Can I run a business from home in Kennebunk, Maine?
Yes. Home occupations are a permitted accessory use in Kennebunk's residential districts, as long as you meet the Article 10, Section 14 standards. You can have at most 1 full-time or 2 part-time non-resident employees and one sign of up to 2 sq ft. The business can use no more than 30% of the home's floor area or 600 sq ft, and can generate no more than 10 vehicle trips a day.
| Where allowed | Permitted accessory use in residential districts (CR excludes some types) [2] |
| Non-resident employees | Max 1 full-time or 2 part-time [4] |
| Floor area | Max 30% of the home and 600 sq ft (90% / 900 sq ft on 3+ acre RR and RC lots) [5] |
| Signs | One sign, max 2 sq ft [3] |
| Parking | No more than 2 spaces beyond the home's normal parking [6] |
| Traffic | Daily average of no more than 10 trip ends (5 round trips) [7] |
| Home child care (3+ children) | Treated as a day care center: special exception in SR, CR, RR and RC; permitted in VR [9] |
What counts as a home occupation
A home occupation is a job or profession run in the home or in an accessory building. It must be carried on by family members who live there, and it must be "clearly incidental and secondary" to living there [1]. Home occupations are a permitted accessory use in the Suburban Residential district [2], as well as in the Rural Conservation, Rural Residential and Village Residential districts. In the Coastal Residential district, retail sales, personal services, real estate offices, insurance agency offices, commercial stables and commercial kennels are excluded.
Standards (Article 10, Section 14)
- No outside evidence: no exterior storage or display. The only visible sign of the business can be one sign of up to 2 sq ft [3].
- No non-residential exterior alterations to the building.
- Employees: no more than 1 full-time or 2 part-time non-resident employees. Anyone working 30 or more hours a week counts as full-time [4].
- Size: no more than 30% of the home's floor area and no more than 600 sq ft. On lots of 3 acres or more in the RR and RC districts, the limits are 90% and 900 sq ft [5].
- Deliveries: no commercial-vehicle deliveries beyond what is typical for a house.
- Nuisances: no offensive noise, vibration, smoke, dust, odors, heat, glare or electrical disturbance.
- Parking: the business can't require or provide more than 2 spaces beyond the home's normal parking [6].
- Traffic: no more than a daily average of 10 trip ends (5 round trips) [7].
Child care
Caring for three or more children who don't live in the home counts as a day care center [8]. A day care center is a special exception (Planning Board approval) in the Suburban Residential district [9], and also in Coastal, Rural Residential and Rural Conservation. It is a permitted use in Village Residential. In a dwelling it is limited to 12 children (Article 10, Section 20). From July 1, 2027, state law (30-A M.R.S. §4364-D) makes family child care a permitted use in residential zones on the same terms as a single-family home, which may override the special-exception requirement.
Other limits
In the aquifer protection areas, a home occupation that uses or stores hazardous or leachable materials beyond normal household amounts isn't allowed. Residential-district signs must be set back at least 5 ft from the property line.
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Next steps
- Check your zoning district. In Coastal Residential, confirm your business type isn't one of the excluded uses.
- Make sure the business fits the limits: 30% or 600 sq ft of floor area, 1 full-time or 2 part-time outside employees, and 10 trips a day.
- Before you put up a sign or hire staff, ask Kennebunk Code Enforcement (207-604-1303) whether you need a permit or registration.
Common questions
- Can I run a business from my home in Kennebunk, Maine?
- Yes. Home occupations are a permitted accessory use in Kennebunk's residential districts if you meet the Article 10, Section 14 standards. In Coastal Residential, some business types are excluded.
- How many employees can a home business have in Kennebunk, Maine?
- At most 1 full-time or 2 part-time non-resident employees. Anyone working 30 or more hours a week counts as full-time.
- How much of my home can I use for a business in Kennebunk, Maine?
- No more than 30% of the home's floor area and no more than 600 sq ft. On lots of 3 acres or more in the RR and RC districts, the limits are 90% and 900 sq ft.
- Can I put up a sign for my home business in Kennebunk, Maine?
- One sign of up to 2 sq ft. There can be no other exterior storage or display. Traffic is limited to a daily average of 10 trip ends.
- Can I run a home day care in Kennebunk, Maine?
- Caring for three or more children who don't live in the home counts as a day care center, which is a special exception in most residential districts and permitted in Village Residential. From July 1, 2027, state law may override the special-exception requirement.
Maine state rules for home businesses
Maine has no statewide home-occupation law. Whether you can run a business from home, and with what limits, is mostly up to your town's zoning. A few state rules may apply:
- Sales tax registration: If you regularly sell taxable goods or services from home, you must register with Maine Revenue Services and collect sales tax.
- Home food businesses: Making shelf-stable foods (baked goods, jams and similar) to sell requires a Home Food License from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. It costs $20 a year and needs an initial kitchen inspection. Foods that must be refrigerated need a commercial license instead.
- Family child care: A state law (30-A M.R.S. §4364-D) makes family child care providers a permitted use in residential zones, under the same zoning rules as a single-family home. As amended in 2026, towns must follow it starting July 1, 2027. State child care licensing applies separately.
- Shoreland zone: The DEP's model shoreland ordinance defines a home occupation as one clearly incidental to the home, with no more than 2 employees besides family members living there. It requires a planning board permit in Limited Residential, Resource Protection and Stream Protection districts, and a code officer permit in Limited Commercial districts.
What the ordinance says
- Article 2, Definitions: Home Occupation, Zoning Ordinance Article 2 - Definitions, p. 10
HOME OCCUPATION: Any occupation or profession (including retail sales unless otherwise specified) which is carried on in a dwelling or a building accessory to the dwelling; which is carried on by a member(s) of the family residing in the dwelling; and which is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling for residential purposes and does not change the character thereof.
- Article 8, Section 6.B(7) Suburban Residential accessory uses, Zoning Article 8 Sect 6 - Suburban Residential District, p. 1
7. The following accessory uses: 7-1 Accessory uses and buildings 7-2 Home occupations
- Article 10, Section 14.A, Zoning Ordinance Article 10 - Performance Standards, p. 54
A. there shall be no exterior storage or display of materials or products related to the home occupation, no display of products visible in any manner from the outside of the dwelling, nor any visible evidence of the conduct of a home occupation, except for one (1) sign not to exceed 2 square feet as permitted per the sign standards of Article 10, Section 7;
- Article 10, Section 14.C, Zoning Ordinance Article 10 - Performance Standards, p. 54
C. there shall be no more than one (1) full-time or two (2) part-time nonresident(s) employed at the home occupation. Any employee working 30 or more hours a week shall be considered "full- time";
- Article 10, Section 14.D, Zoning Ordinance Article 10 - Performance Standards, p. 54
D. the home occupation shall not utilize an area which is more than 30% of the total floor area of the dwelling unit nor shall it occupy an area of more than 600 square feet; except that for lots with a gross lot area of 3 acres or more in the Rural Residential and Rural Conservation Districts, the limit is 90% of the total floor area of the dwelling unit with an area no more than 900 square feet.
- Article 10, Section 14.G, Zoning Ordinance Article 10 - Performance Standards, p. 54
G. the home occupation shall not require, nor shall it provide, more than two off-street parking spaces, in addition to the parking provided to meet the normal requirements of the dwelling; and
- Article 10, Section 14.H, Zoning Ordinance Article 10 - Performance Standards, p. 54
The home occupation shall not be permitted if it would generate more than a daily average of ten (10) vehicular trip ends (5 round trips) based on data contained in the latest edition of ITE, Trip Generation Manual, or if the home occupation in fact generates more than an average of ten trip ends (5 round trips) per day.
- Article 2, Definitions: Day Care Center or Nursery School, Zoning Ordinance Article 2 - Definitions, p. 5
DAY CARE CENTER OR NURSERY SCHOOL: A facility registered with or licensed by the state and that provides care or instruction during the day to three or more children, exclusive of children who may be living in the home that is serving as the day care center or nursery school.
- Article 8, Section 6.C(2) Suburban Residential special exceptions, Zoning Article 8 Sect 6 - Suburban Residential District, p. 2
2. The following commercial uses: 2-1 Day care centers 2-2 Funeral homes