A District business licence is required: $50 a year for a home occupation.
Key facts
| Allowed | Yes. A Home Occupation - Minor is allowed in R1, R2, R3, MHL, MHP, RM1, RM2 and C1; a Home Occupation - Major in R2 and R3; a Home Industry only in R3, by temporary use permit. A home business must be licensed.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, Use table; s. 5.9.1, 5.10.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingHome Occupation - Minor Home Occupation - Major Home Industry A Home Industry is considered a temporary use, and approval can only be provided through a temporary use permit A home occupation must be licensed by the District of Tumbler Ridge. |
|---|---|
| Business licence | Yes. Home Occupation Minor $50 a year, Home Occupation Major $50, Home Industry $150. Licences issued after July 31 get a 50% discount.Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 623 consolidation, December 2025, Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 623, Schedule F; Business Licences, Business Licences page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingHome Industry $150.00 Home Occupation Major $50.00 Home Occupation Minor $50.00 A 50% discount shall apply to Business Licence fees for Regular Business, Home Occupation, Short-Term Home Occupations: $150 → $50; |
| Limits | Up to 30% of dwelling floor area or 50 m², whichever is less (accessory building up to 100%; 90 m² combined); no external storage. Minor: no non-resident staff, 10 clients or deliveries a week, no commercial vehicle. Major: one non-resident employee, one extra parking stall. No noise, traffic or visits 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., except quiet work.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.10.5, 5.10.8 to 5.10.12 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingHome occupations shall not generate noise, traffic or in-person visits between 10 pm and 8 am except for family day shall not occupy an area within the dwelling unit exceeding thirty percent (30%) of the gross floor area of the dwelling unit, Have no on-site employees other than the residents of the principal dwelling; Receive no more than ten clients or deliveries per week; Employ 1 person to work on-site other than the permanent residents of the dwelling, external storage of materials, containers or finished products. Quiet, non-disruptive activities such as computer-based work are permitted at any |
| Businesses not allowed | A home occupation may not involve repair or painting of vehicles, trailers, boats or commercial or industrial equipment, welding or machine shops, spray painting, animal treatment or boarding (such as a vet or kennel), heavy industrial equipment parking, or bulk deliveries by commercial vehicles.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.10.3, 5.10.14 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThe repair and painting of vehicles, trailers, boats, commercial equipment and industrial equipment; Welding or machine shops; and Spray painting or spray coating operations. Involve the treatment or boarding of animals, such as a veterinary hospital or kennel; and Requires the delivery or removal of materials or products in bulk by commercial vehicles or trailers. |
| Bylaw | Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.9 and 5.10; Business Licence Bylaw No. 757, 2025, s. 5.2; Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 623, 2017, Schedule FZoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.9, 5.10; Business Licence Bylaw No. 757, 2025, s. 5.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wording5.8.4. The Short-Term Rental unit must comply with the minimum parking requirement of this Bylaw pertaining to the principal use. 5.9 HOME INDUSTRY 5.9.1 A Home Industry is considered a temporary use, and approval can only be provided through a temporary use permit issued by xii. Be serviced by a vehicle exceeding five (5) tonnes gross vehicle weight. 5.10 HOME OCCUPATIONS 5.10.1 A home occupation must be licensed by the District of Tumbler Ridge. DISTRICT OF TUMBLER RIDGE ZONING BYLAW No. 747, 2025 A Bylaw to regulate the location and use of buildings and structures and the use of land including the surface Home-based businesses are categorized as follows: |
How it works
Home businesses in Tumbler Ridge are covered by sections 5.9 and 5.10 of the Zoning Bylaw No. 747. Allowed uses:
- Home Occupation - Minor: R1, R2, R3, MHL, MHP, RM1, RM2 and C1.
- Home Occupation - Major: R2 and R3.
- Home Industry: R3 only, by temporary use permit.
A home business must be licensed. Licence fees are in Schedule F of the Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 623: Home Occupation Minor $50 a year, Major $50, Home Industry $150, with a 50% discount for licences issued after July 31. Registered charitable societies and non-profits pay no licence fee.
Steps
- Confirm your zone allows the type of home business you plan (see the zoning-lookup answer).
- Apply for a business licence from Corporate Services at Town Hall (see the business-licence answer).
Good to know
- Only residents of the dwelling may carry on the business. It may use up to 30% of the dwelling floor area or 50 m², whichever is less (an accessory building up to 100%, 90 m² combined). No external storage.
- Minor: no non-resident staff, no more than 10 clients or deliveries a week, no commercial vehicle. Major: one non-resident employee and one extra parking stall. A Major may have more clients or staff if the Development Officer approves.
- No noise, traffic or visits from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., except quiet work.
- Not allowed: repair or painting of vehicles, trailers, boats or equipment, welding or machine shops, spray painting, animal treatment or boarding, heavy industrial equipment parking, or bulk deliveries by commercial vehicles.
- A Home Industry has its own limits in s. 5.9.3, including one non-resident worker and one client visit at a time. Read it in the bylaw.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Chetwynd · Dawson Creek · Pouce Coupe · Hudson's Hope · Mackenzie · Taylor
Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge (read 2026-11-08)
- Business Licence Bylaw No. 757, 2025 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge (read 2026-11-08)
- Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 623 consolidation, December 2025 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge (read 2026-11-08)
- Business Licences, District of Tumbler Ridge (read 2026-11-08)
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.