Those of you that are running a woodworking / furniture business from your home, what problems did you encounter with local codes compliance with regard to noise, hours of operation etc. Residential areas restrict certain businesses from operating from your home. I know one T.V. repair business in my area that picks up and delivers so he does not have to provide parking at his home business, not to say that a home furniture business typically has a need for client parking. I guess my concern is, are you crossing into a “manufacturing” type business that may not be allowed to operate in a residential area.
Robert
Replies
Great question! I'm just starting up in my home garage shop and look forward to answers from the experienced.
I know that in my area, Douglasville, Georgia, I cannot have a showroom or a business in my home where I have clients coming and going. I can manufacture furniture though. I cannot have employees other than family. I am in a strictly residential area and have spoken to the zoning board about this issue.
I would imagine that this varies greatly from state to state as well as county to county so I would check with your local zoning board. In my experience they are very helpfull.Tom
If you have an H.O.A. you're probably sunk, at least on paper. CC&R's will take a zero tolerence approach to any commercial use within the development. Zoning and CC&R enforcement is most often complaint driver. If you live across the street from Mrs. Kravitz you're going to have trouble. Therefore ask your zoning department all you want but don't give them your name or address so you can stay off their radar. I work parttime out of my garage shop and did so full time for about 6 months between day jobs. I limit power tools use to 8:00 to 8:00 M-S and don't start on Sundays until 9:00 or 10:00. Once in a while I'll go past 8:00 pm with the R/O sanders hooked up to the super quiet Fein vac. In 5 years or so no problems with the neighbors except for those that want to hang out or get a kitchen for Home Depot prices. Oh one more thing - I do alot of "Hey can you cut this one piece for me" for free - I figure the goodwill with the neighbors is worth it.
I'm starting to plan for the days when I can do woodworking full time and have been having a hard time finding legal work/live lofts or places with a barn in SoCal. There's a lot of yuppie loft/condo conversions going on in downtown LA but that's not what I'm looking for. Any ideas on how to find something along those lines?
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
I try and stay out of the LA area as much as possible. I would look at one the older farm communities that have been swallowed up by urban sprawl. You may still find a place that has a good size detached garage or even a shop building in the back of the property. Even a home with a mother inlaw house in the back and convert that to a shop if it is big enough.
Robert,
I think it's a pretty sure bet that what one council accepts the next will not. In my area a joinery must be at least 400 metres (440 yds) from the nearest residence unless it's in an area zoned 'Industrial', then it can be next door. I'm in a residential-rural zoning which basically means very low density housing (ie: on more than 2.5ac / house) where in fact we are on a road with blocks averaging 4 ac. However, I go to great pains to point out to any council employee that I make cabinets & furniture & don't do joinery. So far no real problems but there is a decent buffer between me & my neighbours, I try to limit noisy machine operations to daylight hours & deliveries usually occur during business hours when most of them are at work.
I would also agree that if you need to contact them tell the authorities the absolute minimum, disguise your voice & ring from a payphone two counties away...........
Don
Robert --
In my area (near Orlando, FL) there are some pretty strict ordinances about home businesses, but there are also plenty of cases of selective enforcement. The suburban residential areas are more subject to code enforcement than areas that are similarly zoned but less dense. For example, a painter or plumber who parks his truck with his I.D. on it in a residential zone can get away with it if he can hide it, or if his neighbors don't bitch about it, but I even got zinged for having a listing (one line) in the Yellow Pages. They called it "advertising" and the rules say no advertising in a residential area, even though I don't have any other than the phone book (which I didn't ask for; it comes with the business line). When I asked the mayor about the lady down the street who gives piano lessons, they dropped the charge. But, the woman who gives my grandkids piano lessons in another part of town has been brought up on code violations because she has neighbors who object to the traffic. I keep checking with my neighbors to see if I'm OK with them, and I don't have a lot of visitors or deliveries, plus no signs or work trash, and I haven't had a problem so far in a dozen years. I, too, do my share of freebies for the locals. I guess it all "depends". Jim
Thanks for all the responses, I am in Newport News, Va. now, but moving to Williamsburg, Va. will have about a 600 sq. ft. shop. in older neighborhood. No one behind my house and only one side neighbor. Will not have any homeowners association to deal with. Still working full time with building contractor, but starting to do more side work. Have been building furniture for about 25 years. Williamsburg should be a good market for reproduction work, which I like to do. I hope to continuue to get more work until I can justify trying full time.
Good luck to you. That's a beautiful area and most of the folks seem to have an appreciation for craftsmanship and tradition.
I gotta believe you're going to have some zoning issues in Williamsburg. But the biggest problem I see for you is the competition. You'd better be one damn fine woodworker to set up shop in that area.
We ended up near the Blue Ridge, rather than Williamsburg, but Virginia in general has a liberal custom of allowing "home occupations". Custom woodworking will fit right in as a long-standing tradition. I had 3 neighbors who filed formal complaints about my application. They lost soundly. Had I not wanted a detached shop, it would have been an automatic acceptance, without consulting the neighbors. This is a hoity-toity county with very tight zoning.
When I land-shopped James City and Charles City Counties, quite a few years ago, I was told that there would be no zoning problems. With the lack of neighbors it doesn't sound like you're actually in Williamsburg, are you? PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Actually, James City County, but we just refer to the whole area as Williamsburg. House is a couple of miles from Williamsburg city limits.
Robert
Hi Robert,
Of course. Like I live in C'vlle- 15 miles away. The point of distinction has to do with different zoning jurisdictions. You'll presubably have a LOT easier time with James City County than you would have had with Williamsburg itself. I'd be astounded if they didn't have a home occupation category for you. This is a well-established Virginia tradition.
Defined locally, but here 1500 sq ft (max 1/4 of the house if attached) and two unrelated employees are allowed. As I had complaining neighbors they limited me to 12 hr days and only 1 unrelated employee. Not a problem. Not wanting, or being able to pay for, a 6000 sq ft house, I opted for an accessory structure to allow me the 1500 sq ft anyway.
Hope you enjoy your new place. Might be able to help you get some work through relatives in the W&M community if you're interested.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
This house has a 600 sq.ft. separate shop building. Present Owner built as work shop but never wired the building, I guess that is one advantage so I can wire as needed. I think I'll first go down to the county and discuss what my plans are. What type of work do you do ? I think there is a market for smaller buit-in cabinet work, as well as custom furniture. Builders and cabinet shops are busy in this area. I am still part time, financially not ready to make that change and quit my full time job. I appreciate your offer to help me find some work, and will contact you once I get set up.
Robert
Hi Robert,
If you have any worries about the county you can always call anonymously. It's a growth area, as you know. Should have plenty of opportunity. Would be pretty difficult to make a decent living in 600 sq ft.
My background is one-of-a-kind furniture preceeded by several years building boxes. Self-employed since 1974 with one small break when we first moved here and I operated a shop for an upscale builder for a few years.
Currently I have very little time for commissions. Trying to get our buildings built, like a solar kiln with lumber storage. Don't have a shop here that I'm really happy with but one is planned. We bought unimproved property and started in on it. Probably not the best place to mention it but I do have an excess Unisaw with Biesemeyer fence. I've been pouring a lot of concrete and took the opportunity to build an underground concrete house for a client.
Good luck with your new-to-you house and getting the shop the way you want it.
TomPAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Isn't insurance as much a concern as zoning? I knew a guy who started a small shop in his garage, and lost his homeowner's coverage when his agent found out.
I have not thought about that yet, but that is a very good point. I would want to be upfront with my insurance company, they will cancel you at the drop of a hat these days. I guess if you have a client in your shop and a board falls on their head, you better have some coverage. I would like to hear what others have found regarding this issue. Thanks for the post.
Robert
I think it all depends on what your planning on building and how you planning on selling the items. Iknow/ seen people who make some crafts (wishiing wells, dog houses, ird houses ect) and just put them on display in front of their house and sell them like a garage sale. I know another guy who ran a custom w/w cabinet shop outta his garage and no probs. Iknow 2 guy who are full time carps and who outta their house building thing. Only once do I now of an of them being questioned , that was a guy who was renting a house and had a old whining neighbor accross the street who called the city on him for running a business outta his house. the city showed up and talked to him. he said he does w/w as a hobby thats all. Then the city inspectors asked him about spraying and laquer O/S getting on the neighbors carr. he walked over and looked at the neighbors house which was father away and showed them their was no O/S. So no more probs with then city after that (He ended up moving and renting another house)
I think the bottom line after all that rambling is it depends on your neighbors tolerent levels
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