Can I run a business from home in Topsham, Maine?
Allowed
Yes. Topsham allows home occupations that meet the standards in Zoning §225-45, as summarized in a 2015 Codes Office handout (we could not review the current ordinance text). A standard home occupation must be run by residents, kept inside the home or an accessory building, and stay under 20 vehicle trips a day. A larger 'major' home occupation can have up to 2 non-resident workers on site.
| Standard: who runs it | Residents of the dwelling unit [2] |
| Standard: sign | One non-illuminated sign, max 4 sq ft [3] |
| Standard: traffic | Max 20 vehicle trips per day [4] |
| Major: non-resident workers on site | Max 2 at a time [5] |
| Major: sign | Max 8 sq ft (4 sq ft in MV District) [6] |
| Major: traffic | Max 25 vehicle trips per day, unless access is from an arterial/collector or busy local road [7] |
Source note
This is based on a Codes Enforcement Office handout, an official town summary rather than the ordinance text itself. It is dated April 2015 and may not reflect later amendments to Section 225-45. We could not download the zoning ordinance itself, so we couldn't check which districts allow each level.
Two levels
Topsham has standard and major home occupations, each with its own standards. The business may also need a building permit or a business license from the Town Clerk [1].
Standard home occupation
- It must be run by residents of the home [2] and stay incidental to the residential use.
- All work happens inside the house or an accessory building. Outdoor storage or display must be screened from neighbors and the street.
- Extra parking goes in the side or rear yard, outside the setbacks.
- One non-illuminated sign up to 4 sq ft is allowed per property [3].
- Sales are limited to items made or substantially altered on site, catalog orders, and items incidental to an on-site service.
- No heavy commercial vehicle deliveries, and no more than 20 vehicle trips a day [4].
Major home occupation
- Only one per dwelling, and no vehicle or heavy-equipment repair.
- Primary access can't be from an internal street in a residential subdivision.
- Up to 2 non-residents may work on site at a time [5]. Off-site employees may visit for up to two hours a week, with no more than five there at once.
- Off-street parking is required for non-resident workers. Added spaces must stay out of setbacks and be screened by a landscaped buffer at least 10 ft wide and/or a solid fence at least 4 ft high.
- One non-illuminated sign up to 8 sq ft, or 4 sq ft in the MV District [6].
- Up to 25 vehicle trips a day, unless access is from an arterial or collector road or a local road carrying over 1,000 vehicles a day [7].
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Next steps
- Call the Topsham Codes Enforcement Office (207-725-1723) to confirm whether your business is a standard or major home occupation, and get the current text of §225-45.
- Ask whether you need a building permit for any space changes.
- Check with the Topsham Town Clerk about a business license.
- If you'll have non-resident workers, plan screened off-street parking outside the setbacks.
Common questions
- Can I run a business from my home in Topsham, Maine?
- Yes. Topsham allows home occupations that meet the standards in Zoning Section 225-45, based on a 2015 Codes Office handout. The business may also need a building permit or a business license from the Town Clerk.
- What is a standard home occupation in Topsham, Maine?
- One run by residents of the dwelling, kept inside the home or an accessory building, with no more than 20 vehicle trips a day. One non-illuminated sign up to 4 sq ft is allowed.
- Can I have employees in a home business in Topsham, Maine?
- Only in a major home occupation, which can have up to 2 non-residents working on site at a time. It allows a sign up to 8 sq ft, or 4 sq ft in the MV District.
- How much traffic can a home business generate in Topsham, Maine?
- A standard home occupation is limited to 20 vehicle trips a day. A major one is limited to 25 vehicle trips a day, unless access is from an arterial or collector road or a busy local road.
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
- Home Occupations handout (per §225-45), Home Occupations and Zoning Regulation (handout, per §225-45), p. 1
There are two levels of home occupations; standard and major. There is a single definition covering both with separate standards applicable to each individually. The business use may also require a building permit or a business license from the Town clerk.
- §225-45, Home occupation standard 2, Home Occupations and Zoning Regulation (handout, per §225-45), p. 1
A home occupation shall be carried on by residents of the dwelling unit.
- §225-45, Home occupation standard 6, Home Occupations and Zoning Regulation (handout, per §225-45), p. 1
One nonilluminated sign, no larger than four square feet, may be erected on the premises. Only one sign will be permitted per property regardless of the number of permitted home occupations.
- §225-45, Home occupation standard 9, Home Occupations and Zoning Regulation (handout, per §225-45), p. 1
A home occupation shall not create greater traffic than normal for the area it is located in or generate more than 20 vehicle trips per day.
- §225-45, Major home occupation standard 3, Home Occupations and Zoning Regulation (handout, per §225-45), p. 2
Not more than two people who do not reside on the premises may work on the premises where the home occupation is operated at any time.
- §225-45, Major home occupation standard 8, Home Occupations and Zoning Regulation (handout, per §225-45), p. 2
The sign may be no larger than eight square feet except in the MV District where the maximum size is four square feet.
- §225-45, Major home occupation standard 10, Home Occupations and Zoning Regulation (handout, per §225-45), p. 2
A major home occupation shall not generate more than 25 vehicle trips per day unless the primary vehicle access for the home occupation is from a street functionally classified as an arterial or collector or from a local road with a preexisting traffic volume of more than 1,000 vehicles per day.
This page summarizes Topsham's posted ordinances as of 2026-10-01. Ordinances are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Codes Enforcement Office (207-725-1723) before you build. Spot an error?